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Special thanks to:
is the culmination of many years of experience, observations,
and planning. While our obvious goal is to teach cyclists
to ride better, ride safer, and ride faster; that's
just part - a small part - of the big picture we see.
In that big picture we see kids (and adults as well)
that are not as healthy and active as they could and
should be.
BikeSkills
and Active Sports
Statistics show that interest
and participation in so-called main-stream sports such
as baseball, basketball, and football are in decline.
Interest and participation is shifting into one of two
quite different areas: passive ones like video games,
and active ones like actions sports that include snow
boarding, surfing, and of course cycling. It's pretty
clear to us which one of those areas is at least part
of the health problem. It's equally clear to us which
one can and needs to play a big role in the solution.
Our focus at BikeSkills
is cycling. And our goal is to help cyclists of all
ages get more out of their cycling related experiences.
We are confident that when people rider better, safer,
and faster, they'll do it often, and do it for a lifetime;
and that means a lifetime of health benefits both above
and below the neck!
Providing
the Skills to Ensure the Thrills
In addition to the health
focus, some time ago we realized something odd about
cycling in general, and the more skills based segments
(like trials, jumping, and trail riding) in particular:
there wasn't any organized, standardized, truly professional
training or instructional programs. Unlike skiing, or
even the very new sport of kite boarding, there weren't
professionals or professional organizations dedicated
to ensuring people got the most out of their expensive
gear, limited time, and did so in the safest manner
to ensure they had the most fun. That's when we decided
we had to create BikeSkills: Better, Safer, Faster!
BikeSkills:
People and Programs
Our programs are divided
into two basic categories: Clinics focused on the cross
country/ trail rider, and clinics focused on those who
want to learn the art of "jumping", the skills
involved for "Downhill" along with other "New
Skool' areas of cycling.
When it comes to instructors,
we've got the best.
Joe
Lawwill
Former Masters DH World Champion
who spent a decade on the Professional mountain
bike tour learning not just skills, but more importantly
things like discipline, dedication, and perhaps
most important of all, wisdom. It's a unique combination
of results, experience and time coupled with Joe's
ability to reflect, relate, and translate that
has transformed Joe the Racer into Joe the Teacher.
Maxine has been riding mountain bikes for over 15 years. She is a former world cup downhill racer who has trained with and stood on the podium alongside world champions. Maxine was chosen to race in the 2002 world championships for her home country of England, and was a major player on the National level.
Having been introduced to downhill through a skills clinic herself it was only natural that she progressed into coaching. She has been the advanced coach at women only clincs many times and now brings the knowledge and enthusiasm to bikeskills.
Mark is one of the most well
rounded riders in the world today. He's equally
at home setting downhill course records, as he
is wearing out the competition during grueling
24 hour marathon events. But what Mark really
lives for is to is spend countless hours just
plain riding his bike, right here in Marin County;
the birthplace of mountain biking. Whether you
want to fine tune your bike and body, or just
tune in to a higher level of appreciation for
the sport and lifestyle of mountain biking, Mr.
Versatility has you covered.
Forrest Arakawa
Forrest has been riding mountainbikes for 7 years and racing them for 3 years. Although racing isn't the most important thing for Forrest its definitly something he has passion for.
Speaking of passion check out some tid bits from Forrest himself: "Focus on what you are doing, it's important to keep your mind on what is going on in your life right now. Don't worry about the past but plan for the future. There are many other aspects of life that are just as important as cycling, so make sure you spend time doing other activities. I find myself getting really excited about one thing, concentrating all my effort and time on that particular facet of my life. Today, I'm trying something different... I'm going to keep cycling as my favorite hobby but I'm also going to concentrate on other things that are just as, if not more important. It's just as fun meeting new people and strengthening relationships as it is to well in a bike race...Meeting friends, forming new relationships and just plain socializing will help you grow...So with that said, stay focused on your path, be kind to others and just try to have a good time while helping out the society that supports you. As for the other stuff: I really like to hang with my wife (Nicole), Fish, Camp, Climb, Work in the Yard, Dig, Work on my Blazer, go to Sears and Home Depot, Snowboard, RC, MOTO, spend time with animals and friends... I'm fortunate to live in an area that is near all the things I love most!!"
World Champion Dual slalom and
4Cross racer, Brian Lopes has won almost every
title there is to win in his disciplines in mountain
biking.
For anyone to be able to accomplish
so much you have to have some serious skills.
You dont win titles by getting lucky, you do it
with smart riding and lots of skills. The lucky
ones are you, because Brian has agreed to do a
limited number of training camps through bikeskills.
Brian is still a full time racer so his time is
limited. To find out about joining Brian for a
clinic send us an email with what sort of skills
your looking for and we will line it up.
Tara Llanes
A 10 year + veteran of the professional mountainbike circuit Tara has consistently been on the podium, often on the top spot! Most recently taking the 2006 US National Championship title to go along with a pair of National Four-Cross titles she won in '02 & '04 as well as the Junior National title she won back in 1995. Although her background is in BMX Tara has focussed most of her efforts on the mountainbike and not only enjoys the high intensity racing of 4 Cross and the all out Downhill events she enjoys fun XC rides. However she still stays true to her BMX roots and is training for a spot on the Olympic Bmx team at the next Summer Olympics.
For information about
the clinics and programs themselves, go to the clinics
section of the site. Also be sure to check out our "Previous
Clinics" page to see what was went on, and don't
forget to read what past students have to say about
BikeSkills on the testimonials page.
