Sharrah Back on US Soil After CPH Wreck

It seems like this space has been devoted almost-exclusively to riders wrecked, on-the-mend, or returning from injury for the past few months. Well, we’re always glad to bring you stories of recovery, and the road back to gettin on the bike.

Since last Saturday, when a freak crash took him out of the Quarterfinals in the UCI BMX World Championships, we have been following the progress of Corben Sharrah, and his road back.

Corben suffered an injury to his right femur (thigh bone), and had surgery within hours of the accident. Only hours after coming out of the ER, Corben was up and putting weight on the leg–an amazing feat, when you think of broken legs…being in a cast and on crutches for weeks has historically been doctor’s orders.

By his side the entire time was his coach and friend, Greg Romero. It was very cool to see Greg’s dedication and professional handling of all things related to Corben’s condition. Never a better advocate…big props to Coach G!

Corben posted a few shots on his Facebook page of escaping the bonds of the hospital room to sneak over to McDonalds to use their globally-free wi-fi a few times, and is now back on US Soil and starting the physical therapy which will hopefully lead him back to the gate in time to hit the first SX of 2012, in February.

BMXNEWS will keep you updated on Corben and his progress, but until then, we wish him the best for a safe and speedy return.

—Mike Carruth

Photo: Thomas Hamon of France gets sideways and upside-down at the top of the second straight in the quarterfinals of the 2011 UCI BMX World Championship in Copenhagen. The wreck was unavoidable for Corben (far right), who seconds after this Freecaster.tv screen capture was snapped, ran into Hamon’s bike, lost his bike, and jammed his right leg into the dirt, at race speed, from a height of about 10 feet. The femur is said to be as strong as concrete, so you get a taste of the forces involved in Corben’s injury.

Corben Says “No Way” to SX-Only Rumor

At the past few races, a rumor has been going around the pits, essentially saying that some of the top Olympic contenders would be staying home from nationals here at home, in favor of a “Supercross-only” strategy. One of the riders mentioned in the chatter was Corben Sharrah. Corben made the Elite funded team for the upcoming UCI BMX World Championships in Denmark later this month, and is on a trajectory that many believe will put him in the Olympic Village, next August.

BMX News caught up with Corben last week, to congratulate him on his piece in Sports Illustrated, and had a chance to ask him if there was any truth to the rumor. He said:

“Those weren’t my words. I fully plan on being a participant in the ABA series, and have no intention of just doing Supercross. I have just as much fun racing the ABA series, and will be at as many ABA races as I can make it to.”

Good to hear Corben! Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Corben Sharrah Hits the Pages of Sports Illustrated

‘Tis the season for Olympic sponsors to start revving up the PR engine, as athletes start revving up their game in the dash to London 2012.

Straight out of the gate, comes a special advertising section from McDonald’s, entitled “Time|Out.” The section will run in an upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated and, though we have not seen the section in-full just yet, we can assume that it highlights up-and-coming athletes in Olympic sports. A similar section highlighted Apollo Ohno in 2004 (though, at that point, Ohno already had a Gold and a Silver medal from the Salt Lake games)

The interview covers some good ground, both on Corben and for BMX racing in general, allowing the reader a rare peek into how top athletes started down the path of their chosen sport. In Corben’s case, he says “My parents got me a bike when I was two, and I was riding it with no training wheels, basically the first time out. When I was five, this dirt track nearby had commercials on TV. I’d call the phone number, but hang up because I didn’t know what to say. So my dad took me one night to watch. The next week, he took me to ride. Ever since, I’ve been racing.”

A big thanks to McDonald’s for shining the spotlight on the great sport of BMX Racing, and on a tremendous athlete in Corben Sharrah. You chose very well.

News will update this story when we find out in which issue the section will appear–you’ll want to pick up a copy!

—Mike Carruth

Elites Speak Out on SX Tracks

Photo by DJBMX, via Facebook.

Last weekend, the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup race in Papendal, Netherlands made some headlines in the BMX community. But they weren’t all trumpeting the great work Marc Willers and Sarah Walker put in disposing of the competition.

The track, itself, became the story of the week, as riders, coaches, industry luminaries and at-home spectators alike all chimed in with their opinion of how the most extreme SX track on record sorted out the ranks.

On the same day as the Papendal race, another Kiwi, Jed Mildon, was making some headlines of his own–performing the first-ever triple backflip on a BMX bike. Mildon’s trick ultimately grabbed an eye-popping 6.5 million YouTube views in one week.

In a world where extreme feats can command eyeball counts of that scale, it’s logical, if not obvious, that the pressure to march the crowd appeal (read: extreme nature) of BMX Supercross ever-forward is high on the minds of Johan Lindstrom and Tom Ritz, the two lead architects of modern-day BMX Supercross.

In a 10-page critique of the race, Garret Does, the inventor of the UCI World Cup series, offered some chilling statistics on the Elite Men class in Papendal:

• In total there were 133 entries in that class (from all over the world!).
• After watching and/or taking part in the Thursday Practice, 40 riders decided NOT to race. “Too dangerous a track,” they said.
• With those 40 pull-outs, 93 riders were left to compete on Friday.
• During the time trials, NINE riders were DNF, and did not have a chance to qualify. The main reason for the DNFs were that they weren’t able to jump onto the 90-degree-vertical step up (Box-jump), or they crashed too hard and were treated by the medics present.
• Out of the 84 riders left, 64 qualified for the Saturday rounds.

Connor Fields, who did not make it to the Papendal event, offered commentary, via Facebook, which brought a lengthy and lively chorus of A-List stars chiming in on the subject (taking positions on both sides of the issue).

Though no official announcement has been made by UCI, the talk on the fenceline is that the Papendal track is very close, if not identical, to the track design currently being built in London for next year’s Olympic Games. A “test event” will also be held on that very track and is, in fact, the next stop on the 2011 UCI Supercross tour this August.

BMX News feels this is an important topic, and one where you should hear, in the riders’ own words, how they feel about the progression of SX track features. So, we set out to ask a selection of Elite riders their views on a handful of questions. We bring you their answers unedited, and in full (thus, apologies if it’s longer than most articles).

In all, we sent our questionnaire to 24 riders. Ten responded, and you will see their answers below. Of the other 14, only one replied to say that he preferred to stay out of it. We will not speculate as to the reason of the remaining 13, but we respect their decision, just the same.

Responding Riders (listed here, and in the responses, alphabetically):

Kelvin Batey
Luis Brethauer
Jim Brown
Tyler Brown
Connor Fields
Ramiro Marino
Tory Nyhaug
Corben Sharrah
Marc Willers
Sam Willoughby

The Questions:

1). What do you like/love about BMX Supercross?

2). Do you feel it is important for the next SX track to be more challenging than the last?

3). Do you feel that tracks should constantly introduce new types of obstacles to challenge riders’ abilities?

4). Striking a balance between making a track “challenging” and creating a course that may be prove dangerous to riders is obviously a delicate dance. What, about a track, could “cross the line” between challenging and dangerous?

5). Do you have any thoughts on how future tracks can avoid the kinds of issues the Elite community has voiced after Papendal?

6). Have you ever traveled to an SX race and considered not racing (or actually pulled out of competition) as a result of a track being “dangerous” in your eyes? If yes to either, please add details.

7). Please list any other thoughts or opinions you have on this topic which we have not covered above.

RIDER RESPONSES
Note: Where a rider did not respond to a question, their name is left off.

1). What do you like/love about BMX Supercross?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): BMX Supercross is a spectacle, not only for people within BMX Racing but also for people who know nothing about the sport. The speeds and bigger jumps have pushed riders’ abilities to the next level and the way that its being promoted now is more in line with the high profile sports.

Luis Brethauer (GER): The speed, the big jumps and the adrenaline rush.

Jim Brown (CAN): I like the rush of the hill. There is nothing like sprinting down that hill with seven other riders elbow to elbow. I also like that the SX format is a showcase of the pros.

Tyler Brown (USA): I think SX is great! It is great for our sport and something that is so much fun to do. Our sport needs the “limelight,” it needs the spectators, it needs something to showcase the world’s best riders, and what we can do on a race track on our BMX bikes! SX is a great stage and I have seen it bring thousands out to watch…there is nothing better then racing a fast track in front of thousands of fans!

Connor Fields (USA): I enjoy the intensity and the fact that we’re not riding the same track as the 5-year olds.  I love the speed and the competition.  It is the pinnacle of BMX racing.

Ramiro Marino (ARG): I love the speed that you can earn on the track. For the first two years, i thought it wasn’t good for any reason. Now, I would say that SX is far away from regular BMX. 

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): I love the speed at the bottom of the ramp, and the competition from every country in the world. It is so exciting already, the tracks don’t need to get any more dangerous!

Corben Sharrah (USA): The speeds of the tracks. It’s a great adrenaline rush to go down that huge hill as fast as you can and whip through a trip in 35 seconds.

Marc Willers (NZL): I am a fan of the speed and the fast-paced racing. I love the big hill. Period. I feel racing is far more exciting at higher speeds as long as we can all stay in touch with each other.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): I enjoy the bigger track, bigger turns, bigger jumps and higher speeds

2). Do you feel it is important for the next SX track to be more challenging than the last?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): Not at all. It’s not always about how challenging a track is, but how it rides– both in time trials and (group) racing. If it was the case that each new track built had to be more challenging than the last then how far does the progression actually go? There is a limit and I think for the sake of safety and how good racing looks– this was reached a year or so ago. I have never seen so many races so strung out at the finish line as was seen in Papendal with the lead rider crossing the line, 2nd place half way down the last straight and then other riders still on the 3rd straight after a big scramble for bikes half way around the track after a crash somewhere. One of the best SX races ever was at Chula last year where five riders were practically going over the line together in the main and there is a vast difference in both tracks.

Luis Brethauer (GER): Papendal was already a huge step to the next level, so I don’t think the next track should be even more challenging.

Jim Brown (CAN): I do think the Tracks need to progress and be more challenging as everyone in the sport is getting better. I think the Papendal track has gone too far, putting in the box jump and the hip jumps just took an exciting sport and made it boring to watch.

Tyler Brown (USA): I feel there is a time and a place for everything, and the limits do need to be pushed. That is how SX racing came about in the first place. If it wasn’t for trying something new and pushing the limits BMX wouldn’t be where it is today.

Connor Fields (USA): There are different things they can do the make tracks challenging without making them dangerous.  Making different kinds of jumps, like they did with the first jump in SA, and the step up step down in Madrid.  Those make it more challenging, yet keep it BMX, and keep it fun.

Ramiro Marino (ARG): I wasn’t there, but I heard many bad things about the (Papendal) track. I also watched the races on Freecaster, and i can say that I have never seen that many crashes. First, the track was longer than ever, so I saw crashes in the last straight as never before. Then, I saw guys casing the box and get flat tires, then transfer crashes. Do they think we are robots or what? Did you guys see how windy it was? Bad!!!!

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): No it’s not. Look at Copenhagen, the track has been the same for a few years now and the racing there is always exciting! Everyone can do the track and actually race properly on it. There is no need to change it or make tracks twice as difficult. We all want to put on a good show but we want to stay healthy too.

Corben Sharrah (USA): I don’t feel it has to be more challenging in any way. Just a different layout and some obstacles switched around would be perfect.

Marc Willers (NZL): Not at all. When we all arrived in Beijing 07 for the SX race we all thought that track was huge! It was big, but it was also simple and straight-forward. The races seen on that track and Chula Vista, are some of the best races in history. They allow flat-out, clean racing.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): I don’t think they have to feel that they need to make them crazier and crazier every time we race. Because pretty soon we are going to lose the idea of “Racing.” I think they just need to make a variety of tracks. Some technical, Some more open. Have tracks on the circuit that suit all styles of riders to make it a level playing field. I think making crazy tracks just makes it a lottery rather than a championship.

3). Do you feel that tracks should constantly introduce new types of obstacles to challenge riders’ abilities?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): I think its great to see new kinds of jumps introduced, as long as they keep the speed element of the sport. The box jump section of the track in Papendal looked slow and boring and there didn’t seem much point to it as racing became single file. In comparison, at that stage of the track in Beijing/Chula Vista (halfway), you see riders going for moves and giving it everything they have at max speed and that’s what makes BMX racing the sport it is.

Luis Brethauer (GER): it is cool that there are new obstacles introduced to the sport from time to time like the box jump in Madrid, or things like berm jumps and those new crossovers to push the sport forward. But, if some obstacles don’t really work in racing they just should leave them out again. Also, you don’t need to have a brand new obstacle on EVERY supercross track.

Jim Brown (CAN): I do think that we can bring in some new jumps for the SX tracks. We could start with some different jumps that are made out of dirt, triple on the second straight, step-up, step-down on the first straight. Instead of doing a box jump made out of a container or paved hip jumps. At some point the UCI has to think about the riders’ safety.

Tyler Brown (USA): This is kind of an add on to my answer above. I think we need to push and challenge ourselves and try new things, however I think there is a time and a place for that. I think the last place we should be testing new ideas and track designs is at a World Cup event, where all of the riders paid a lot of money to get to and worked our butts off to be the best we can be.

Nowadays, there are so many training centers and SX tracks all over the world. How about taking advantage of that and testing some of the new jumps at those places? There are five SX races on the calendar. Let’s build the box jump in Papendal, the new hip jump at Chula Vista, some jump-on, jump-off thing in Australia, I think you are getting my point. Use the local riders that have plenty of talent and time to get a jump dialed-in.

They are then able to give input to GSX, say this works, this doesn’t, and what can make it better. So us riders show up to a World Cup event with the kinks already smoothed out and we know we are riding something that will work right and we can race on.

Connor Fields (USA): Some, but not constantly.  What they have been doing for the last few years has worked and been totally fine.  This last race, they went too far and it caused a lot of riders to get hurt, and that’s always the worry with “progression.” 

Ramiro Marino (ARG): naaah!!! it wasn’t good for fans, because everyone was running on the track with bikes in their hands!!!!! We just need a regular SX track like Beijing. Three turns, four straights and that’s it! See who has more power and can handle the track. This way, the BMX fans would be watching how fast we can go!!! 

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): Yes and No. BMX is already an exciting sport so what’s the need to create a box jump or hip jump? IT slows down racing, this is RACING not FREESTYLE. Stick to big jumps that we can go fast and race on. That being said, It’s cool the UCI is trying new stuff but don’t go over the top like the last track in Papendal.

Corben Sharrah (USA): You always look forward to riding a new track, and seeing what’s on the track…but we all know the abilities of the Elite riders out there. We could ride any track they throw at us, but the big thing is can we race that track with seven other of the world’s fastest in the gate? Last weekend in Papendal, we saw how UN-race-worthy the track was. So, there is a point where you can say you can only do so much to a track to have it “raceable” and entertaining with all eight guys battling instead of two getting out front and the other six rolling the jumps.

Marc Willers (NZL): Again, no. It needs to be a race…being BMX RACING and all. We want to race, that is why we all chose this discipline. Elbow to elbow racing is what we love, not slipping in behind the guy in front, just to get through an s-bend and then hoping he won’t blow up.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): I think some different rhythm sections would be a lot cooler then things like box jumps. Rhythms where its faster to triple something, instead of everything being one-lined and “two, two, two.” There needs to be gaps that are really big, but daylight faster.

4). Striking a balance between making a track “challenging” and creating a course that may be prove dangerous to riders is obviously a delicate dance. What, about a track, could “cross the line” between challenging and dangerous?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): Without a doubt, I think the line was crossed in Papaendal, as there was a statistic released saying that more than half the riders that actually raced crashed at some point in the racing. Crashing over these big jumps at such high speeds can’t have a good outcome every time. The length of the track may also have been an issue in Papendal, with it being so long it will be so fatiguing for riders that they begin to make mistakes and when going through a rhythm section with gaps of 25-30 feet, this did cause some guys to mess up.

Luis Brethauer (GER): Actually, with the weather conditions in Papendal, this track already “crossed the line” of being dangerous. On the third straight, after 27 seconds at full speed, in this size and with the wind from the side is more than challenging.

Jim Brown (CAN): It definitely is a fine line between challenging and dangerous, crossing the line would be putting jumps that are too big with paved landings and obstacles you either make it or you have to get off your bike and hop on top and over them. This is BMX racing not Cyclocross!

Tyler Brown (USA): I think last weekend was the perfect example of that. You had many of the world’s best riders, including local riders (to Papendal), crashing, and crashing very hard!! If something like my idea above was used, we would have still challenging jumps but stuff that worked better because it was tried and tested. Ultimately, anything that is to tight, to big/small, or steep can be to dangerous for a race.

Connor Fields (USA): Here’s a thought: The track builder and UCI officials should think to themselves “if I had a kid, would i want him/her racing on this track?”  I think the first-straight berm jump is a horrible idea, people are still too close and jumbled up, and one mistake on that jump and you’re hurt. Plus, it causes a couple guys to have to roll it and makes the racing boring. 

Ramiro Marino (ARG): I think the maximum would be South Africa, with a transfer in the middle of the track, or Madrid (2010), with that box jump, which was normal…but not more than that. We get more and more tired with each weird (obstacle) on the track.

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): The track needs to make it possible for eight people to race on consistently. Almost every lap in Papendal, half the guys crashed. That is the balance, it has to be fit for eight guys to have a good, clean race.

Corben Sharrah (USA): There isn’t too much of a fine line, but there are some things that work on a track, and some things that don’t. I think it’s all in the way the tracks are built, not necessarily what the jumps are but how they’re shaped, how the turns are bowled, how wide the track is. Things being built too narrow, and hips and things not having the right angle on them could really make that difference between challenging and dangerous.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): I think build jumps steep and short is, to be honest, stupid. It slows the racing down and its dangerous. We have that big hill for a reason. To create speed. So why put small jumps, with steep backsides, that you have to brake for and lose all that speed.

5). Do you have any thoughts on how future tracks can avoid the kinds of issues the Elite community has voiced after Papendal?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): I saw a quote from another rider a few days ago saying to just give the riders some 180 turns and real BMX jumps and it’s good to go, and I agree with that. The South Africa Worlds track, Chula, Beijing all had flowing tracks with real BMX jumps on them which were both good for spectators and riders to ride. I think tracks should keep to the core element of what BMX Racing is with the twist of the Supercross in them. I don’t think the sport needs to be reinvented that dramatically.

Luis Brethauer (GER): The first and second straights in Papendal are awesome! The crazy turning stuff should be wider or different somehow, that there are several lines in racing for overtaking. On the box jump in Papendal, you lost all your speed so it would be cool to make it curved on top to keep that speed. The third straight should be a little smaller and with different lines…maybe go back to some manual doubles so that you can still go through the straight fast if you have some trouble before the straight.

Jim Brown (CAN): I think there needs to be a rider rep in place with the UCI or GSX, who has some say on how the tracks are built– someone who will speak up for the riders.

Tyler Brown (USA): Again something above would be great, but also how about using the riders to help build a track? I mean, “hello,” we ride for a living, and we have all built trails. We can figure out what works and what doesn’t. Take Papendal. I think all of us leading up to the event were worried if it would even work and if it was raceable and I think most of us were right!

I’m a friend of Tom (Ritz), and have been for years. The last thing I am trying to do is bash the dude. All I am saying is: why not have input from people who actually ride the tracks and have to race them? In my opinion, I think that is a no-brainer!

Connor Fields (USA): Stick to what’s working, don’t keep trying to push it, because were pushing it with our necks on the line and I’m worried its gonna take someone getting really badly injured for the UCI to do anything, and no one wants that. 

Ramiro Marino (ARG): Well, we are doing it now by this article, but I hope the guys who should hear us listen. It all depends on us to make a change!!!! I mean the Elite riders.

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): Stick to BMX. Make big jumps that we can attack at a fast speed and jump cleanly. Make the track technical, but possible to race on. We shouldn’t have to worry about the TRACK, we should have to worry about racing.

Corben Sharrah (USA): Most of Papendal was weather conditions. It would just be safer for all the riders if there could of been a different time we practiced/raced so the wind and weather factors weren’t so bad.

Marc Willers (NZL): I feel they need to keep it in line with how it has been working over the last six years. There is no need for box-jumps or wall rides as it is clearly a major interruption in racing.

I’m on the fence whether the track itself was too crazy, or just a result of many factors. In my opinion, the hips/s-bend, has to go. I can’t vent my disgust for its waste of space in writing!

As stated earlier, the Beijing track was a shock to all of us when we first
saw it. A year later, it was “just another track.” Maybe Papendal will go
down the same road, for riding, not racing. Though I feel that a decision
needs to be made on whether they want a good flat-out, hard-charging race for
30 seconds, over a challenging track, vs the Tour-de-France
they made us ride in Papendal… It can’t be both.

The length of the track is over UCI regulation, and I can tell you now that this played an equal role, along with the wind, for killing everyone. The sport’s top pros from around the world should not be crashing out of a race because they just physically run out of steam.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): Build tracks to be raced at high speed. And think flow first! Make the tracks “flowy…” they will still be challenging.

6). Have you ever traveled to an SX race and considered not racing (or actually pulled out of competition) as a result of a track being “dangerous” in your eyes? If yes to either, please add details.

Kelvin Batey (IRL): I’ve never gone to a race and thought of pulling out, but have read about a few riders saying that about Papendal.

Luis Brethauer (GER): No, I never have. I usually love the big tracks and the risk. In Papendal, I made a mistake on third straight and crashed in TT. I was really pissed, but when I saw the riders struggle on race day with the wind and everything, somehow I was a little glad I didn’t have to race that day.

Jim Brown (CAN): I have never considered not competing at a SX race because of the track. The wind has sketched me out a few times, but I have not skipped out on a race. I was not in Papendal but I may have considered not racing that one.

Tyler Brown (USA): Have I been scared at times? Yes. At the same time that is part of the thrill of SX is beating those fears. I think the only time I was super-nervous was the SLC Dew Tour when it was raining and so windy. That was a bit scary!

Connor Fields (USA): Never, but if i was in Papendal, I would have been lying if I said I wasn’t scared out of my mind.  I was nervous for the guys just watching.  It looked like crash-up derby out there. 

Ramiro Marino (ARG): Well, I always travel long to race. But Denmark 2008 was one time I didn’t race. It was too windy and the track was wet. Then, in China at the 2007 Olympic test event, they had to change the track like three times by the weekend.

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): No I haven’t. Papendal was right on that edge though.

Corben Sharrah (USA): No, I have not pulled out of a race or found a track to dangerous. But there are some times I wouldn’t want to ride because the weather has been bad with wind or rain which makes the track dangerous at the time.

Marc Willers (NZL): Right before the third moto in Papendal, I had those very thoughts. Had one of the four people I asked, given me a straight up answer, and the one I was kinda hoping to hear, I would have quit on the spot. The conditions we were riding in were ridiculous. Sporting events get postponed all the time, for many reasons, but not us, we just have to deal with it. (Sarcasm intended).

Sam Willoughby (AUS): No none of them have ever been that bad yet.

7). Please list any other thoughts or opinions you have on this topic which we have not covered above.

Luis Brethauer (GER): Some good riders didn’t, or barely, made it through the timetrial in Papendal, because they made small mistakes in their only lap. Someone asked me why we don’t have something like the last chance qualifier in motocross, so that might be an idea.

Jim Brown (CAN): I hope that GSX and the UCI will take a second look at how the Olympic track is going to be built. Take out the box jump and the hip jumps and make it a race track not a skate park.

Tyler Brown (USA): Here is the way I look at it: It is up to us, the BMX pros, to take it and push it in the direction we want it to go. Just like other sports have, our athletes need to run it, not some dudes who don’t ride. There is a lot in our sport that needs to get better, and don’t even get me started, because that would turn into a longer story (haha)! I hope you like my ideas and thanks for giving us a voice!

Connor Fields (USA): Like I said above, the UCI needs to think “would I want my kid racing this track>”  BMX Racing is awesome, and could be one of the most exciting sports to watch– if they keep the tracks wide-open for good racing, and not too crazy so that the world’s best don’t get injured.   

Ramiro Marino (ARG): All i can say is: PAPENDAL JUST CROSSES THE LINE OF DANGEROUS.

Corben Sharrah (USA): Just that I hope we get better conditions for the races and tracks that are actually raceable not just rideable!

Marc Willers (NZL): (excerpt from Marc’s Papendal Race Report). The track had everything an Olympic medal should be decided on: a MASSIVE first straight, BIG second straight, pro doubles, which went into a questionable hip/S-bend/into-box-jump/into-weird-drop-off. Then there was a grueling dig for speed to get down the extremely technical third straight rhythm section and then onto the deep last straight. Not to forget the track is 75 meters longer than the 35 years of BMX rules have allowed them to be.

Needless to say, it was a burn. (obviously certain things listed above need
to be attended to)

If the sheer size of the track wasn’t daunting enough, Mother Nature
decided to do her best to kill off any skeptics, and that she did. The wind
was horrific all week and every time we started a lap it would be blowing a
different way. With the elevation changes of the track, one minute it was
dead calm when you were down below the face of a jump, and then the second
you took off, you could be blown in any direction. I firmly believe we need
specific conditions, in which it is deemed unsafe to ride, not just realize
it once we’re in a pile, on the dirt.

Racing was crazy. I’ll be the first to admit I was scared and after the
second round of motos I was having doubts and thinking of pulling the plug. I
managed to clear my head and put together a solid third lap with a win. The
quarterfinal went smoothly, and I got another win. By now, my body was really
starting to feel the hurt. I hadn’t managed to put a clean lap together yet.

Leading into the first turn in the Semi, Holland’s Jelle Van Gorkom took a
sharp inside line, and pulled off a nice move to take over the lead. With
such a tight line, though, he struggled for speed over the first pro double
and came up short. I went to the right in case it got nasty, but USA’s
Corben Sharrah poked his wheel up the inside over the second jump. I saw him
coming and with the S-bend heading his direction, it was about to get tight.
I had a slight lead as we jumped and, sadly, he fell victim to the poorly-
designed hip jump and went over the back of me. If it weren’t for that part
of the track, it would have been a much better race. When good side-by-side
racing ends up like that and ruins the day for one of the best riders in the
world, then something ain’t right.

Editor’s Conclusion:

I am not offering any editorial analysis of the above…the riders said it best.

I will close by saying that, in my two-and-a-half-year tenure as editor of BMX News, this is the story I am most proud to have posted.

I love the fact that the Elites of the sport are getting involved shaping in their destiny, and that they articulated their views on this very important subject so well.

A big thanks to Connor Fields, for inspiring this article, and helping with the riders’ cooperation.

Thank you for reading! Now, come on over to Vintage and give us your views.

—Mike Carruth

Sharrah Gets Props From US Olympic Big Wigs

When you’re an Olympic hopeful, it always helps your OTC street cred when the US Olympic Committee recognizes your accomplishments. The Committee announced recently that Corben Sharrah was named third among male Athletes of the Month for April 2011.

The recognition is in observance of his World Cup victory in South Africa, and then his USAC BMX National Title the following week in Chula Vista.

USOC Athlete of the Month honors are bestowed on Male, Female and Team athletes. For April, Ice Hockey, Fencing, Track & Field, Figure Skating and Wheelchair Tennis joined BMX Racing (Cycling) as sports whose athletes received recognition.

Here’s what the release said about Corben:

Sharrah finished third in the voting by capturing both a World Cup victory and a national title in April. He started the month by winning the first UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa April 8-9. At only 18-years old, he turned 19 on April 20, Sharrah qualified fifth in the time trial superfinal, moved through the early rounds and won his semifinal before powering his way to the top step of the podium. The following week, Sharrah won the USA Cycling BMX National Championship for men’s elite riders on the campus of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

The next World Cup event is next week in Papendal, Netherlands. Corben will be joined by Nic Long, David Herman and Josh Meyers on the Men’s team, and Brooke Crain, Arielle Martin and Alise Post for the Women. Hopefully, we’ll se seeing some more BMXers on the USOC Athlete of the Month “podium” in months to come…and on the podium of podiums in London next August!

Hurrah for Corben Sharrah!

Link to Photo Gallery for All of USA Cycling BMX National Championship at end of this article.

Corben Sharrah has had quite a week. Last Saturday, he won the first UCI BMX Supercross of 2011. Then he was named USA Today Athlete of the Week for that win. He took a break for day one of the ABA So. Cal Nationals–obviously resting up for what was to come on Saturday.

The annual USA Cycling BMX National Championship is a one day, one-(final)-lap-for-the-gold race which, among other things, qualifies amateurs to Team USA for the UCI BMX World Championships. The Elite qualification rules are a little more complex, but suffice it to say that the Elite winners of this race are crowned USA Cycling National Champions, and each get a spiff new Stars & Stripes jersey.

Of the Elite men, 29 riders climbed the three-story start ramp at the Chula Vista SX track. This was the first time the championship race was decided on a supercross track–marking a definite shift in Elite BMX Racing from the traditional national tracks. The move to the big hill answered the pleas of many riders that such a race should be on an SX track.

After three motos, Sharrah was a major standout, with a 1-1-1. David Herman was also there with three aces. Nic Long had a 2-1-1 and Denzel Stein had a 2-2-1. Barry Nobles also seemed to be on a “good day, possibly GREAT day” trajectory, with a 1-1-4.

What makes BMX Supercross so exciting to fans is that it is unpredictable. It calls to mind the “Deathstar Run” in Star Wars–one wrong move, out of the groove, and “ka-boom!” game over.

In the First Elite Men Semi, Stein was in command with Nic Long in the chase. Nobles and Kory Cook were left in the first turn after a tangle. At the berm jump, Stein and Long looked good for a trip to the main. The final two spots were a three-man race between Tyler Faoro, Tommy Vallejo and Johnny Woodmansee. In turn two, Faoro emerged as a solid third, and Vallejo looked like he may have a zip lock on the bubble spot when he hit the exit of the turn with a little too much velocity, and high-sided–spinning into the ground, and leaving Woodmansee with the final spot for Semi 1.

The second semi had Herman, Sharrah and Tyler Brown as the three solid leaders, at the berm jump, with Mike Day on the bubble. Moments before, on the landing to the second set in the straightaway, it seemed like we heard a loud “kink!” out of Mike’s bike, and he made the berm jump, but seemed to shut it down after that (no word on whether it was an equipment failure, or just an “unexpected adjustment.” With Day out of the way, Jared Garcia slid into the bubble spot, and held off the likes of Donny Robinson, Weston Pope and Riley Stair to hit the main event gate.

Come main event time, Long had the inside position, with Sharrah next to him. Gate 3 was Stein, then Brown, Woodmansee, Herman, Faoro and Garcia. After all the pomp & pageantry of doing the intros for the TV cameras, it was on!

The gate dropped, and the USAC National champion shot down the hill. Nobody knew who it would be yet, because anything was possible. Sharrah and Herman got out to early leads, staying low over the first gap–the rest of the guys skyed over it and made it out clean. By the backside of turn one, the final order had been all-but-decided, when Sharrah and Herman stretched out a bit more, and Tyler Brown settled into the third slot. Nic Long still could still be a factor, as he was on Tyler’s chainstay and had a history of pulling rabbits out of helmets in the final feet. Sharrah hit the berm jump (above) with a bike or so on Herman and Brown. Down the third straight, it stayed Sharrah in the lead, and may have momentarily swapped between Herman and Brown in second (too hard to see from our vantage point). But by the final stretch, it was clear GT’s Corben Sharrah would have his second win on an SX track in as many weeks, and a new title to add to his resume: 2011 USA Cycling BMX National Champion. Joining him on the podium would be David Herman for Intense BMX and Tyler Brown for Crupi/ProGate.

BMX News will have the rest of Saturday’s re-cap, as well as story and photos from the ABA So. Cal National, late Monday.

Meanwhile, check out the photo galleries

Saturday Photo Gallery (Includes Amateurs and Elites)

Added Monday Morning:
ABA So. Cal Nationals – Sunday

Corben Sharrah Honored By “USA Today”

After his World Cup win in Pietermaritzburg last weekend, Corben Sharrah has attracted the eyes and honors of the sports editors at USA Today. In yesterday’s edition, the paper, which has a daily audience of 1.7 million readers, named Corben their “USA TODAY Olympic Athlete of the Week.”

Honors like this are a great way to spread the word about our sport, and we feel BMX racers are long-overdue for recognition in the mainstream media.

We’re sure Corben’s sponsor, GT Bicycles, is stoked about this as well, though they were not mentioned in the article (Sharrah was in South Africa as part of the USA Cycling “funded” team, and therefore, wore the “USA” jersey pictured above, instead of the Factory GT threads you see at the nationals).

We are anxious to see if Corben starts up a winning streak when he is back in GT colors this weekend at the USA Cycling National Championship in Chula Vista, CA. BMX News will be on the ground with updates, tweets and photos throughout the weekend.

See the full USA Today Article

Sharrah Wins SA Supercross for USA

In a main event packed with excitement, Team USA rider Corben Sharrah takes a wire to wire victory in the first round of the 2011 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series, the above being the only view the other seven got of him in the main. Khalen Young and Marc Willers were battling back and forth for the second and third spot into the first turn, and down the second straight. Willers ended up on the ground in turn two, and KY took it all the way home for second. In third, it was Joris Daudet of France joining them on the podium.

While in the Women’s main, Time Trial Superfinal winner Manon Valentino took an early lead, and stretched out on the rest of the pack, taking the win by a sizable margin at the stripe. Gabriela Diaz of Argentina was a clean second. Caroline Buchanan was in the third spot coming into the last turn, but had some trouble and ended up on the dirt, leaving space for Sarah Walker to get on through and nab the third podium spot.

BMXNEWS will have more on the South Africa SX race later today.

Results – Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
WOMEN
Manon Valentino – FRA – 33.714
Gabriela Diaz – ARG – 34.858
Sarah Walker – NZL – 36.116
Magalie Pottier – FRA – 43.085
Caroline Buchanan – AUS – 43.726
Vilma Rimsaite – LTU – 49.473
Stefany Hernandez – VEN – 1:04.164
Lauren Reynolds – AUS – DNF

MEN
Corben Sharrah – USA – 34.054
Khalen Young – AUS – 34.815
Joris Daudet – FRA – 35.095
Raymon van der Biezen – NED – 35.156
Andres Jiminez – COL – 35.620
Robert DeWilde – NED – 36.026
David Herman – USA – 37.689
Marc Willers – NZL – 1:13.216

Photos courtesy of UCI

Shhh!: Sharrah to GT

Have you ever been to an event at which the President of The United States was speaking? No? Well if you’ve seen episodes of The West Wing or “24,” you know that just before the president arrives, a bunch of burly Secret Service dudes arrive first and take their posts, maybe a red carpet is rolled out and other final preparations for the leader of the Free World. They don’t exactly go on the loudspeaker and say “The President Will Be Arriving in Two Minutes!” But based on all that’s going on, you kind of know what’s coming.

Since just after the Grands (heck, maybe AT the grands), there have been rumbly grumblies about Corben making the move to fill Joey Bradford’s vacated spot on the GT factory team. And now it seems the proverbial “agents” are taking up their posts. Nothing official just yet…no press release or major announcement, but certain things are taking place that lead us to believe Corben will be riding into Reno in the colors once worn by legends like Greg Hill, Randy Stumpfhauser and still worn by Mike Day (more and more lately, as we’re told his recovery from back surgery is nearly complete).

So, cautious optimism on this one…We’re looking forward to the first 2011 photos of Corben and his new ride this weekend.

Premature congratulations to all involved.

Corben on Copenhagen

Watching the Copenhagen Supercross on Freecaster was a harrowing experience for us. Being so used to TiVo, and the ability to rewind live TV, it was tough to take it all in with the fastest riders in the world zooming by at 40MPH.

Still, it was impossible to miss the extraordinary performances of Connor Fields and Corben Sharrah, both still technically in the Junior Men class. These “juniors” were the only two US riders to make the main event (out of 114 Elite Men who started Time Trials on Friday). As you may remember, Connor made the podium at the last SX race in Madrid. This time, it was Corben who was standing on the right-step with a third place finish to Maris Strombergs of Team Free Agent/Rockstar from Latvia, and Liam Phillips of the UK.

BMXNEWS caught up with Corben this afternoon, between school and training, to hear in his own words how such a big accomplishment feels, how he was able to handle the pressure, and what his plans are for the future.

Listen Now

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Thanks for the awesome photos goes out to Mattias Ankrah