Personal History
My life was forever changed in 2017 after riding a friends CR250R at age 27. I had been riding a Yamaha TW200 for the last decade as a daily commuter, but I was afraid to get anything bigger because of how much that bike scared me at high speed. I couldn't understand how other bikes could just fly through the cinder lake without getting stuck, until the CR250R. Within the first few seconds I realized that I own the wrong bike. The CR just cut through the cinders with plenty of aggressive power, and the suspension actually soaked up the whoops. Going fast didn't scare me anymore.
A week or so later I traded my TW200 for a 1999 YZ250. That bike continued to need maintenance and work done, but was so fun to ride. I made a lot of mistakes on that bike and learned a lot of lessons. Lessons like, always check the landing before attempting to jump something. Over the next few years I went through different bikes to see what I like. There definitely isn't 1 bike that's the best at everything. I was very happy with the 2019 KTM 300 XC-W. I now have a 2023 Gas Gas 300 EX.
I live in Flagstaff, AZ at 7,000 ft elevation. When it's warm I ride single track, trails, and cinders in Flagstaff. When it cools off, I drive south and ride desert single track, Arizona Cycle Park, and desert trails. I ride once or twice a week. I would love to ride more, but I have to work my day/night job to afford all this.
I have done a few training sessions with Ryan Wells (AZDirtBikeTraining) and it has greatly improved my skills as a rider.
I trained with Max Gurston for a hard enduro clinic.
I trained with Justin Buckelew for MX.
Riding Goals
I am currently working on log hops. I can currently hop medium sized logs, but I hope to be able to jump large ones or a k-rail. I am also just trying to solidify the basics when riding, like weight the outside peg, always look ahead, and unlock the hips. I struggle at static balance and would like to improve on this because it is required to do other more advanced enduro techniques.
Another goal of mine is to become faster. I think to achieve this, I need to work on keeping my speed up through turns by using proper technique and line choice, and or course lots and lots of seat time.
I have the prefect bikes to the things I want to, so I have no excuses. It is up to me.
It is my goal to fix my Gas Gas 300EX becuase it blew up during the Veteran's Day GP due to an intake boot not tightened from the factory. It was such a bummer because the bike had less than 20 hours on it.
Competitive Highlights
I have done three races so far with AZOP. No first place victories, but I did complete all the races. I am a cautious rider and not getting injured was my main priority, other than having fun.
I raced the full 2023 season with AMRA and placed 3rd overall for open C class. I'm competing in B 30+ for 2024.