I took home 2nd in the Georgia State Championship Series for the Pro/Cat. 1 19-39 class after losing it in a tiebreaker to Chris Lessing. Pete Edmondson took third. It was a fun year of racing with those two. They made me push hard when there were no Pros to race. They were actually more of my speed for most of the year than the Pros were. I hope to get to ride with them again in the future.
Awards table ready to go
Photo by GoneRiding.com
Pete Edmondson and I on the GSC podium. Chris was not in attendance. He is the champ though!
My GSC Series plaque
Our buddy that we met in Clemson, Jack Wery, won the Junior 15-18 title for GSC. Great job Jack!
Jack Wery won the Junior 15-18 GSC title.
Photo by GoneRiding.com
I was most excited about the South Eastern Regional Championship Series. I won the Pro title by 18 points over Nathan Haslick. It was a hard-fought victory. I had trouble at most of the races, but I never gave up. Through flat tires, broken seats, multiple seatpost problems and cramps, I pressed on and came out with the most consistent finishes. I really had to earn this one. I didn't get to do the training I feel it takes to win a series like this, but I put my heart and soul into every race. I wanted that overall win and I raced like I wanted it every single time I lined up on a SERC start line. The win does lose a little luster when I think about turnout and several of the top riders in the southeast that did not race the full series this year. But I'll take this victory as you can only race who shows up. I would like to win another one some day with the toughest guys in the region at every race. I really enjoyed the addition of the Series Leader's jersey as it gave us something extra to shoot for every race and put the spotlight on the rider in the points lead. I got to wear it for the final five rounds and I can't wait to get my new SERC Champion jersey in a few weeks.
Nathan Haslick and me on the Pro podium for the SERC Series
In addition to the champ jersey and some good payout, we also got great prizes from sponsors of the series. I came home with a nice Specialized gear bag that will be a great replacement for the Fox bag I use now, which was also a prize I got for winning the SERC Series in Junior Expert way back in 2003. The Specialized bag had a Maxxis hoodie inside with "2016 SERC Champion" printed on the back. I also got a set of Xpedo pedals and set of tire levers, both of which I could really use.
Kayley Burdine took home both the SERC and GSC titles for Pro/Cat. 1 Women, never losing a race in either series all season. I was not surprised at all when she got the Female Rider of the Year Award. I can think of nobody better suited to that title in 2016. She is the Rider of Year period. I was a bit shocked when they gave me Male Rider of the Year. I only won one race, so I'm guessing they picked me because of all I went through this year and how determined I was to win the series. I didn't think anybody really noticed all the things I had to overcome, but apparently Dave and Teri did. Kayley and I each got a pair of free passes to zipline with Wild Water, which is a really cool prize.
Kayley Burdine, undefeated SERC and GSC Champion for 2016
Photo by GoneRiding.com
Really was not expecting this. Too cool!
Kayley and I got to do one more podium picture together, not as series leaders this time, but as champs! We have had this joke going the last few races about putting up the #1 finger on the podium. She always does it. I'm still sort of a newbie at the podium thing and always forget. We did one extra photo at the banquet with both of us holding up the #1. We have become pretty good friends over the course of the year. She is a really nice person and a great athlete. I think she is going to go much farther in this sport before she is done. She's one of the most determined people I have ever met.
We are #1!
Photo by GoneRiding.com
Full SERC Series results are available at the following links: Yellow Wave White Wave
I want to thank my wife first and foremost for all her support in helping me earn the title. Shannon supports me so much that it blows my mind every day. She never discourages me from riding or going to a race. She's always there to cheer me on and lift me back up after a bad day. I would be nowhere without her. I also want to thank my sponsors, Maxxis and First Endurance, for helping me achieve my goal for this season. They have stuck behind me through some rough years and I finally feel like I am giving them some reward for their support. I am sure I would be GSC champion as well if I had only filled my bottle with First Endurance EFS at Helen. That was a mistake I won't make again!
Though they aren't an official sponsor, I would not be racing so well without the help of MOAB Bikes. Jeremy, you have helped more than you know through all of your encouragement and how you have taken care of all of my bike needs. Jeremy and the MOAB crew helped me get a new bike this year that was way overdue, and have fixed a few mechanical issues that have popped up over the course of the season. Finally, I want to thank Dave, Teri and Austin Berger at GoneRiding.com for putting on such a great series. They do a phenomenal job each and every year and that's why I come back to their races. They truly enjoy what they do and we can all see it. I am grateful they continue to have a guaranteed Pro purse even when the Pro class attendance has been dismal. They do a lot to try to further the progression of cross-country mountain biking in the southeast. Thanks guys and I really appreciate the recognition as Rider of the Year! I hope that as SERC Champion I can represent the series well.
More pictures from the banquet are available here from H & H Multimedia if you want to see more professional-quality shots.
After the banquet was over, our vacation was on. It was time to do some exploring. Our first adventure began on the drive back to the apartment when we decided to stop and hike to High Shoals Falls. The map I had said the falls where right off Indian Grave Gap Rd. We found a narrow gravel road when we turned onto Indian Grave Gap. There was a deep creek crossing almost immediately that forced us to park and walk as our car did not have the clearance to drive through the water. It was a 1.2-mile hike up a steep hill along the gravel road to get to the spot on the map where the falls were supposed to be. When we got there, we found a trailhead instead of a waterfall. It was another 1.5 miles down the other side of the mountain to actually reach the falls. We had come too far to turn back, so we hiked down the singletrack trail. Though I was tired and still sore in my adductor from the heavy cramping at the end of the Helen XC, there was no time to walk slow. We were going to be hard-pressed to make it back out by dark.
Root garden on the trail down to High Shoals Falls
Bridge along the trail
We loved these stone steps on this switchback near the end of the trail
The only good thing about hiking in so late was that we only saw two other couples along the way. There were two falls to be seen on this trail. We went down to the very bottom first to see Blue Hole Falls, then caught High Shoals Falls on the way out. We made it back to the car just before dark, ending up with 5.4-miles of tough hiking. That was much longer than we bargained for, but it was worth it with the beautiful falls we got to see. The bed in the apartment felt really good after this tough day! It was a great way to kick off the trip and foreshadowed what was to come.
Blue Hole Falls
Blue Hole Falls
High Shoals Falls
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