Well, amidst all the excitement of the event, we got up early and lined up for practice on the newly built dual slalom course. I couldn't imagine my first few runs going any worse, and without much to compare to i felt like I was going tremendously slow. The course is very raw, very rough. Only a slim portion of the turns are groomed, the rest are bumpy and dusty and very hard to keep traction on. Gearing myself to aim for gates (imagine skiing dual slalom where the riders weave through gates) is a new thing for me. I've been trained all my life to aim to avoid trees, rocks, shrubs, hikers and animals. In racing a colorful flag was something that just passed in your periphery. In dual slalom they are your main focus, and they steer the entire course.
Zach and I had a few hours to begin to dial in the course. The way they are built is amazing and it seems they put an element into these short courses that challenges every aspect of riding imaginable.
Tomorrow we qualify at 2pm. I'm a little nervous. I aquired a chainstay from an old friend after getting lost in Seaside, CA. Imagine two econo lodges having nearly the same address on opposite ends of the same street. This device should give me confidence in pedaling through rough sections without the fear of the chain bouncing off.
The rest of the festival is amazing as usual. Bikes everywhere! I'll post more tomorrow after the qualifiers!
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