Jay Richards

With no internet at the place we were staying, it was tough to do nightly updates like I intended. I had to cruise the streets of Winter Park to try and pick up some type of signal so I could at least get photos to skinnyski and check e-mail etc. All good. It was a great weekend at Sol Vista for US MTB Nationals. Full race recap in skinnyski report but a few photos and quick ? highlights below before I wake the kids up here in Lusk, WY and bolt home.


Using Nats to race back into some type of form isn't the best plan of attack but I gave it a go for what I had and didn't dnf. Got pulled in the xc after three laps and was feeling pretty good on third lap. Really liked the course, totally my style and preference of riding. Super D was in the top 20 nearing the finish, and then nailed a big rock on the way fun berms near the end and rolled it in on the rim. Super fun course. Jake and I thought best of big mountain Super Ds we have done . Like the xc, I had no warm up for the st and not the best event to ease into it. Made it three laps, getting a good workout in ? before being pulled, not the dns as results show.
Ran into Brian Ballard. He used to live in DL and we rode a few years together before he said "screw this cross country I am going to race downhill" and moved to Durango before settling down in Denver. 15 years later he is still in one piece with a wife and a kid who watch him stick a 48ft gap jump. Nice!
Last day Jack met a kid from CA named Jag. They totally hit it off and spent all day at the pump track or on the chairlift screwing around. Took them up in the chair lift to top of mountain and back. When he left he said "see you at the next race?" pretty cute. Wonder if we will ever see him again....


Jake on the podium, taking 2nd in the Super D over a stacked field of JR riders. All jr riders combined. largest field on the day. Jake was hoping for a top 10 but had a good start, some crashes in front of him and rode clean and smooth to get podium. His xc race wasn't the place he wanted but a top 10 among the countries best is a solid placing against the whippersnappers of the west.


Lars railing the last berm en route to Super D title in Cat 1 19-29. Very nicely done, on the hardtail no less.
15 minutes after Jake completed the SD, he had to do the st. The big guns were all fresh and tuned up so hard to be up at the front but he worked his way up and put in a solid effort.
Drove through Rocky Natl park on way back north and was simply awesome. Wow, the Park blew me away. Way above my expectations. Found the patch of snow I was looking for and burned a few turns. Any day you can roll it in the dirt and slide in the snow is about as good as it gets.
For the record, Jack going bare chested on his own. Ready to rub it in to Jack and Jens.
Jake having a go.
Jack still wearing the orange shirt after day 1. Jack, you should change shirts "no, I like this one". No big soil spots so why not. With humidity at 10% helps keep it from getting musty?



Love the tundra environment at high alt. Where the road makes the curve is the high point at just over 12k. The highest peaks in the area are about 13 so amazing the road is up there. Drop down almost 7 to Loveland.....what a road.

Fun trip but always hard to be away from Jonell and the other boys so look forward to getting home!