Personal History
Like many in this sport, I started out young. My first bike was a Honda XR50 (still have it). I don't know what it was, but I was hooked right away. I left camp at 6:30 in the morning and only came back for gas and a quick drink. It took everything I had not to duct-tape a flashlight to my front fender. My riding continued to improve with each bike I moved up to.
Desert riding has been a tradition in my family; it's something we all share together. I take pride in my motivation and work ethic. I am about to begin my second year of full-time college along with a part-time job (full-time when I'm not in school). I finished off my first year of college with a 4.0. I enjoy all the hard work I put into studying and staying in shape. I definitely feel the benefits mountain biking and working out have on my riding.
Desert riding is my home and comfort zone. Growing up and living in Southern California, I have access to just about every terrain one can imagine. However, I have spent most of my time out in the Mohave Desert and Johnson Valley. I feel I excel when I get into nasty, rocky terrain. I also tend to be very good at improvising when it comes to unfamiliar territory/terrain.
Riding Goals
I didn't decide to start doing District 37 Desert racing until earlier this year. The California Scrambles Series was appealing to me because it does not require fuel stops (the cap is 45 miles). To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect. I just was doing to have fun and see what would happen. Little did I know, it hooked me just like the first time I rode my XR50 when I was younger. I've always had a very competitive streak in me, and I think this was fueling the thrill. When I found out that I had gotten second in my first race, I was stoked to say the least..it was awesome!
I am currently riding a 2009 CRF450R in the Novice HWT 251cc+ class. My plan is to finish up the rest of this year and bump myself up to intermediate. I feel the novice class was a good way for me to get the hang of things. Now that I've begun to get in the grove of things, it's time to move up. I am also running on-pace with most of the intermediates, so I feel that I will be able to push myself to become a better rider in a more advanced class.
I am also considering signing up for the Desert Series. It is a more consistent series that has races throughout the year. The more racing experience I get under my belt, the more I will improve my riding abilities.
Competitive Highlights
Well, the big milestone I had was getting second place in the first desert race of my career. Like I said, I expected to do well, but that exceeded my expectations. That was followed by another second at the next race, and then a win at the A.M. Badgers Dual Euro. These results definitely boosted my confidence and made be believe I had what it took to do what I loved out in the desert.