The Dirty Side of Florida

When you come to Florida, you might come with a certain preconception. Beautiful beaches, warm atmosphere, and die-hard Gator football fans. College spring break parties, deep-sea fishing, and relaxing getaways are the norm for the Sunshine State. But there is another side of Florida that you may not have heard of. Could there be an undiscovered treasure-trove of mountain biking that has, for the most part, been left gone unnoticed? How does having the largest public freeride park in the United States sound? What about hosting one of the first 6 IMBA Ride Centers worldwide, having been granted Bronze Ride Center status a few years ago? I bet I have your attention now!


I first moved to Florida about 4 years ago, driving down from Michigan with all of my belongings packed my 1992 Ford Tempo that I bought when I got back from my tour in Iraq with my big Norco Shore virtually duct taped on top. That, in and of itself, was it’s own adventure; but 1200 miles and a cracked radiator later, I arrived in my new hometown of Gainesville. Coming from Michigan, I was used to, and perhaps a bit too reliant on, largely having ski lift access for my big bike. Yet I knew coming to a state that boasted it’s highest natural elevation of a mere 345 ft, that I would be hard pressed to find a decent cross country trail, let alone anything that was built for me big 7 inch bike! After talking with several local bike shop owners, I became aware of the Santos Trails system: more specifically, The Vortex Pit. Built around an old limestone quarry, the Pit, as it was nicknamed, had almost every feature I had come to know and love.

From 30 ft gap jumps to 20 ft step downs, I knew that this was a place that I could fall in love with. I was a bit intimidated at first, but I got talking to one of the builders, telling him that I was impressed with all the work and love that this place had. He introduced himself as Miles, and told me that he was the Freeride Coordinator for the local bike club, the Ocala Mountain Bike Association. He and I hit it off instantly, and before I knew it, I was a regular member of the build crew, helping maintain and build all of the new stunts and obstacles that are offered for the general public. Along with Joe Bandek, known simply as ‘Dirt’, for his ability to shape a dirt lip into something of an art form, Ryan Ash, who can ride a big full-sus bike like nobody’s business, and a few others, I felt truly at home.

Every year, the OMBA puts on their annual Fat Tire Fest, inviting the public to come ride the 100 plus miles that the organization builds and maintains. More and more this festival continues to grow, constantly selling out camping space for the 3 day ordeal. Trek, Specialized, GT and Felt are just some of the few that come out and showcase their new bikes, but there is also something a little less know that goes on: The Freeride Demo.


This is the accumulation of all our hard work that we put in throughout the year. Mountain biking is nothing new in Florida, as there are some amazing trail systems out there. Freeride, however, is something of an unknown quantity. And why shouldn’t it be... there are no mountains in Florida! This just shows what a group of dedicated riders and builders can do with limited terrain resources, to build something so amazing and technical, with just a load of dirt, and a bit of wood.


We have something extremely special here in Florida. People come from all different states just to ride our little park. What we lack for elevation, we make up for in amplitude. More than that, we have something for everybody! The Pit builders are constantly adding and refining. With the new addition of the beginner jumps and plans to expand the intermediate and expert lines, we have something that is truly progressive.



It has been long 4 years of building, testing, and just generally trying to find my place here in an environment that was, and still somewhat is foreign ground, but I am truly happy to be where I am at today. I now find myself of stepping into Miles shoes and taking over as the Freeride Coordinator for the OMBA, and I want to officially extend an invitation to everybody: Next time you are in Florida, bring you bike. You might be surprised in what you find. People here are friendly and always love seeing new people huck the big stuff. But enough of that...let’s go shred!


-Travis Warner
OMBA Freeride Coordinator.