Tag Archives: bicycle trials

People

Eric Storz badly injured, recovering

This past weekend I saw a Nov. 24 message posted to the USA section of the Trials Central forums Eric Storz’s recent crash on his trials bicycle. Eric finished 3rd in the National Observed Trials Championship 125 Expert class this year and competed in Europe this past summer.

I  emailed Eric’s dad, Steve Storz, who sent this today:

The accident took place on Nov. 21st. The  6 hour surgery to repair his face took place on Nov. 24th and went very well. Plastic surgeons inserted seven titanium plates to repair the facial fractures. The procedure was done in a very masterful way and I don’t think he will have any noticeable scarring.

He should have been released 2 or 3 days after the surgery, but unfortunately he suffered a really severe reaction to some of the antibiotics used as a precaution against infection, which has delayed his recovery. The good news is that he is scheduled to be discharged from the hospital today, December 7th. All indications are that he will make a complete recovery.

As a side note, we are really grateful for all of the support and prayers from the trials community (worldwide). It really does ease the burden.

Eric Storz, Steve Storz,

Feel free to attach a ‘best wishes’ type comment here for Eric and we’ll make sure he sees it.

I took this photo of Eric and his dad Steve during the 2008 USGP World Trials Championship at the TTC (blogged here). Steve says he’ll send me a more current photo of Eric from this past summer.

In the meantime, here’s a recent (autumn, 2009) YouTube video of Eric on his trials motorcycle and trials bicycle.

Event Updates

July 12 NATS Bicycle Trials

The American Trials Training Camp for teenagers is winding down and this weekend brings the return of the Bicycle Trials, thanks to Mike Friddell and the NATS organization. This is a fun event and lots of entertaining bicycle trick riding on the rocks that the motorcycle trials folks used in the world championships a couple months earlier.
Signup is at 8AM Saturday, July 12, competition starts at 9, all times CDT. $20 entry and free for spectators.
Maybe some of the motorcycle teenagers will hang around and enter, some of them are pretty good on a bicycle!
dan
p.s., free TTC t-shirt to the first one who shows up Saturday and can guess who’s coaching this rider in the photo from 2003. Mike Friddell is the observer, and he doesn’t count.
Event Updates

American Trials Training Camp and Bike Trial


As soon as the Youth Nationals were over we immediately plunged into the 2nd Annual American Trials Training Camp for our best teenager up & coming trials stars! We had 21 riders this year for a week of practice and fun. They have been thrashing the rocks and bikes and bodies for a full week, and when not riding they are having canoe races and go-cart demolition derbies and eating like locusts. It’s been great! Look for a full story in next month’s Trials Competition magazine, and check out the RYP/Sherco for sponsoring this event and all of Brad Baumert’s efforts in the paddock to keep the kids going. Check out the photos in the gallery and especially the “wall of shame” for the broken bits. Also special thanks to Fran Webb (Cody’s mom) for being camp mom and doing all the cooking this year.

Also we’re hosting the NATS bicycle trials nationals and World Championship Qualifier events at the TTC this weekend (July 8/9) and I’ve posted some fantastic bike trial photos in the gallery. Several of the motorcycle trials kids entered the competition and Pat Smage even won the expert class event today (Saturday)!

dan

Event Updates

American Trials Training Camp July 5; Bicycle Trials July 9/10

We’re pleased to announce the first American Trials Training Camp for our teenage up and coming American Trials stars, sponsored by TTC and RYP. During the week starting July 5 immediately after the Youth Nationals, the Trials Training Center will host a training camp for our top young riders age 15-19, to spend a week riding, practicing, pushing each other and generally hammering the rocks & hills at TTC. Cody Webb, Bruce LeRiche, Stevie Darrow, Louise Forseley and possible some additional Pro riders will be there (stay tuned for further announcements) to train with lots of the top young invited riders from the High School and Expert classes. We won’t be pushing them, we’ll let them push each other.

This camp is provided at NO CHARGE to any of the participants. The cabins and campground will be available to the participants and their families and we’ll keep them fed and will try our best to keep their bikes running. Thanks to Brad Baumert who’ll be set up during the week with the Sherco Pits to help out any young rider on any brand of bike who needs assistance. Fran Webb has offered to help out with the “camp mom” duties.

This is our trials version of the olympic training facility, and we want to help promote our best & brightest youngsters. Anyone who’d like to help out with financial contributions, donated parts, tires, gear, gas money for one or more of the kids, whatever, we would be delighted to accept. Call Catherine at the TTC lodge if you are able or willing to help in any way.

We’ve invited about 15 youngsters to attend, specifically those in the 15-19 age group who are contesting the nationals and showing promise. All of these riders are at the EXPERT club level (although some are riding HS class in the nationals). If you have a candidate to suggest, please feel free to send us an email via the TTC website. Also, if anyone knows a contact or phone # for Max Malsbury, please send that privately via the TTC website or by calling us as I’ve been unsuccessful in reaching him.We’re excited that many talented young riders will get a chance to practice together, and look forward to great things for the future stars of American Trials!

I’ll post an attendee list when I have firm commitments from the invitees.

one other note, at the end of the American Trials Training Camp on the weekend of July 9/10 will be a NATS national championship bicycle trial and a UBA/US National Trials Event which is the USA Cycling Trials World Team Selection Event. So there should be some hopping action that weekend!