Kristen Moore, Class of 2007, Varsity, Drake HS

I first began mountain biking unintentionally. I was asked to go on a bike ride by some friends. I agreed thinking I'd probably see some pretty nature outside. Then came the everlasting hill and then downhill sections which  I thought I was going to kill myself on. I had never ridden on dirt in my life let alone single track.

I had no idea that three weeks later I'd be at a start line for my first mountain bike race ever. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me that now I'd be standing up in front of you all tonight telling you how mountain biking and the Norcal League have changed my life. I am now in my fourth year of racing and am expanding my horizons by racing downhill and road as well as cross-country for my UCSC team. High school is such a difficult time for teens. It's a time where you try to discover who you are, your passions in life, and your goals. There's so much confusion and it's hard to feel accepted amongst your peers.  The Norcal League opened its arms to anyone who was willing to try mountain biking. The league has created a massive support team for any and all who want to join. They've created a welcoming environment where it doesn't matter if you come in first or last. Everyone is encouraged to try their best and are fully supported by all teammates.

I have always been a competitive person in both sports and academics. What drives me to succeed in mountain biking is the same drive that propels me forward in academics. This drive is neither about being first, nor about getting that hundred percent on a test. It is the gratifying feeling knowing that I performed to my best ability. Racing is primarily a solitary sport. Mountain biking seemed overwhelming when I first began. To relieve that angst and stress I began setting goals for myself. Sometimes those goals are small, for instance, climbing a certain hill without stopping. Other goals are large, for example, placing first in a Sea Otter race. With each goal I push myself beyond my comfort zones. It is sometimes scary, especially when pushing myself in technical riding.

Each goal I've set I have accomplished. The way I've accomplished these goals is with support. The League is a growing family supporting a sport that not only is great exercise but also carries over into our lives helping us through challenges that await us. I know, personally,  that the league has definitely changed my outlook on exercise and eating habits. My family suffers from obesity and diabetes and I know that persistent exercise, mountain biking, and eating right are helping me stay away from those leadership qualities as my best friend, Coral, and I set examples  last year for the younger girls in ourteam to follow.  We have also done many volunteers hours of trail matanence to give back to our trails and community.

Unlike typical high school sports mountain biking was completely voluntary. My team never subjected anyone to spandex if they didn't want to. We didn't have to come to practices. But each ride we were there willing to do a sport we loved. I've made so many life long friends through mountain biking. It's not only about racing. I have an entire community behind me when I go out for a ride or when I race. Unlike stressful typical sport teams our mountain bike team encouraged everyone and we grew as a unit instead of star riders getting the most attention. And unlike sport teams in high school which have little prospects for teens after they graduate, mountain biking is gift we can take away from high school, away from the team, and away the league and keep doing for the rest of our lives. I'm so thankful for my coaches and teammates now reflecting back on my years of racing. It's essential for teens to find an outlet like this. I don't know what I'd do with out an organization like the Norcal High School Mountain Bike League. I want to thank the Norcal League for all it has done for me and what it will continue to do for others.

Daniel Boyes, Class of 2008, Varsity, Marin Academy

When I first was informed that I would be speaking in front of three hundred or more people this evening, an uncontrollable, inexplicable fear rose up in me. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this fear is evident in my everyday life, merely revealing itself in different forms at different times. Even when there is absolutely nothing to worry about, I wake up everyday fearing the possibility of something bad happening.

In the past, I merely assumed this fear to be a condition common in most people’s lives, and resolved that I was therefore stuck with it. It took several years for me to even come to terms with the fact that I did not want to live in constant fear of life itself, which would inevitably present many obstacles and difficulties everyday. However, although I wanted to change the way I did things and the reasons for which I did them, it proved difficult. One way in which my fear manifested itself was through superstition. Beginning in Seventh Grade, I would do things like skip the cracks in the pavement, never touch the coffee table an odd number of times and try not to hit certain rocks or roots lining the trails on which I rode my bike. I feared that without these constant rituals, something bad would happen. If I accidentally stepped on a particular rug, a girl I liked would all of a sudden dislike me. These activities became a part of my life until I decided that they really make no difference at all, and in the great scheme of things, I am much happier without them. It was through this reasoning that I found ways to justify shutting off my apprehension and anxiousness.

Another way in which fear manifested in my life was in certain competitive activities such as receiving good grades in school or rankings in sports. I felt the constant need to prove something to someone or make someone proud or impressed so that they would accept and like me. I would study for hours and hours not to only to please myself, but also to astound my friends, family and teachers. Norcal Mountain Bike races have proven stressful because I am constantly nervous that I will not place as well in the coming race as I did in those past. All of this added to my discomfort and bitterness at life in general, because even when I did well, I would always be looking toward the next opportunity to fail.

Perhaps the most significant way in which fear has driven me to gloominess is my inherent shy personality and consequent hesitancy to be outgoing in social situations. As a freshman and sophomore, I struggled with friendships due to my hour-long commute mixed with my inability to introduce myself to people in school. I left school early to catch the bus and never participated in team sports. So, for a period of my life, I spent a lot of time Mountain Biking and riding the bus alone, all the while contemplating my situation and how to remedy the issues in my life. While weaving back and forth on a forested trail, I was able to face my fears and, one by one, deem them impractical and irrelevant to my happiness. I concentrated my energy on things that give me happiness, such as reaching the top of a peak on my Mountain Bike, picking Blackberries, being immersed in nature and hanging out with friends. In this way, I became a different person by my junior year and was able to move beyond my constant agitation. Through the support I received in the Norcal League, I eventually overcame the apprehension that usually accompanied stressful situations. I now live the way I desire, and not the way others want me to live.

 The other day, as I reached the crest of a mountain, dewdrops from the fog clinging to my eyelashes, I arrived in sunlight. I was, quite literally, standing in a cloud. The entire Bay Area was nothing but a vast white cloud dotted with mountaintops. I sat down in the grass and enjoyed the warm sun, thinking about how fortunate I was to be living at that moment. It is moments like these: of undisturbed contentedness that I search for. And I have my bicycle to thank for traveling with me to such places.

And now, as I stand in front of you, I am tempted to be afraid and hide in a false me to escape reality. However, I know that this IS my real self, living in reality. I am content because I know that I am speaking to a group of individuals all searching for the same thing I am: happiness. We share in common the joy and exhilaration of zooming down technical single tracks and finishing long rides. So why should I be afraid? I might as well enjoy it, because after all, who knows when and if I will have the opportunity to speak in front of such an amazing community as this ever again? Even if I do mess up, things will turn out all right in the end.

If there is one suggestion I have, it is this: Do what you love and do it with passion, all the while living in the moment, being the most just, kind, selfless and generous person you can be; for it is in this way of living that I have and believe others can find true happiness. Thank You

Matt Fritzinger, League Director

Did everyone get the seat they wanted?  I apologize if you couldn't sit exactly where you wanted.  I know it's especially hard if you are trying to avoid the bikers.  I mean aren't cyclists, especially bike racers, so annoying.  They're so damn idealistic!

They want clean air, and bike lanes!

They want trail access, just like horse back riders!

And now they want high school teams!  Not clubs, teams!  Just like football players, and cheerleaders!  THE GALL!

Ladies and Gentlemen: those who have followed the NorCal HS MTB League over the years, like me, are mostly astounded by the growth.  30% average per year, 35% last year and we expect this coming season another astonishing jump in growth.  Not 25, teams, we expect 35 high school mountain bike teams this coming season in a couple months.

Large beauracracy’s do not always share the idealism we cyclist have.  This morning I was riding my hydrofoil bike across the bay and coast guard stopped me.  I showed him my boating licesne and all was fine! 

And San Quentin is slowly coming around on the Bike-in-the-Ball.  Even violent criminals can be trusted, and are easier to manage after they’ve been out for a ride in the Bike-in-the-Ball. (see photos for Hydrofoil Bike and Bike-in-the-Ball machines by Kurt Wold).

And now, we are seeing more and more schools realizing that mountain biking isn’t such a crazy idea after all.  We are not flying under the radar screen anymore and district superintendants are starting to ask questions (ask me questions!).   The League is not turning MTB into A CIF sport, we are turning into our own CIF for the sport of MTB.  This means many things: it means closer relationships with schools, it means administering our own coaches certification program (to ensure quality coaches for our youth), and it means governing and insuring all aspects of our activities.  The League has taken a huge step: as of this coming season we are running independently of USA Cycling.

We have a heap of work to do, and we need your support.  With an unprecedented number of changes in one season, and 500 families gearing up for the races, we have so much to gain this season, and I hope everyone here will support this season.

Emotional story.  There’s a young woman in the crowd today from Drake high school.  This last season was her senior year and she didn’t finish the race (due to?).  The next few races she had a strong presence and I know she was perfectly happy with a string of 2nd and 3rd place varsity finishes.  The varsity girls is still a small field, but very strong.  At the final race and State Championships Coral had her first Varsity win.

Later that week I helped facilitate some email interviews for magazine articles, and Coral told me during her final lap, when she found herself in her lead, she road past her head coach, Dan Freeman.  As Coral past Dan, he said one thing “Live the Dream!”  And she told me when she heard that she almost cried.  I wrote her back and said, now I’m almost crying!

There are many ways to support us!  Volunteer.  Make a donation.   Give us your old cycling gear.  Sponsor us.  Tell us your ideas for raising money.  Help these kids “live the dream!”

Thanks, Austin and tbe Board.  Dozens of advisors.  Staff, Nadine, Jeff, Beth, Katie, Jen and Alex. Sponsors.  Donors.  Coaches. Kurt Wold, Kristen and Daniel for their fine speeches.  Andrea and Joyce, Donna and MaryLyn and Mary.

When I was just cultivating my love for the bike, as a collegiate road racer, Bob Roll was reinventing himself as a mountain bike racer after a successful and ruckus career as a professional road racer racing the tour de France and (as I learned) helping our 2005 host (Andy Hampsten) with his famous win during the snowy stage of   1988 Giro d'Italia.  I'll say no more, the NorCal League gives you: Bob Roll.

Bob Roll , Tour de France Commentator

You just had to be there!