BoneShaker got Amanda Samuelson before the 16-year-old Barrie girl really got started at the Canadian Mountain Bike Championships this weekend at Hardwood Ski and Bike in Oro-Medonte.
“My first half-lap was pretty good and then I just had a little fall on BoneShaker, halfway through my lap,” said Samuelson, a member of the Hardwood Nextwave team, who was competing in the under-19 expert class.
“(BoneShaker) is like this downhill rocky section, just a bunch of really steep rocks and sharp corners,” she explained. “I just hit like a really small rock at the bottom and just went over the bars into a rock ramp. I hurt my (right) knee a little bit. It’s going to be bruised, but it should be OK. I’m going to get it checked out tonight (Sunday).”
The crash left Samuelson with an ice bag and a purple bandage wrap on her knee, plus a noticeable limp.
As a mountain biker for about four years, Samuelson says she really likes the Hardwood course — despite her mishap.
“It’s pretty challenging with all the obstacles and hills and stuff, but it’s really fun,” she said, noting the course is about six kilometres and riders do three laps.
“That’s how long my race was supposed to be, if I had a…” she said with a laugh. “Hopefully I’m going to keep training, to get my leg better, practise some more skills and climbing, and just get ready for the next races coming up.”
Besides training at Hardwood Ski and Bike, which is located between Barrie and Orillia, Samuelson also trains at the Copeland and Horseshoe courses.
And she sometimes has company from within her own family.
Her 12-year-old sister, Emily, competed in the youth 15 sport category on the weekend, and without wiping out.
“I think I had a really good start,” Emily said. “It was fun. I think there could have been a bit more obstacles, but with the rain (Sunday morning) they took some out.”
She finished 14th out of 17 riders, said Emily, who has been mountain biking for a few years.
The championships kicked off on July 21 with the short-track titles being awarded to elite riders. The cross-country races for cadet (under-17), junior (under-19), under-23, elite and masters men and women took place on Saturday, July 23, while trade teams and provincial squads competed in the team relay on Sunday.
For all results from Canadian Cross-Country (XCO) and Short Track (XCC) Mountain Bike Championships on July 21 to 24, visit racetiming.ca.
