VOL. 50 ISSUE 46 NOVEMBER 19, 2013
UT OF
OWHERE
PATRICK SMAGE
TALKS ABOUT THE
ROAD TO THE CROWN
P57
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAN MOORE
P
at Smage's rise to the top of the
American trials scene is an inspiring one. Although it sounds
a bit cliché, the six-time U.S. MotoTrial
Champion actually did "come out of
nowhere" to win his first national title in
2007, just one year after joining the Pro
ranks full time in 2006. In fact, most of
the trials community was still learning
his name as he finished out the 2006
season with a pair of wins.
When asked how he got so good
in such a short period of time, Smage
credits, in part, a barn that his father
(who is also a trials rider) built for him
to practice in during the cold winter
months in Wisconsin.
Smage tells that he spent hours upon
hours riding in circles and hopping in
place in the smallish building, while an
open wood fire kept the place warm. It
was in that barn that Smage refined his
keen sense of balance and incredible
hopping and trick-riding abilities.
"If it wasn't for the barn, I would not
have been able to practice at all in the
winter," says Smage. "I used to ride no
matter what the temperature was, and
it gets cold in Wisconsin. There were
times my bike wouldn't start until I ran
a heater on it for a while. When its that
cold, the tires are frozen and hardly
move, the suspension is slow, and the
levers are ice cold. It would take a solid
30 minutes before the bike felt close
to normal and I could feel my fingers
again. It doesn't ventilate well either,
so I spent a lot of my winters sick from
the exhaust. Looking back, I don't know
where I found the motivation to ride in
there so much. But, without it, I am sure
