brand, offering a cash payout
and elevated media exposure
compared to traditional trials
events. This year, the competition
enjoyed the presence of 12-time
champion Smage (Sherco) and
the return of Alex Niederer (Beta),
Sam Fastle (TRS) and youngster
Dalton Land (Vertigo) in the Men's
Pro division. Forsely brought her
Sherco to the Women's-class
party and, in the Juniors, Ryon
Land (Vertigo), and Glueck (Sher-
co) added to the bike diversity on
course in all classes.
The brainchild of 10-time Na-
tional Trials Champion and Gas-
Gas Race Team Manager Geoff
Aaron, CTI is a unique challenge
held on a hybrid natural/stadium
trials course curated by Aaron.
The course featured six sections
and two laps of condensed com-
petition on impressive obstacles
in front of hundreds of industry
and team guests.
"We've been putting our
heads together to try and pro-
mote the sport and this is one
of the ways we could do it," said
Aaron. "Doing it in the small
footprint, having the TV coverage
and promoting our pro riders is
a really cool way for us to show
off our training facility, put more
eyes on the sport and hope that
we can have a stronger future
for it."
Full coverage of all the action
for the 2022 California Trials Invi-
tational will air on May 26 at 11:30
a.m. EDT on Fox Sports 1.
CN
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 17 APRIL 26, 2022 P61
Sherco's Pat Smage finished a close second.
