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AMAINATC Ryan Young Products National Trials Championship Series Final Round: Donner Ski Ranch (Above) Newly crowned champ Geoff Aaron finished off the 2003 National Trials Series with a win at Donner Ski Ranch. (Left) In front of a huge crowd, Ryon Bell started off strong, but Aaron got him before the day was done. He still finished second. STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHAN MOORE/ TRIALS COMPETITION NEWSPAPER TRUCKEE, CA, AUG. 9ยท10 Aaron capped off his most ~ successful season yet - one that saw him win a record-breaking seventh National title - with a comefrom-behind win at what many considered the most spectacular event of the year. The 13th and final round of the AMA/NATC Ryan Young Products National Trials Championship Series was held at Donner Ski Ranch, arguably the most picturesque venue in North America and, because of the massive granite slabs covering the area, one of the most demanding. Due to the generous grip afforded by the porous rocks, the organizers (the Pacific International Trials Society) were forced to set very technical and, in some cases, hair-raising sections in order to challenge the top riders in North America. With the dry, grippy terrain and large obstacles, Aaron was naturally the favorite to win, but two first-loop fives seemed to put the ERE/Gas Gas pilot out of contention. Complicating things for the champ was the fact that year-long nemesis Ryon Bell turned in a stellar first-lap performance. However, as he has done many times before, Aaron came back from the dead on the final two laps to take his 54th National victory, extending yet another record, one for most career wins. Knowing they would get a la'rge group of spectators because of the resort facilities and the close proximi- (2 eoff 22 AUGUST 27.2003' eye I ty to the Reno and Sacramento areas (approximately 4000 spectators attended), P.I.T.S. set 10 sections on the mountain within a 200-yard radius of one another and the final two exhibition sections in the shadow of the Donner lodge to accommodate the large (by trials standards) crowd. Aaron drew the number-one start position and got the ball rolling with the first ride in section one, a relatively easy but crowd-pleasing trap with e n e vv s Chris Florin couldn't get close enough to Aaron or Bell really to challenge for the win, but he did ride well enough to finish a distant third. several climbs up an eight-foot granite ridge. Aaron easily went clean and looked to be heading for one of his dominating performances. Gas Gas rider Ryon Bell, Montesa's Chris Florin, Beta's Ray Peters, Gas Gas-mounted Wilson Craig and Sherco's Travis Fox each cleaned the section as well, and the troupe, with crowd in tow, moved on to section two. Section two would prove to be one of the more difficult of the day and consisted of a climb up a steep bank