Thanks to 2nd place finisher, AJ Kangas, a Junior and Broken Spoke Daveo rider from Marquette, Michigan for this race report.
I went into the final Snow Crown Series race with extremely low expectations, considering that in the previous two races in the series, I didn’t have very impressive results. The course had been getting pounded with snow all day, and the race before mine had destroyed it almost entirely. Knowing this, my dad and I spent a lot of time adjusting tire pressure. The deciding factor for the race would be whoever set their pressure correctly, and we both knew it.
By the time I lined up at the start line, the tracks I had just packed in during my pre-ride were already covered again by snow. I’m from Marquette, Michigan, so I’ve been riding snow bikes all my life. This course was going to test every skill I had developed—but also suit me extremely well. When the gun went off, it was an all-out sprint to the front for the freshest track. I was almost taken out but recovered quickly and ended up in about fifth place behind some big names like Cole House and Caden Budd.
I kept my composure and pushed lap after lap until I found myself in third place, fighting for second. I put my head down, stayed consistent, and moved into second, where I held my position until the finish. Coming from a place that gets a ton of snow every winter, I was able to outride most of the people I hadn’t been able to beat earlier in the series. The deep ruts and soft powder played to my strengths perfectly. At one point, I passed George, and we shared our enjoyment of the conditions because it was just so much fun.
As a junior rider, I have a lot less experience than many of the guys I raced, but coming from a place that taught me the ins and outs of fat tire biking, I was able to pull off the unthinkable. George, the owner of Broken Spoke Bicycles and race director, along with everyone who put the event on, really knows how to make riding bikes enjoyable. I’d recommend the Snow Crown Series to anyone who can ride a fat tire bike. It’s genuinely one of the best atmospheres I’ve experienced in the cycling community.
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