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Fun-n-Sun Trials STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHAN MOORE/ TRIALS COMPETITION NEWSPAPER WEBSTER, A., fIlAR. 3-4 OSt people would have been ecstatic to win the first major trials competition of the year - especially one that took place during prestigious Daytona Bike Week. Not Ray Peters. His own worst critic, Peters was unsatisfied with a second and a first in the two-day competition never mind that this was considered a "shakedown" event by most following an exceptionally brutal winter. "If I win, it's because everyone else rode worse," the New York native said just before the final results were posted on Sunday. "I'm not thrilled with the way I rode at all. Too many 5s and too many dumb mistakes." Peters came to Florida to regain the momentum he had at the finish of last season, when he won the penultimate round of the nationaI series in Minnesota. Peters left Florida with an edge on the competition - if not in his own mind, then perhaps in those of his competitors. Sherco teammate David Chaves of Spain seemed a little more pleased with his placings, having taken the win on Saturday and following that up with a third on Sunday. Giving Sherco a podium sweep for the weekend was Sherco team manager Ryan Young, finishing with a third and a second. Young retired from national competition in 1996, having won six National titles, but still rides an event or two each year to feed his competitive drive. "It's just fun for me now to get competitive once a year," Young said. "Basically, I just measure myself M every year. Up until this year, I've always been in there, but I've lost a lot over the winter. I just wasn't able to get that comfortable feel on the bike." Over 100 riders attended this year's competition, which has been the unofficial kickoff of the national trials scene since the late '70s. This 2001 edition, however, had something the previous events didn't rocksl This year's event was held on a 1500-acre plot near Webster, which is 40 miles west of Orlando. The onetime limestone quarry provided excellent trials terrain not normally found in Florida, and Brian Holbrook and the FTA utilized it to perfection, setting 10 sections along a three-mile loop running adjacent to a 3OO-acre lake. CAV 1 From the start of Saturday's event, Ray Peters looked to be in control, finishing the first loop five points better than Young and Chaves, who were tied for second with 12 points. Sitting in fourth place with 27 was 19-yearold Chris Florin. The smooth-riding Floridian is the newest entry into the Champ class, and he was having a stylish ride on his U.S. Montesa-sponsored Cota. Peters gained two more points over Chaves on loop two, dropping only eight points, while Young dropped to third with 16 for the loop. Florin edged closer with a 16-point effort. Peters looked like a sure bet to win with a seven-point lead going into the final loop, but the wheels fell off the victory wagon by mid-loop, and from there it was all downhill. Chaves, on the other hand, had his best loop of the day with a scorching BRIEFLY•• • A large contingent of riders from Canada and the northern-most states made the trek to Rorida to take advantage of the weather. Most admitted that this year's hard winter had made praclice difficult to Impossible. Former Canadian champ Dan Johnson added that the Fun-n-Sun event was Just his second opportunity to ride in competition since the U.S. National finale last August. Minnesota champ AI Gohlike arrived In ROOda with screws still in his rear tire for practic· 109 on ice. U.S. Gas Gas team rider ..... K_pk. . was In the Daytona area for Bike Week, but was unable to attend the Fun-n-Sun event because of scheduling conflicts With his extreme riding shows. like most of the top riders, Kempkes has spent the winter doing riding demos and extreme shows for pay. U.S. Sherco team manager Ryan Young announced that David Chav. . of Alh de la Torre, Spain, had recently applied for a work visa and would contest the U,S, National series for points. Chaves spent the winter in Barcelona practicing with Graham Jarvis and Pep Manzano of the World Sherco team, If Chris Florin's balance looks exceptionally good, it could be due to the amount of time he spends surfing. The Grant, Rorida. resident puts in several hours a week riding the waves on Rorida's coast. Former Grand National dirt tnoc:Iwr Elliott Schultz was on hand for the Fun·n-sun event, elliott spent some time travelling the country in the mod-'70s givlng trials schools, but now lives In Ronda. 60 MARCH 21,2001 • n CUD' • • __ • two points, glvmg him a three-point win over Peters, 24-27. "On the last loop, when I found out that time wasn't an issue, I relaxed and lost concentration," Peters said after the event. "AU of a sudden, I took nine points and handed it to him [Chaves]. He had a good last loop. Two points was what I was looking at, then a rock moved in section nine and tossed me over the bars." Ryan Young turned in an impressive four-point final loop, but his first two loops had already sealed his fate. A 32-point total put him firmly into third, with Chris Florin grabbing fourth with 51 and Pennsylvania's Travis Fox fifth with 52. CAva On Sunday, the snow that would eventually hammer the upper east (Top) Though he was hard on h mae", most competitors would have been happy with a rlde like that of Ray Peters, who won one day. (Above) Tennessee's Tom Deal negotiates section ten on Saturday. Deal went 46 In the Expert class. (Left) Spaniard DavId Chaves adapted quIckly to the "rare" Florida rocks. For over 20 years, the Fun-n-Sun event had been held at Croom., whIch Is virtually rockle.s. As you can .... the new .Ite was different.