Australian National downhill round 4 Mt Buller, Victoria

Feb 18, 2009
by Tyler Maine  
Source: Josh Button

The Tuesday after National champs we packed the car, and drove 7 hours straight down to Mt. Buller for round 4 of the National series.
This event was pretty important to me as I am leading the overall series and I want to keep the number 1 plate in my grasp. I have heard good things about this track and I was not let down.My good mate Will hooked us up with accommodations at his mates pad. It was this sick apartment littered with written messages all over the walls and snowboard posters everywhere. It had a nice sound system, an XBOX and plenty of little things to keep us going when we aren't riding.

We decided to punch some runs on Wednesday just to get a sneak peek of the track. It was sweet using a chairlift again, it's so much quicker than bus shuttles. The race course was pretty sick. A bit tight on some sections but overall it was great fun. We did a few runs of that and punched heaps of runs on this other sick track. The place was so dusty and all the boys were having a ball.

The town is located at the top of the mountain. It's quite small but has an awesome little atmosphere and everyone there is so nice.

Thursday we saved our pennies and had a rest day. It was boiling hot so we tried finding a swimming hole. One guy suggested the snow making dam up at the top. We ventured up there and found this big dam that had a little shed on the edge which opted for a great place to do some flips off. The water was freezing and not the best color. We swam for about half an hour until one of the Mt. Buller workers rocked up. He didn't yell at us he just politely mentioned "You boys know that the water you're swimming in is recycled sewerage?"...we soon realized why the water was that murky green color haha!

We thought we were going to get a bit sick but all we came out with was a little head cold. It was gone in a day or so.

Friday, practice started. I got kitted up with my number 1 plate and punched out 3 runs. The track was already getting blown out, so I just cruised into things as I knew most of the track. A good XBOX session on the arvo followed by some bolognese and we were set.

Saturday morning, the sun was shining and we made our way to the track. I started finding some cool little gap lines and was riding really good. I did a few runs with team mate Troy, he was so pinned on the top section it blew me away. So we helped each other out on sections and got it all dialed. I also got to put a face on Andy who is the man from Fox racing gear. He got to see my new Fox/Mongoose kit in action.

photo

Race morning was here, and I was ready. I put some fresh Maxxis Minions on, fresh Adidas goggle lenses and got the SRAM mechanics to check over my bike and get it race ready. I did one warm up run, changed a line in the middle section, and then I did a fast practice run. I was riding good and feeling all loosened up.

Qualifying time. It was sick having the pits right near the start gate, it means you didn't have to wait around at the top of the track with nothing there. We could chill in the Mongoose pit tent until a few minutes before our start time. I had a clean qualifying run. Pedaled a little here and there but saved myself for finals. I qualified in 8th position, which I was happy with but I knew I had some time to shave. Sam Hill qualified in 1st with a really fast time. I went back to the pits and had a good 30 mins sleep. It made me feel so refreshed and I was so keen to pin it.

Finals began and I was off 8th last, I had a good start and pinned the first few turns in the first rock garden. A bit further down I started hitting some loose rocks and I blew my feet out. I Lost a bit of time but I got back on it. I missed my line in the middle flatish section and lost so much speed, at that point I knew I had to get my stuff together and get wild. I let off the brakes and pinned the tight forest stuff. Getting some sick drifts and holding it wide open. I gapped the wood to wood out of the forest and pedaled into the traverse turns. On the fine line along the traverse there was a huge rock on the track, I tried to sneak around it but my back wheel stepped out onto the off camber. My front wheel came down and I was holding this epic drift fighting the camber. Somehow I managed to hold it and smashed the hairpin left hander. I got the rest of the traverse turns nailed and sprinted onto the fire road. Did the last few turns and came across the line into 2nd place behind pro rider Bryn Atkinson. Riders came down and 4 of them bettered my time. But those 4 riders were none other than Sam Hill, Mick Hannah, Amiel Cavalier and Brendon Fairclough.

So I ended up holding 6th which I was super stoked on. I also held onto my number 1 plate once again, yeow! There is one more round in 2 weeks in Tasmania. I'm only 30 points ahead so it's going to make for a very exciting race, I'm really pumped for it.

Thanks heaps to all my sponsors once again for your support- Mongoose bikes, SRAM/Rockshox, Adidas eyewear, Fox racing gear, Dee Why Bike Hub, Lotek shoes, Crankbrothers pedals, Maxxis tyres and Ross from RB consulting group.

National finals are upon us soon so I will let you all know how I go.

Wish me luck.

Cheers
Josh Button

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Member since Mar 27, 2001
3,581 articles

21 Comments
  • 4 0
 congratz, sounded like a fun race. =)
  • 0 0
 sweet!
  • 1 1
 good luck, ive been to tazmania... really wish i had my bike when i went! Smile
  • 1 0
 it's a shame that mount buller is actually in victoria, not "tazmania"
  • 0 0
 ohh.. thanks for the heads up, still wish i had my bike when i went though..
  • 0 0
 haha no worries mate
  • 0 0
 top effort man! love watching the elite's race, amazing style and talent
does this mean your racing Talosa? or Hollybank?
hopefully i can make it as i'm out currently, hope my hand gets better before then Wink
  • 0 0
 see if you can guess (hint - there is no national round at hollybank)
  • 0 0
 Ah well, wasn't sure. Good luck with it though man! I'm hopefully racing Hollybank, which has to be just the final state round, completely different track to anything i've ridden around tasmania, and a whole lot of fun too!
  • 0 0
 Its sick to see some Australian stuff up here, cause everythings always about Europe, Canada or America
  • 1 0
 Sick.. Good run. and its good to see Sam Hill back on it
  • 0 0
 Git R Dun Josh!! Good luck on the last round. Have to start calling you bio-hazard after that swim though.
  • 1 0
 indeed
  • 1 0
 wish i were there!
  • 1 0
 i wish u luck!
  • 1 1
 Sounds like u had a great race. Glad u held onto #1! Good luck in the next race! Post another article like this one and tell us all about it.
  • 0 0
 yall see that? 2010 boxxer in action! Razz
  • 0 0
 australia got tonnes of em
  • 0 0
 wish i coulda watched this
  • 0 0
 that sounded like a sick race
  • 0 0
 Sam Hill is on it! Great to see Mick Hannah back too.







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