Words: Jo Peters Photos: Taylen Louise
Such a rad day at the Coast Gravity Park Jo&Co skills clinic: We woke up to rain, which was a little daunting at first, but as soon as we rolled into the park and saw the dirt conditions, I think everyone instantly got excited. The trails were in incredible shape, butter smooth and tacky.
We had a stacked coaching crew, with coaches who have been part of these events since the beginning alongside some great new additions, including ALN, a pro EDR racer, and Jules, a fellow Kona ambassador. It was a diverse group with a range of skill sets for everyone to learn from.
My group started by focusing on one of the most fundamental skills in mountain biking: balance. We worked on track stands with the idea that if we can balance confidently on the bike, every other skill becomes easier. Good balance supports the body position needed for cornering, braking, and jumping.
From there, we moved into line choice in corners. We looked at how wide we could enter corners, where corners actually begin, and how understanding those details can help riders carry more speed and confidence through turns.
Next, we worked on pressure control. We talked about how to stay smooth and fast on the trail by rolling jumps rather than always getting airborne, or how to use pumping techniques over rollers to generate speed without pedaling. Some of the most fun drills involved getting through sections of trail with a no-pedal challenge.
One of my favorite parts of the day was seeing every coach getting just as excited as their riders as progression happened. Watching confidence build and skills click throughout the day is what these clinics are all about.
Most importantly, everyone stayed safe, which is always the biggest win. We wrapped things up with a group recap, prizes from our sponsors, and plenty of laughs before heading for the ferries home.
A huge thank you to everyone who came out, coached, volunteered, and supported the event. I can't wait for the next one and to keep building on everything we learned when we return on September 25th.
