Cycle News

INTERVIEW U.S. NATIONAL MOTOTRIALS CHAMPION PAT SMAGE P64 riders that have come and gone," says Smage. "I think a lot of it has to do with money. Quite a few riders have made it into pro, rode for a short time, and quit to go to school or get a job. It's not because they didn't want to ride anymore, but when you reach a certain age you have to make money. That's a tough thing to do riding trials so a lot of guys had to move on. If everyone with the skill to ride pro was riding now, it could be one of the biggest classes. it can be a cool sport. They want to see tricks, and people can do some amazing things on a tri- als bike. I think doing a free ride competition on a modified street course they normally use for BMX and skateboarding could give the sport a bit of a boost. Have judg- es and 90-second runs, do tricks and hit technical trials lines. It's not the answer, but any extra exposure would be good for the sport." The sport has lost some of its top riders to other activities that Being told what to do by produc- ers all the time might have led to some bad times. I also wanted to keep the Smage Bros Rid- ing Shows going, as it would be easy for promoters to forget us if we turned down a year's worth of shows. I am looking forward to after the tour and Phil is back to doing shows with me. They should be better than ever! "I have done some Enduro- Cross in the past, and it was fun for a little while. I had a little suc- cess and made the mains, but now I would rather watch. I feel like the style has changed over the years, and I don't like riding the way you have to now to be competitive. I would much rather go over obstacles smooth and be technically precise, where now I feel like if you aren't slam- ming into everything as fast as you can you aren't going fast enough. When I was racing, I think it was more about racing between obstacles and getting over them clean. I don't think I could be competitive anymore. The bikes have improved and the riders are much better. Er- zberg doesn't really appeal to me. I like to watch the highlights and hope to see the Americans do well, but I don't think I would be any good at it. I would much rather at least try to ride through something clean then paddle and push my bike up a moun- tain. I'm not very comfortable on bikes with seats anyway." CN " TRIALS TEACHES YOU FULL BIKE AND BODY CONTROL EVEN AT THE LOWEST LEVEL. " "Honestly, I don't know if there is one fix that would change things," adds Smage "It's a tough sport, and not many people like the challenge it brings. It's not for everyone, but I do wish there was something we could do to get more people interested. I have done my best to expose the sport all over the country, and it's hard to get people into it. They love to watch, but buying a bike and competing is a whole dif- ferent story. Without completely changing the sport, I don't know what might be the best answer. I do have an idea that could draw more kids into it though. While it's far from true trials, I think a freestyle event at an event like X Games could help kids see that pay better. Cody Webb and Geoff Aaron have taken up Enduro- Cross in search of fame and for- tune. Meanwhile, riders like Phil Smage and Keith Wineland have left for steady paychecks with Nuclear Cowboyz and Marvel's Universe Live! "I had an offer to do Mar- vel Universe Live, but I turned it down," says Smage. "It was tough to pass on that much mon- ey and I am still trying not to re- gret it. When it came down to it, I wasn't willing to spend a year on the road doing the same show every week. While money is nice, it's not everything to me. I like to enjoy my life, doing things I want to do. I thought I would be unhappy doing a tour like that.

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