Video: Christina Chappetta Conquers Fears on the Pinkbike Hot Lap

Nov 27, 2019
by Pinkbike Originals  


The formula doesn't get any simpler: one racer, one track, and a stopwatch. In our case, the racer is a mountain biker, our track is a rooty and rocky descent, and the clock is a Freelap timing system that doesn't lie. Last year saw Sam Hill and Miranda Miller, along with a bunch of other really fast people, throw down Pinkbike Hot Lap times, and we're back for the second season with a new track and new racers for 2019.

Christina Chappetta is a local shredder who has competed at the top level of enduro racing at the Enduro World Series, but how will she do on the Hot Lap? Watch and find out.


The Track

The second season of Hot Laps sees us move to Cakewalk, a classic Squamish descent that has a good mix of roots and rocks, as well as plenty of different lines to choose from. And just to keep everyone honest, there are even a few brief climbs to make sure the mountain stays in mountain biking.







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Member since Feb 15, 2012
1,093 articles

115 Comments
  • 69 1
 Nice! She should do more videos as she has a really good personality in front of the camera.
  • 18 1
 No offense to Rick but she would do well hosting EWS race.
  • 19 1
 @ugez: Christina could do the EWS course preview videos!
  • 18 0
 thanks so much! would be a dreamy job for sure ;-)
  • 1 0
 @ugez: ha! that would be epic! I love those events and it would be a sweet way to still "play" ews but have some fun with the cameras
  • 4 1
 @uberstein: YES!!!! Can you please suggest that to Chris Ball?!?!
  • 2 0
 Yes, agreed. Really well done and so good to see fear being owned and conquered.
  • 55 0
 Perfect OTB to seal-slide. 10/10 from me!
  • 7 0
 I love that she popped up and brushed it off. Super positive and upbeat and I can't find a flaw with that. I love that seal-slide to.
  • 5 0
 @trails801: hah thanks! simply another OTB for me! if you ain't crashing you ain't trying??? Or something like that...
  • 3 0
 @cchappetta1: Honestly you made crashing look so freaking casual. Wish I had your confidence to pin it down the scary stuff.
  • 3 0
 @protwurst: Cherries bud, lots of practice crashing hahah sometimes leaves me with more pain than others.
  • 42 2
 Love watching the HotLap, and Christina is awesome. But where's the Field Test?
  • 42 32
 Coming back next week!
  • 4 0
 @jasonlucas: if she rides it again, even without the film crew, I'd like to see the STRAVA segment posted by PB. Just for the follow up and closure to this video. I think everyone agrees she could do it.
  • 4 0
 @trails801: I'll giv'r another go eventually... after my nightmares from that rock stop... thanks for your support
  • 1 0
 @cchappetta1: That's why we want to see it. Most of us have that one trail/feature that's in our heads. Show us that you own that rock for inspiration!
  • 29 0
 Maybe my favorite episode so far. This is the first one that gave me some sense of how challenging racing (maybe even just riding) that trail would be for mere mortals like us. Christina seems like a badass.
  • 9 0
 Agreed. All that freaking off camber tech...
  • 5 0
 That rock line she hit is way more burly than it appears. I know a lot of very good riders that have either never hit it, or just did a 'one and done'. She's definitely a badass.
  • 2 0
 @kram: yo Kram!!!! thanks mate! 4 hits on that thing in 1 day and I'm good now hahah but that corner needs some serious love
  • 1 0
 thanks a million!! the whole trail is pretty much off camber roots haha I've come a long way since riding it back in 2012 for the first time
  • 3 0
 Totally agree. I've been looking for some inspiring MTB videos for all the new girls in our School MTB Club - and this drops in right at the top. If anything the recoveries, and a couple of crashes make it a better video, and much more relate-able... It's similar to watching 'Humbled': you only realise just how hard these trails really are if you don't see them smashed at warp speed with no mistakes. More of these, please!
  • 3 0
 @Bartimaeus: thanks! I couldn’t agree more! I see a lot of my role models riding warp speed and perfectly a lot of the time... but when I get to see them struggle and pick lines and try new things, it definitely makes me feel more comfortable with my own skills and personal style of riding. We are all human at the end of the day. Crashes and bobbles are part of the journey.
  • 2 0
 Us "mere mortals" aren't even on that level. @cchappetta1 is a freaking badass, as you said! We would need a real "mere mortal" riding that trail, for science and stuff!
  • 21 2
 Love the Hot Lap and Humbled series, but when is the Field Test continuing?
  • 4 4
 That's what I'm wondering... they mentioned somewhere that there would be a field test video a day. That hasn't happened. Wonder if an editor is sick or something.
  • 3 0
 @islandforlife: An editor is sick alright. Taunting us with promises of videos that don't appear. Hovering over the keyboard about to post the next vid, then spewing an evil chuckle as he/she closes the laptop, "Not today, pinkies! mwahahaha..."
  • 1 0
 Jason lucas said, in an earlier comment, that it is coming next week!
  • 14 0
 Yeooww! Absolutely shredding Christina ! Pinkbike should be utilizing her more often! So fun to watch!
  • 1 0
 thanks Shea! love you long time. Need me a job in the film biz hahah
  • 1 0
 @cchappetta1: What other edits are you in? I see a 'meet the locals' one on Remy's YouTube Channel. I run a School MTB Club - ages 7-16 - and for the first time we've lots of girls riding, so I'm on the lookout for role model videos. And if you've any inspirational recommendations of your own, I'd love to know!
  • 1 0
 @Bartimaeus: that’s rad! I coach a lot of the youth around here and they rip! It’s so fun to be humbled by them. I’ve got a few things with Transition bikes and just recently took part in one of the “full enduro” episodes with local legend, Zoe Dawson.
  • 1 0
 @cchappetta1: Yes, I'm really enjoying "Full Enduro"... PinkBike's on a a bit of a roll with women's MTB content at the moment which is very timely. I've just subscribed us to your Insta feed (dps.mtbclub) so looking forward to seeing more great riding from you!
  • 15 3
 Pinkbike:
*Badass female rider crushes it*
"Let's explain to her why the setup that clearly works for her is WRoOnG"
Maybe we could just, like, not? Christina seems to be doing just fine without your input.
  • 13 0
 HA!!!! best comment yet, thank you. I'd love to see some of these commenters take a Hot Lap
  • 12 0
 "Constructive scared'ness" You are a boss Christina!
  • 1 0
 hahah nice catch. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm saying.
  • 10 0
 My new favorite mtn bike personality. Hope to see her in more PB stuff. Sick riding.
  • 4 0
 bru!!! thank you!!! Luckily PB is so close to home now, so maaaaaybe this can be a possibility?!?!
  • 9 0
 Fun to watch and dope lines! Eh, anyone else flinch at 7:35 when the truck rolled by? LMAO Watching the phone screen I thought the truck was gonna smack her!
  • 1 0
 Ha! Too good
  • 6 0
 1) Like her reference to Zoe and Christina's work in the series she's already coached in.
2) Love that she runs what she brung...the only bike she has.
3) She beat Levy, so all around good day.
  • 4 0
 A Canuck that says "y'all"? Yeah c'mon! Say it ain't so! This pseudo hillbilly is impressed. Hahahaha! Kidding aside, Christina does have really good camera presence as she comes off confident, mildly self-deprecating and annunciates clearly. Oh, and obviously she can roll.
  • 4 0
 pretty sure she's actually 'murican
  • 2 0
 @flipfantasia: Oy vey! 'Muricans are the worst!
  • 3 0
 super southern bell here! hahah Actually home in Louisiana now for Thanksgiving :-)
  • 7 0
 21 off of 420 lol. What a legend
  • 5 0
 had I been 4:15 I would have still been bummed hahah
  • 5 0
 Good stuff, she seems legit and cool
  • 1 0
 churz mate
  • 5 0
 "Constructive scaredness"-love it!
  • 4 0
 hahah it's a thing!!! so is camera courage
  • 3 0
 That was a lot of fun to watch. Great seeing a trail I am familiar with being ridden much faster than I can do it. Thanks Christina and PB!
  • 1 0
 cheers bud! I've never done a non-stop lap of that one...until this day. crazy to think it "could" be a 3:30 lap
  • 2 1
 Cool video and positive vibes. Come smiling down after some crashes. A lot of hardcore "Endurobros" would complain after if they did such mistakes. Nice bike too! As for the rest of the Field test. I think somebody at Pinkbike deleted the videos and now they have to secretly reproduce them.
  • 2 0
 Haha I like your thought there. Thanks for the kind words Smile easily the same as any enduro stage I’ve ever done. Mostly don’t remember anything on the trail and stoked to make it out alive with my bike in tact hahaha
  • 4 0
 Need more people like her in this world.
  • 3 0
 so kind! thanks so much 3
  • 4 0
 Put this girl in front of the camera! Such a great person
  • 3 0
 yooo!!!!! so kind!!!! you da bomb
  • 1 0
 Xtina you are so awesome in front of the camera! So humble and honest and a total legend on the bike. This was such a cool wee edit and I wanna ride just like you when I grow up!! xx
  • 4 0
 Sick rider, too! Super charming, too.
  • 4 0
 charming?!?! I like that... thank you! I'll add that to my next resume ;-)
  • 2 0
 Great mindset towards racing. She did her best, had a little bad luck but was stoked to ride such narly track. I would never race a steep track like that without a full face.
  • 1 0
 definitely considered it but went "full endure mode" with the 29r and all. racing is rubbing... the ground sometimes
  • 2 0
 I made the mistake of scrolling down and saw her time before I watched the video. Bummer.
  • 15 0
 Thats the pinkbike way! Read the comments, then the article
  • 2 1
 @rbarbier12: Normally that would be the case...but this time I was just looking at the pictures.
  • 4 0
 Shredding!
  • 3 0
 Nice riding and great personality!
  • 4 0
 thanks so much! trying to keep it fun and light at all times!
  • 3 0
 That was GREAT. Christina rocks! So awesome
  • 3 0
 THANK YOU!!!! much appreciated
  • 3 0
 Is the daughter of Brett Tippie?? XD
  • 4 0
 hahaha!!! he seriously could be my brotha from anotha motha
  • 1 0
 exactly what I was thinking!
  • 1 0
 Fast girl! Good attitude and will be up there in the pro ranks for sure! Would be close to Verbeeks or better if she hadn’t crashed....
  • 4 0
 Thanks so much for those kind words! Vaea is a boss and one of the fastest ladies in the world...so that I was even in same ballpark was an awesome accomplishment for me :-)
  • 2 0
 PB hire her before someone else scoops her up!
  • 2 0
 Yooo!!! What a great idea Smile thanks for that!
  • 2 0
 I like her goals.... time wise.
  • 2 0
 "I felt like I was never even on!" Welcome to my world.
  • 1 0
 Dang that's a trail isn't it... it looks like sort of a trail, kind of.... in a very loose sense of the term 'trail'

Smile
  • 1 0
 Haha!!! It’s one of the older trails in that zone for sure. Super sick though and would challenge the beat of riders in any conditions.
  • 2 5
 absolutely love this.she has a really nice humble persona.but I cant help but notice how awkward she seems on that bike 29ers are great in all and so are the sentinals but it looks to big and not fitting right I bet shd slay even harder on a slightly smaller bike????????
  • 1 0
 i agree but everyone has to be on a 29er now right!
  • 5 0
 mmmm awkward though?? really? I'd say I'm at the lower end of the "universal 29'r size chart" but compared to my 27.5 wheel bike, I do find the bigger wheels make everything seem smoother. It's cray! But I will go back on my Patrol for some comparison for the fun of it :-)
  • 2 0
 Nice one chaps!
  • 2 0
 hey thanks Watty!!!! always been a huge support 3
  • 2 1
 Probably would be quicker with a full face and safer...
  • 1 0
 stooooooked christina!! Keep er rippin...awesome Grips btw Wink
  • 1 0
 Yeah buddy!!! They’re freaking awesome with my gimpy wrist, gotta say! And that saddle is the best I’ve ever ridden for my bum Smile cheers to Remy for that hook up
  • 1 0
 Bossed it! ????????
  • 1 0
 I did knuckles not question marks, my bad!
  • 1 0
 @sammorris: haha nice! Cheers mate, knuckles back at cha!
  • 4 7
 Sexiest crash I've ever seen!
  • 3 0
 bro, u gotta check out my youtube channel:

youtube.com/savagelakegetswangstuckinspokes
  • 2 0
 ha! pretty sure Chris thought I had died at that moment.... head still hurts a bit
  • 3 0
 @savagelake: hahahah sounds like a kinky porno name.... will NOT be clicking that one
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