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January 4th 2008 - 8:49pm
2007 Year in review - Part I
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| 10 years |
Victoria, BC;
2007 marked my 10th season racing downhill. I still remember back in 1997, when I showed up at the first race
of the season. I was wearing a pair of jean shorts, a t-shirt and a bike chain around my neck. For some reason, right from the start, I
wanted to let my presence be known. On the bike, I wanted to be the guy who jumped the highest and the longest even though it meant losing
half a second in the race. I still ended up 2nd at the National Championships behind Dustin Adams, who eventually became one of the fastest
Canadian downhiller in history. Yeah, I was young... young and a bit cocky sometimes I gotta admit it. But it was my way of getting some
attention, a way to be recognized by other people.
Indeed, I got badly injured at the 97 Worlds, trying to impress the crowd. I jumped a rock which I didn't really have to. I missed my landing,
went over the bars and landed straight on my neck. Think about diving in a empty pool with you arms along your sides. It was bad. I was lying
on the ground and I could barely move. I was urgently evacuated from the race since my neck and my back was hurting. That was a scary moment.
The best part of the story, I had "the chance" to have an helicopter ride which gave me a spectacular view over the Alps moutains... it
made the 7 minute and 2800$ helicopter ride worth it.... yeah right, tell my parents about it!
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Duncan Riffle and Sam Hill were kind enough to sign autographs during a DH training camp in Bromont
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EXPOSURE
I learned over the years that, all I was trying to achieve was “exposure”. For guys who are successfull on the world cup circuit, it's fairly
easy to get the level of sponsorships required to succeed. But what with the others, who are not always standing on the podium? What with guys like me,
who are mainly competing at a National level? The set skills required for sponsorship are much more than just results. Unlike most professional
sports, mountain bike doesn’t benefit from the media exposure that Hockey or Foot-ball would for instance. So, I asked myself: “What can I do
to get more visibility?” Good results, a professional attitude and the ability to make yourself approachable are all very important aspects, but
I felt like it was still not enough. With time and determination, I found different methods throughout the years to get in touch with more people.
My personal website as well as my coaching involvement are both a couple of great examples.
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| 2007 Ste-Anne World cup |
WEBSITE
In 2002, I took the initiative to create my personal website. Five years later, more and more people come to my website to
read the news section, race updates and other articles on a daily basis which motivates me to keep it alive and interesting. If you are
reading this right now, I would like to personally thank you! By visiting my web site, you contribute to my dream and I greatly
appreciate it! A lot of people send
me emails to cheer me up, while others ask me about riding tips, mechanical advice or my opinion about bikes or products I personally use. It's
great! I take pride knowing that I’ve helped consumers with their decision to buy a bike, components or equipment, which would have been
impossible without my website. This next comment might appear strange, but I’ve also had the opportunity to help several students with their school
homework as well. They’re often ask to talk about something that they’re passionate about and what they will want to do when they get older and
some of them love mountain biking or would love to be a pro-rider. So they send me a series of questions about the sport itself, my training
and my lifestyle which motivate them with their school project. To keep this kind of website up to date is a lot of work, but I truly believe
its value. It gives me strong credibility in the bicycle community while it is a way to promote my sponsors and share my passion for the sport.
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Some of the coaching I participated in this season
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COACHING
Progression Bike Coaching officially saw the light on April 28th, 2007. I’ve been organizing downhill clinics from time to time in the last 2 years
with great response. The bicycle camp business has been a very successful concept in the west coast for so many years, I thought that there was
an opportunity to develop my own coaching company back east. Once again this summer, I decided to stay in Bromont, being the most popular ski
resort for mountain bike over the last decade in the East. As mountain biking is gaining in popularity, Bromont has invested more money than ever
in the bike park and it’s no surprise that 2007 was the strongest year ever for the resort. Bromont will be hosting a World Cup in 2008, therefore,
even more features will be added next season. That is very promising for my company.
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Pre season training close to Las Vegas last April
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NATIONAL CYCLIST CENTER
Coaching allows me to help riders from every level to help
them develop their skills and gain respect for the sport. It allows me to get in the front of hundreds of people. In 2007 alone, I got in touch with
over 500 people raging from age 8 to 41 through coaching. A big thanks to Sebastien Travers and Richard Deslandes from the Bromont National Cyclist
Center, who kindly asked for my help through out the season during downhill camps, school events and the school sports programs.
**************Stay tuned for part II...
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