In total contrast to many riders my sons both commented after the first days riding that The 2010 Sherco Australian Mototrials Championship was the best trial they had ever ridden.
Given that they were both knackered and bruised I was surprised. The lines were tough. Over dinner they both assailed Kathy and I with a tirade of reasons why it was so good and why the sections shouldn’t be backed off for Sunday. They convinced me and so in the wash-up I asked both boys to share their thoughts with the trials community. Here is what James had to say....
James Wager (Fifth Place Open Junior)
I know other people may not agree with me and some have even told me I'm wrong, but here are my thoughts on the Blue Line Lower Grade Sections.....
First up - because we juniors were not given a chance to speak at the presentation I would like to take this chance to thank Gas Gas Motos for their support this year. The 2010 Gas Gas 125 was awesome all year and I hope I can be riding Gas Gas next year. Esk Car Care helped with a getting our bikes to trials this year and providing an awesome workshop: thanks Shane. And Mum and Dad: thanks heaps…..for just everything.
2010 was my first year riding Open Junior at the nationals. Isaac Luft and I were the youngest of 17 competitors in Open junior. Look at the points score and there were a lot of us that got a lot of points. But every one of us finished. It took some scrapes and bruises, and even some tears, but it was worth every thing to finish. Olympians cry too when they win or lose. And even finishing 17th in Australia is a fine effort. I didn’t manage to finish my first nationals because they didn’t even have a class for me: that one was really tough. I also feel that I really earned my fifth place this year and I value it as much as winning Junior 7-12 last year.
I enjoyed the day one sections in the creek at Thunderbird Park because we had to walk sections every time and really focus. Day one sections had many lines in each section. I had to be precise, but I could try a different line to everyone else and maybe get an advantage. And I crashed sometimes, but kids can put up with the bashes – we can recover faster and don’t have to go to work on Monday. There was one section where several people crashed, and I have heard some older riders say it was dangerous. In that section I planted both feet before the tricky bit and got through for a three every time – beats fiving it and by not trying to keep my feet up it wasn’t dangerous for me,
I was disappointed that the day two sections were so much easier. No one should get a clean lap at national level and I feel that on the second day Jordan Tricker (2nd place) could not have made up points on Sam King (winner - well done Sam) even if Jordan rode perfectly. There were just not enough points being taken by the top riders on day two.
Australian youngsters are not going to get better on a world scale by riding easy trials. The state titles and the nationals should be the hardest trials during the year, not the easiest.
So in future could we make sure that section difficulty on day one and day two is the same each day? There should not be an easy day and a hard day, and definitely not easier sections on day two. There should be easy sections and hard sections. I know it is hard setting sections because I help set sections at WDTC events. But it is not hard to make an easy section followed by a really hard section – it is just tricky getting the middle ones the same degree of difficulty. Hard doesn’t mean it has to be dangerous. Hard can be safe. It just needs fiddly stuff, like loose corners, turns on hills and multiple lines so that the people that analyse a section can get a better line and lose fewer points. But no matter what, the sections have to take points from everyone! And at Thunderbird Park on day one they did.
No matter what the final outcome was I really appreciate that I could ride in the 2010 Sherco Australian Mototrials Championships. Thanks to Sherco and the other sponsors, to the Queensland organising committee, and the MA officials and all the helpers. I think the observing was outstanding. If I play up, my parents tell me I can forget riding and can observe for a day. So I know what it is like observing for a day. Thank you all especially.
James Wager