KING OF DIRT - CHRIS SMITH'S 2008 SEASON REPORT
My 2008 season was full of good times - it all kicked off out in Geneva at the International Car Show, where I took part in Dirt Jump demo’s to entertain the huge crowd. I rode in four shows a day for ten days straight and so it was hard work but great practise for the start of the season. Next up was the annual Nissan WhiteStyle event in Leogang, Austria which is a huge slopestyle event held on the snow. The course was great fun and I rode well and qualified but a crash on the final jump messed up my chance of a podium finish.
From the snowy climes of Austria I headed out to the American sunshine for some photo shoots with Mountain Biking UK Magazine. It was a whirlwind tour of the USA and I could only take one bike so I set off with my customised Giant Trance X. The trip started in Vegas and then took in Monterey, Southern California, Colorado, Utah and finished up in Moab, riding all the legendary spots such as Bootleg Canyon, Fruita Trails, the Rampage site and Slickrock. It was one of the best trips of my career and one that i will certainly remember for both the great riding and breathtaking scenery.
On returning to the UK my good friend Frenchman Cris Hatton visited and stayed with me for a week back at home, bringing along the guys from French magazine "Ride It". We rode hard every day getting some brilliant shots for the magazine and it was really great showing Cris around England.
The National Adventure Sport Show, (NASS) Pro King of Dirt competition in Shepton Mallet was the next date in my diary. This is always a great event for me as it's only eight miles away from home and an event which I've won a few times before, so I was hoping for a repeat success. I felt good in Saturday's practice and the Sunday went really well with lots of great runs including 360 Tailwhips, Superman Seatgrabs, Double Barspins and No-Handed 360's! All the hard work and training paid off as I finished in first place to win the competition.
Following success at home I headed off to L'Avoriaz in France to compete in the "Roof On" Slopestyle. We were greeted by three days of non-stop rain which turned the course into a bog and at one stage I thought the event was going to be cancelled, but eventually the sun started to shine and riding commenced on the super soft course. I rode well in the ‘Best Trick’ competition on Saturday night but next day I fell victim to a boggy landing and crashed hard on my shoulder, which in turn put me out for the Slopestyle finals which was disappointing.
This Winter I'm training pretty hard and working on all disciplines, focussing more on my weaknesses than my strengths and getting ready for the 2009 season. I'm planning another road trip for early in the New Year around Europe which I'm really looking forward to as it will no doubt include more incredible riding to kick off another great season.
Chris Smith
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