weeks late!

guess im just lazy. but this is my update on angelfire!

4X: first day of practice got rained out so i didn't even try and go. plus i was so stoked on the downhill course i wasn't even interested in mountain-cross. the next day was race day so we woke up early and got our breakfast of champions; bean and cheese burrito and a chicken hot pocket. haha mmm mmm. after that delicious meal we headed up to the killer 2005 world cup course. it was still really muddy from the day before. the course was way fun and actually pretty easy. as qualifying came around, the course dried up and became easier and even faster. i qualified in 4th without pedaling or hardly trying.



racing was fun on this course. me and jake kinney did practice runs together at race speed so i knew it was gonna be a blast. first gate i had bmx'er blake carney and 2 other local kids. i got the gate and never saw any of then again. as i watched the other classes i just sat around. plus i watched my good friend jake kinney try to jump the first berm turn. then my second moto came after what seemed like forever. i got the holeshot again and went into the second turn and left myself wide open. 2 kids passed me on the inside. as im sprinting into the next corner already passing the 2nd place kid. the red gates that line the course got sucked up into my rear wheel and i skidded to a stop. i was bummed but also kinda relieved cause i wanted to save all my energy for downhill.

DH:
i absolutely loved the downhill course. it was 5 minutes of non-stop death. the rock gardens were rough, and lines and perfection were a must but often times hard to find. and anywhere there wern't rocks, the highspeed open slopes provided some nice scary moments and kept you on the edge. practice i struggled a lot with my hands cramping but i knew race time i was gonna have to deal with it. i also had to watch how many runs i did. the course was so fun that you just wanted to keep going but also so rough that you would get beaten up really easy.



by race day the course dried up completely. i got 2 practice runs in and of course with my luck the last run was crap and i flatted in the rocks. so i was totally rushed to get my shit together. finally got to the top and waited and waited. i knew with all the time passing by the course was drying up fast. i finally got into line and before i knew it i was in the start ramp. took off with one thing on my mind. winning, as i got into the first corner i totally noticed the dryness. my bike was slipping all over. but i know it was gonna be faster in the rocks because of it. first rock section went by with ease. pinned some more corners and rocks. and before i knew it i was almost half way down. on a 5 minute course you have a lot of time to think. i was thinking about how much i love racing almost the whole time down the hill. and when the pedaling section came i just sat and spun. i was getting closer to the bottom and realized i have been riding really smooth and conservative. so the whole ending of the course i was just pinned and drifting all over cause of the dryness. i came into the last corners thinking about how fast i am going and the rear end is chopping all over and im clipping the PVC pipes that line the bottom of the course. as i blow into the finish i was just all smiles. i almost knew i won. about a minute later the announcer says" we have a new leader and its Brad Oien by 6 seconds over second place". i was stoked. second national race and my second win. i was all smiles from there.


then for the rest of that day we just goofed off and waited for awards!



on monday the pros went off. griz qualified freakin 5th and was just on it. david k stopped for like 20 seconds during qualifying and still qualified 6th.
i went up and watched everybody looked way good from where i was. i was banking on griz's first national pro podium. but his drivetrain seized and he crashed. jarl the aussie kid threw his chain and my good friend Alfonso Garcia came through with a 10th place for mexico. ha! david k got second too.

so we packed up and started driving home. i always try to make the best of long drives and i just kept awake and everyone else too. we stopped a few times and goofed off. but finally when i was getting some decent sleep the truck pulls off the highway and i hear alf say oh shit whats wrong? it turns out we ran out of gas. 40 miles out side of flagstaff AZ. in the middle of nowhere!. so of course i made the best of that too!

We rode bikes and played "BIKE" i dominated. Alf went over the bars. plus we had no light. only the moon.


We joked around and laughed. a lot.


We listened to music on alf's phone. thank god for technology!


And here is all the loosers that got stuck!



but i actually had a good time getting stuck, we called triple A and they suck cause they don't listen at all. griz ended getting us diesel fuel in a 5 gallon bucket and everything worked out fine. except it took 5 hours. but i don't care. by the time i got home i was tired and just happy to be home.

now in 2 days im leaving for 2 months. SWEET!
ill actually do posts when i can!