1997 Utah State Championship Series proves you can't have too much fun

By Ron Lindley

It's true, time really does fly by when your having fun; and serious, competitive fun is what the Utah State Championship Mountain Bike Series is all about.

The midway point of the series is a notable milestone in the Utah cycling scene; beginning in April and finishing in September, the Utah series runs nearly as long as the NBA (the Never-ending Basketball Association) season. With the NBA out of our faces for a while we can now all focus our full attention on the really important sport: mountain bike racing!

Series events completed to date are Moab's Tour of Canyonlands, the Showdown at 5-Mile Pass, the Sundance Spring Spin and the Mud Flat Massacre near Logan. Upcoming events are the Chris Allaire Memorial cross-country at Solitude on July 12, the Elite Marketing Cross-Country at Soldier Summit on August 2, the Dinotrax Festival cross-country and downhill on August 9-10 and the Utah State Series finale cross-country and downhill at the Deer Valley Rally on Labor Day weekend.

Time isn't the only thing that's been flying during the early stages of this year's battle for State Champ titles. Several racers have shown an amazing ability to seemingly defy gravity and jet across miles of Utah's toughest terrain on their bicycles. For example, Colorado Pro Bryan Miller must have been flirting with the sound barrier on his course record-breaking 1:33 ride at the Tour of Canyonlands cross-country. Speaking of the sound barrier, first year downhill racer Jeremy Smith is on the verge of cracking it. His first-ever downhill race was this year at Moab, he won the Sport Class with a time that bested most of the Pro's in attendance. Jeremy has since flown up to the Expert Class and is still winning races.

In Cross-Country, Rhonda Reasoner is bombing the competition in the Women's Expert Class, but Jen Tribe is still very much airborne and has Rhonda in her sites. Mike Huff upgraded his ticket from Expert to Semi-Pro (formerly Elite) and leaves Jarom Zenger in the pilot's seat in the Senior Expert Class.

Dog fights are breaking out between high-flying racers for domination of some categories, here are some notable battles: Bart Adams and John Olden in the Veteran Expert Men's class, Adam Goodvibes and Matt Wolf in the Sport 27-34 Men's class and Robert Baxter and T. J. Cowern in the Sport 19-26 Men's Class. Junior riders Brandon Sjoblom, Kevin Taylor, Michael Blanchard and Robbie Taylor are also rocketing through the first half of the season. It should also be noted that kryptonite may be the only thing that will keep mild-mannered Park City Pro Max Lawson attached to the ground.

The first-ever Utah State Downhill series has taken off and is right on schedule. However, attendance in some downhill categories has been less than expected. This is puzzling in light of three facts: one, downhill is growing to huge proportions in many parts of the U.S. and around the World; two, Utah has some of the best downhill terrain on the planet; and three, downhill racing is one of the most fun and thrilling sports anyone can do. The bottom line is that the State Championship Downhill titles are still up for grabs. If you've thought about giving downhill racing a try now is the time.

Along with Jeremy Smith, Colorado's Amy Farnsworth and Rhonda Reasoner have been dominating Utah's Pro/Expert downhill scene. Ryan Sparks, Brian Tolbert and Sam Cartwright are making a real big-air war out of the Jr. Expert/Sport series this year. In the Senior Sport classes Jacob Hales, Tara Henrichsen and Liza Totora have been the kamikaze speed masters so far.

Many others are flying too, and they're doing it week in and week out. It's tough to maintain a high level over the course of the entire season, especially with mountain biking's demanding race schedule. Who will be left soaring above the clouds in September remains to be seen.

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