Woodward Camp

This Friday, after a pretty hectic work week, I headed up into Pennsylvania to Camp Woodward for the first round of the 2008/09 NBL National Series. Firstly it is situated in Bald Eagle State Forest, it is stunning scenery. A mountain bike and a few days to explore would be better, but the drive alone was worth the trip. Plenty of Amish in their buggies, antique stores and a town named Liverpool. Named for Liverpool, England - their words! No mention of the 'fab four' but it did look like the 'bizzies' (cops) had been chased out of town. Damn was it run down. It's just part of US11 Highway now, a super busy trucking route full of Adult novelty shops - i didn't find anything novel - and a sad, dilapidated town by the river.

So Woodward. Jumping Jehoshaphat, this place is unreal. It was like being 14 again. Big Dirt, Little Dirt, Cloud 9, Lot 8, all the places you see in the video games and I am there. Only get this, between $20-35 to ride each one, separately. Feck off! Dirt is free for a start. I , along with a bunch of others, paid $750 for 2 nights in a log cabin with one shower, one toilet and no heating! Damned if I am going to give them more money, that was disgusting. However, the place is unreal. On my list of riders watched, Bestwick, Steve McCann, Kagy, Dhers and some young Aussie called Andrew. This kid will be the real deal, 12 ft high backflips over the spine? He hits the same the same speed as Day does down the first straight in Beijing! Kid was super cool, and I spent a while talking to him and reminding him of rugby scores. He called me a 'whinging pom' - all good stuff indeed. Also some young shredder on a 12" pulling double whips out of the half pipe. He needed a bigger bike and had a super pushy dad, story of the weekend that. But another time. Well now actually. The 35x (read that how you will) who was about 100lb overweight, stiff as feck shouting at his 5yr old twins for not winning because they had gates 1 and 2 in the final. Piss off you fat bastard. I don't want to name and shame him, but he was bang out of order and making my blood boil! Lose some weight lard arse and set an example your kids can follow!

First comment on Woodward weekend has to be the awesome people from Hagerstown BMX who put me, or put up with me, all weekend. Diane Hullinger totally spoiled me and I got to meet some fantastic people, who really made the weekend for me. Hagerstown BMX has a great family vibe to it, 'roots' as Uncle B would say, wonderful people and I was very fortunate to spend time with them. I'm looking forward to going back next week and doing a clinic for their riders, least I can do after all they did for me this weekend.

So my weekend went very well. I rode flats for the first time in a while and felt so much better. I was disappointed with only a few riders in 30-34 cruiser, but good quality including Nat # 1, John Paul Pfeifer and Mike Hummel. We had some great racing and John was clearly fastest on saturday. He had a great first straight and it was enough to keep him clear of Mike and I. I pulled hard on the last straight but it was not near enough, 2nd place.

Sunday, I was determined to do a little better, and I was fortunate enough to do that. I got a great gate next to John, and managed to get my wheel in front in the tight first corner. I knew i had the track speed after that but I could hear the commentators comments all the time, so I knew it was going to be close. Third straight and I ballsed up the last jump and John came through on the inside, a little bit of bar banging and we dragged raced the last straight and somehow I came out on top. Great race, and not often I beat JP. On another note Mike Hummell and his wife had a little boy, Garrett, just after the Grands, congratulations to them both. Mike is a cool guy, only rides chromoly and flats..

All that's left of the Supercross track at Woodward...