VOL. 50 ISSUE 46 NOVEMBER 19, 2013
myself learning new things every
time I rode," says Smage. "That's
what kept me coming back. Progressing was a great feeling and I
just wanted to keep getting better.
The only reason I am a decent
rider is because I rode a lot. It
was all I really cared about growing up, and all I wanted to do.
Some days I would get up and
ride before school, then sit there
all day just waiting to get out so I
could ride some more. I used to
be able to draw every rock in our
woods, and I would sit in class
thinking of new sections to try. I
don't really believe in natural abil-
"
Four more
titles and
Smage will
match Geoff
Aaron's record
10 trials titles.
I CAN TRAVEL IN THE WINTER TO BETTER
WEATHER, SO I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND ALL
WINTER IN AN ICEBOX FULL OF ROCKS.
ity, everything I know I learned,
nothing came easy. I was pretty
terrible when I started; I just put
the time in to get better. And it
took a long time. Balance and
bike control developed over time,
and I'm still learning the mental
aspect of trials, as that is one
of the most complicated things
about this sport.
Smage went through a lot
of bikes on his way to the top,
starting with a TY80 before progressing to a full-frame 80, and
then a Sherco 290 in less than
two years, skipping a 125, which
many experts, including the top
European riders, feels is the key
to learn good technique.
"The 125s were just starting
to become popular in Europe
around that time, but they were
P59
"
few and far between in the US,"
says Smage. "We also didn't really know what was happening in
Europe, living in Wisconsin and
riding local events left us out of
the loop. 'If you can start it you
can ride it' was kind of the motto back then and why not have
all the power in the world when
you are 12? I used to get on my
dad's bike when I still had my 80
and I would ride it until I crashed,
stalled it, or ran out of gas and
I would have to push it home or
find someone to start it, because
I couldn't."
It wasn't until Smage started
riding nationals that the father of
a fellow competitor told him he
needed to be on a 125.
"It was Bill Ibsen, and his son,
Will, had been in Europe and was
riding a 125 in the nationals. After
seeing how good Will was, I really wanted a 125, but it wasn't until
later that I finally got the chance
to try one."
"Overall, I think 125s are a great
idea. Having less power teaches
aggression and exaggerated-butproper technique. A bigger bike
lets riders get away with just using power to get up bigger stuff,
especially when they are younger
and lighter. A 125 forces riders
to use good technique and lots
of body English which will allow them to go bigger once they
adapt to the power after moving
up."
Smage managed to improve
quickly, even though he skipped
the 125 phase, and he admits
that he still has things he needs
to improve on today.
"Hills have been something I
have struggled with since I started riding," admits Smage. "I do
feel like I have improved on them
over the years, but not as much
