Hernian

This past weekend was a lot of fun. The Red Bull Ride+Style event brought a lot of cool people from all over the world to San Francisco. Lot’s of parties, races, and riding.
We left LA bright and early on Friday morning. I packed 2 bags, one with clothes and the other one with bike parts: 2 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of pedals, some tools, 2 kits, a tubular wheel set and my helmet. Met up with Mike Martin while he was setting up his new shop and borrowed a rear wheel, I needed a 17 tooth cog for the Macaframa Race, “Walton’s Race”. My friend Steven Tortorelli texted me where the checkpoints were gonna be, since it was the same race as the Macaframa Benefit Race which happened the week before. I bought a map and tried to map it out, but I didn’t even know where to start so I just went for plan B, chase after the guy in front of you. The race started at One Post, we got our manifest and everyone there looked very confident about where they were gonna go, including Walton Brush, who won the same race the week before. They make us line up across the street and we go. I was holding on to the front pack for a while until we get to the first checkpoint. By the time I checked Walton, Kell and Portland Kyle were gone. I’m left with NYC Crihs, who later on grabbed onto a car and said goodbye as he went up a hill. Once I was officially lost, I pulled out my map and rode to the next checkpoint where I waited for another racer to show up and be my tour guide the rest of the race. Crihs got 1st place and took the Macraframa Raleigh frame set back to New York with him. Someone got hit, and everyone thought I got hit until they saw me cross the finish line. I got 11th place.
Saturday was the big day. Really technical, really sketchy. We had to use quarter pipes as berms and watch out for curbs and a slippery floor. Riding it solo was sketchy, racing against someone else in it was ridiculous. Gnarly dudes from all over were invited, the best from the best. So yeah, it was intimidating standing next to fast guys who are twice your size ready to knock you off your bike in order to take the front spot. I placed 8th on the time trial, which qualified me to the final 16 were we raced head to head. Lots of crashes, Robin Song from Oakland broke his collar bone and Walton Brush re-broke his wrist in the semi-finals. Austin Horse, Chas Christianson and Walton Brush had the best times in the qualifications, but Kell McEnzie and Jayson Clary were racing head to head in the final. Jayson won and went home with $1000.
On Sunday Mike Martin opened the doors of the MASH SF Shop, and what better way to celebrate it than a torturous race up and down 14th st as many times as you can in 30 minutes. The top 10 contestants of each category advanced to the final which was a race up to Twin Peaks and down. Portland Kyle won the fixed race and Chris Phipps won the Road category, they went home with some really big trophies, an Incase bag, and $500 in Cash each. I finished 4th and walked away with nothing (not really, Mike hooked me up with some tires, T-shirts and Cliff bars).
Awesome weekend over all. I would’ve liked to go home with a win but I knew that would be really hard to achieve. I hope Red Bull decides to keep these events happening.

Clary Vs. Kell in the Final

After you crossed the finish line you would have to skid all the way to a wall with a bunch of Red Bull pads. A bunch of racers couldn’t make it to a complete stop before it ended. (I look pissed, I lost that race)

Walton re-broke his wrist.

Suffering during the MASH race.