Dave wanted to get comfortable in the air and was a firm wheels on the ground rider. During the skills check i found work was needed on his cornering but that he possessed a natural ability to un weight the front of the bike that was only bogged down by one missing skill.
I adapted his bike set up and set to work.
The look on his face when I explained we will begin with drops was a picture and the tabletop looming in the background, he outwardly said it was a total no way.
First run Dave landed perfectly on the 1st drop and his new body position and looking was really paying dividends. He then used his new mental skill set to ride the 2 larger drops also a few times. Daves face was a picture of amazement but also realisation that he was changing mentally as a rider too.
We moved onto the trail and worked on his cornering and also his trail energy management.
We linked flat, bermed, switchbacks and off camber corners to rock gardens, steps, fly outs and drops. By the time we had worked our way down the trail, linking each of the 14 sections of it together, Dave was flying and laughing as he rode. We rode the trail together and he rode controlled, fast and fluidly each time.
I then walked towards the tabletop and Dave nodded when I asked if he'd like to learn to jump it. That change in him mentally was very noticeable and soon he was sailing over it with ease and the giggle of that inner child in all of us sounded.
Over and over again he rode the tabletop and then moved over to the gap side. using his new mental approach to riding, he sailed over the 6ft gap jump and was laughing before he even touched down.
every session is my special to me but sometimes I get to witness a rider becoming the rider they always were but never realized. Dave's journey of discovery in his own riding has only just began.
High 5!
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