In The Shadows Of Hawaii

Sunday June 17th 2012, summer is in full swing here in the Hawaiian Islands, and the weather was as gorgeous as ever. As the morning sunrise was making its way upon the east side of Oahu, people are gathering and getting ready to celebrate Father’s Day while surfing and finding the perfect spot to spend the day at the beach.

But for me, I had different plans today. I was heading to the mountains to get in a good day of mountain biking. I planned to meet up with a couple of my riding buddies to celebrate Father’s Day together.

While riding up the trailside of a very private location, we noticed that there were a few more people that had the same idea as we did. I say “private” because it is on a very secluded property that you won’t see a lot of people on except for a handful of regulars. The mountain side terrain is designed mostly like an All-Mountain system of trails with the exception of a short set of linking jumps. As a handful of us gathered and shared stories, more and more riders started to show up.


What makes this day of riding so memorable is that what started off as a couple of friends getting together turned out to be a day of trail riding and jumping with about 20 of our fellow riders. Luckily for us, there were a few people that always ride with a camera and/or video recorder on hand and were able to capture this special day. We had an epic day of trail riding and were also treated to some of Hawaii’s top riders doing some amazing jump stunts and jump combos.

Filmed and edited by Mike Solis from http://www.mtbhawaii.com


Go pro action


Brett Watts, showcasing his trade mark whips
Brett and Jason putting on a show

Jason Sessums, was demonstrating why he is one of Hawaii’s top all-around rider.


Unfortunately, not all went as planned. This rider ended up with a 3rd degree AC seperation. But suprisingly, a week later this determined young buck is back on the bike.

The rest of the gang showed up with their own personal style and flare.
Clayton ripping the table top.
Eric sending the trail gap.
Brett watches as Chad styles the trail gap.

As the sun was setting, I was sitting atop one of our recently constructed benches made from the spare wood of trees that were removed to create this jump line. I was trying to remember if I have ever witnessed a day like this in my 20 years of riding. Meaning, none of what happened today was planned but if you were in attendance you would think that it was an organized event. However, one thing that was really evident, was that the skill level and progression of riding in Hawaii has come a very long way since the day we first started having gravity competitions (Thank you to the late Tracy Paiva). I believe that it is probably due to the fact that some of our riders are now expanding their horizons by visiting bike parks and competing domestically and internationally. Hence, if this was any indication of where the future of mountain biking was heading for us, I can’t wait to experience it again.