{"id":11773,"date":"2022-05-16T18:12:26","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T16:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=11773"},"modified":"2022-05-16T18:12:26","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T16:12:26","slug":"the-kids-are-all-rad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/2022\/05\/16\/the-kids-are-all-rad\/","title":{"rendered":"The kids are all rad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
LITTLE RIPPERS<\/span><\/h6>\n\n

THE LATEST GENERATION OF LITTLE RIPPERS ARE IN A WHOLE NEW LEAGUE. WE SPEND A DAY WITH FOUR TALENTED YOUNGSTERS WHOSE RIDING IS SERIOUSLY OFF THE SCALE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Words <\/span>Will Soffe Pics<\/span> Steve Behr<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Photographer Steve <\/strong>Behr has watched many of the UK\u2019s top riders go from promising groms to global superstars during his four decades on the scene. So, when he says that the current level of young talent on display at bike parks and riding spots throughout the country is staggering, you know there\u2019s something special going on. \u201cEverywhere I go, I see these tiny kids just shredding!\u201d Steve enthuses. And he\u2019s right \u2013 roll up to any local spot and it can be embarrassing to see pint-sized riders going higher, faster and more stylish than you, yet it\u2019s something that\u2019s almost guaranteed in 2022. How is it that these kids manage to ride better than most adults? We decided to meet up with some of them and their parents to find out. A few phone calls later and we\u2019re on our way to 417 Bike Park in Gloucestershire to meet four riders who seem way too talented for their tender years.<\/p>\n\n

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Generation Alpha <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Rolling into 417, we can see some very small riders hopping around on bikes and being strapped into helmets and gear. An assortment of parents mill around bleary-eyed and comparing notes on their progeny\u2019s latest endeavours. The youngest is Harry Pullin, a six-year-old MTBer and BMXer from Wales who just can\u2019t get enough of riding, but also shares his dad Tom\u2019s passion for rugby, attending practice for Tondu RFC and games for their under-sevens junior team.<\/p>\n\n

We first met Harry at RampWorld Cardiff skate park three years ago, where he was sending a tiny BMX over every jump in sight, sometimes even landing with his feet on the pedals! So, since the tender age of three, Harry has been taking his biking beyond what most kids (or adults) ever do. Mountain biking was a revelation for him as soon as he got old enough \u2013 suddenly he could get outside and ride at the same spots as his dad!<\/p>\n\n

Henry Ruskin is a little older, at 11, and his riding speaks for itself. Dad Simon owns 417 Bike Park, giving Henry unparalleled access to its uplift-accessed tracks, and he\u2019s really made the most of it. Henry got into MTBing aged five and began spending three hours a day on the pump track. Now he can usually be found taking his 24in-wheeled dirt jump bike over 417\u2019s jumps or out riding the park\u2019s MTB trails on a Marin Rift Zone Jr full-sus. Henry is a hardcore freerider and dirt jumper, and rode most of the Vision Line at Revolution Bike Park (except the last road gap, because it was too windy) at just 10 years old. He\u2019s also hit nearly all of the double-black-graded Oakley Icon Way at Dyfi Bike Park and most of the intimidating Full Moto line at Black Mountains Cycle Centre (up to the bridge) \u2013 remarkable for someone so young, and on 24in wheels!<\/p>\n\n

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Next up is Olivia Taylor, better known by her Instagram name, Liv Shreds. A DH racer with a taste for speed, the gutsy 11-year-old also loves riding big gaps and sending things most riders wouldn\u2019t dream of. She\u2019s the youngest girl to have ridden the Vision Line at Revs and has hit features on the Icon Way at Dyfi, too. Liv is quietly spoken but makes a serious statement when she rides, and her race results are impressive. As well as racking up wins in her age range, she often races in the \u2018open\u2019 field, with riders up to 19 years old. This year British Cycling have granted her permission to \u2018race up\u2019 in Juvenile (13-14) at National Downhill Series events, because there\u2019s no 10-12 Rippers category at national-level races.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Harry Schofield is the oldest rider in attendance today, aged all of 12, and is well-known on Instagram. It\u2019s difficult to know where to start with describing him. A polite and considerate chap off the bike, Harry is able to unleash both impressive speed and incredible aerial and freestyle abilities on one. In BMX, he\u2019s racking up some solid results while upsetting the establishment, Travis Pastranastyle, by sending backflips on the track. Away from racing, Harry is busy posting on YouTube and Instagram, usually from the Surrey Hills. For the 2022 season, he too is \u2018racing up\u2019 in Juvenile for DH racing, with special dispensation from British Cycling. But it\u2019s freeride and BMX where his talents are the most shocking; not yet a teenager, Harry has an eye-watering array of tricks, including flat-spins, truck drivers, barspin backflips \u2013 and probably more by the time you read this. His confidence to drop in and hit the biggest jumps on his first try is uncanny. <\/span>A third-place finish at his first race in Juvenile at round one of the National Dowhill Series in Rheola this April shows he\u2019s seriously quick as well as stylish.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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OLIVIA TAYLOR<\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Liv is a super-fast DH racer who\u2019s already racking up some impressive results despite her tender age<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Age: <\/strong>11
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Handle:<\/strong> @livshreds <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: <\/strong>Gloucester <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsors: <\/strong>Muc-Off, Green Snow Collective, 100%, Ride Concepts, Michelin <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Type of riding: <\/strong>Downhill and freeride <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals for 2022: <\/strong>To complete the Oakley Icon Way at Dyfi, Vision Line at Revs and Full Moto at BMCC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreams for the future? <\/strong>To race DH professionally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HENRY RUSKIN<\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Age: <\/strong>11

Handle:<\/strong> @flyuphenry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown:<\/strong> Gloucester<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsors:<\/strong> Marin, DD Airbags, Ride Concepts, Silverfish, Saddleback, TLD, Hello Blue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of riding:<\/strong> Freeride and dirt jumping<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals for 2022:<\/strong> To complete full runs of the Oakley Icon Way at Dyfi, Vision Line at Revs and Full Moto at BMCC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreams for the future?<\/strong> Ride Audi Nine Knights by age 14!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HARRY SCHOFIELD<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Age:<\/strong> 12

Handle:<\/strong> @harry_2010_beast<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: <\/strong>Near Gatwick<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsors: <\/strong>Specialized Gravity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Type of riding: <\/strong>BMX racing, DH racing, BMX park and dirt jumping<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals for 2022:<\/strong> Ride as much as possible!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreams for the future?:<\/strong> To be able to ride all my bikes for a living<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HARRY PULLIN<\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Age:<\/strong> 6

Handle:<\/strong> @hazzpullin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: <\/strong>Bridgend, South Wales<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsors:<\/strong> None yet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Type of riding:<\/strong> BMX and MTB<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals for 2022: <\/strong>Learn a new trick \u2013 a no-footer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreams for the future?<\/strong> Follow my dad down our own trail that we build<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

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TOP TIPS FOR TOP TOTS<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

1 <\/strong>It\u2019s really important to be childled and not force your kids into doing things. The desire to race or tackle a feature, for example, needs to come from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2 <\/strong>Make sure their bike is the right size and not too heavy \u2013 riding a bike that doesn\u2019t fit is miserable or even dangerous, and some kids\u2019 bikes are way overbuilt, needing an inordinate amount of energy to lug around. Keep it simple and light.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 <\/strong>Don\u2019t try to do too much \u2013 let them dictate time and\/or distance on rides. It\u2019s better to leave them wanting more than feeling exhausted or grumpy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4 <\/strong>Encourageotherinterests. Functionalfitnessthrougha<\/span>variety of sports is important, as are non-sport hobbies, and you don\u2019t want them to get bored!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 <\/strong>\u201cIt\u2019ll still be here next week.\u201d If they\u2019re stressing out about progressing to the next trail\/ obstacle, remind them that they can always come back to it later.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 <\/strong>Manage social media usage. It can be an awesome tool, but can also create pressure and encourage unrealistic goals. <\/span>Posting relentlessly isn\u2019t a recipe for happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7 <\/strong>Always remember, it\u2019s all about having fun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fearless foursome <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Both Henry and Liv are passionate about sending big gaps, and say they\u2019re aiming to complete the \u2018UK bike park triple\u2019 \u2013 riding the whole of the Vision Line, Oakley Icon Way and Full Moto \u2013 before their 12th birthdays. It\u2019s pretty incredible stuff, considering that the runs in question include jumps that are up to 40ft long and 15ft tall. There\u2019s certainly nothing at 417 that fazes Henry. Effortlessly stylish, he looks composed even on the biggest jumps \u2013 an impressive level of confidence for someone so young and running 24in wheels! He\u2019s assertive with the bike, pumping and generating speed before throwing whips without really thinking about it.<\/p>\n\n

Henry tells us he plans to keep riding big bike-park lines and dirt jumping, and see where it takes him. A bright future beckons, wherever he focuses his talents.<\/p>\n\n

Liv, on the other hand, is ramping up the racing in 2022, now she has the green light from British Cycling. She\u2019s entering her first National Downhill Series round at Llangollen in the summer, but isn\u2019t forgetting freeride and wants to keep jumping big gaps and attending jam sessions, too. Devastatingly fast and in control, she throws around her adult-sized DH bike with ease, looking comfortable on the big bike, and spotting lines and calculating grip levels as she goes. It\u2019s clear she spends a lot of time practising on this bike and on full-bore DH runs. Her speed is shocking considering her tender age and calm, polite demeanour\u2013once the pink full-face goes on, she\u2019s all business!<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Harry Schofield has an action-packed year ahead, too,busywithBMXnationals, filming and DH. His dad Paul is in no rush for Harry to settle down and pick a discipline, rightly name-checking riders such as Kade Edwards, who manage a bit of everything very successfully. Harry\u2019s motivation comes from within. He doesn\u2019t wait to be told what to do; as soon as he\u2019s landed a truck driver, it\u2019s time to try a double-truck. Arriving at a new spot like 417\u2019s indoor pump track, he\u2019s straight onto a weirdly-angled wall ride, which looks huge and technical.<\/p>\n\n

It soon becomes clear that Harry Pullin is a big fan of the older Harry, whom he follows on social media. To most of us, Harry S is a young gun, but he\u2019s more than twice HarryP\u2019s age, and to him seems much longer in the tooth. We guess you\u2019re never too young to be someone\u2019s hero! It\u2019s lovely to see HarryS\u2019s awareness<\/span> and helpfulness as he helps the younger boy with his gear and encourages him to follow him around the pump track. Harry P just wants to carry on riding and improving, keep up with the rugby and enjoy being a kid \u2013a healthy approach in a world of lofty goals and prescriptive targets. Dad Tom knows Harry\u2019s progression will come naturally and he doesn\u2019t need any pushing. He tells us: \u201cHarry was buzzing at the end of the day, I haven\u2019t seen him so stoked on riding since before lockdown! It could be that he was riding somewhere fresh, but I think it was more Harry Schofield\u2019s influence.\u201d Perhaps you should meet your heroes, after all!<\/p>\n\n

Keys to success<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Just how did these kids get to be so good when they\u2019re still so young? We sit down with their attendant parents to find out more. Naturally, strong parental support has been crucial to their progress. Standing around at muddy bike parks while your offspring risks serious injury is only for the bravest mums and dads. Access to a properly-fitting bike with decent-quality tyres and brakes is clearly critical too \u2013 and expensive to keep up with. \u201cYou\u2019ll know when they get to the next level of bike they need\u201d is the general consensus; there\u2019s no need to buy a full-sus or a bigger wheel size until they\u2019ve outgrown the potential of the bike they\u2019re already riding. Access to trails is the next part of the puzzle, with suitable tracks, near enough to where you live that you can ride them regularly, being a must, too. Time on the bike is essential, as well \u2013 no one can improve without practice, and all these parents make time for their brood to ride as often as they can. Then there\u2019s the X factor. That motivation for kids to start sending themselves down hills and off jumps, and, just as importantly, keep getting back on after crashing. Inspiration can come in the form of a family member or friend, seeing a video or spotting trails in the local woods. The rise of social media means there are now plenty of role models to choose from, and it\u2019s easy to get feedback on your riding, too.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Opportunity knocks <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Liv had some skills coaching at a young age, which helped her learn the basics. Dad James says a good group of riding buddies is important, too, both to bring the stoke in a session and to look out for each other on the trails: \u201cAge and gender don\u2019t matter \u2013 it\u2019s about riding with people of a similar ability.\u201d He adds that Go-Ride Racing (British Cycling\u2019s gateway competition programme) was really helpful for Liv. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t only pushing her riding, but was also training her for the format\/ schedule during race weekends. It makes it easier to graduate up to regular races.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Tom Pullin says that starting Harry on a balance bike (rather than one with stabilisers) was the right move, teaching him coordination on two wheels at the tender age of three. From there, he was taken to the skate park and just couldn\u2019t wait to ride larger and larger obstacles. Tom says Harry found BMX easy to take to, because the bike fitted properly and wasn\u2019t too big. Paul Schofield, meanwhile, reminds us that you don\u2019t need the best bike when starting out; his son came third in the world and second in Europe on a \u00a3250 BMX race bike. The parents\u2019 final collective tips boil down to this: listen to your kid, not the experts, as they\u2019ll know when they\u2019re ready for the next challenge. Also, don\u2019t be afraid to ask for stuff \u2013 the worst that a company can do is say no.<\/p>\n\n

At the end of the day, whatever their motivations and inspirations, all these kids are into riding bikes because it\u2019s fun \u2013 just like we were when we started. Riding with them really reminded us what \u2018the stoke\u2019 is all about, and that it\u2019s always important to get back to your roots and remember to ride purely for the grin factor as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n

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STEVE BEHR ON THE RISING STARS OF MOUNTAIN BIKING…<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Steve Behr has been part of the MTB scene (and MBUK) <\/em>since dinosaurs roamed the trails, and has worked with many young riders who\u2019ve gone on to become legends.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the many years I\u2019ve been involved in mountain biking, I\u2019ve seen a fair few riders grow up and become exceptional talents. A few standouts: an extremely young Josh Bryceland turning up to an<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MBUK <\/em>event pretending to be older than he was so we\u2019d let him take part, wearing a jersey so big you could have fitted three of him in it. Brendan Fairclough being dropped off at my place by his dad so we could drive up to Steve Peat\u2019s for a weekend of training and a photoshoot with the master. <\/span>And Gee Atherton coming with us on an MBUK <\/em>trip to Spain with his older brother Dan as chaperone, who was barely old enough to fulfil that role himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a sport as new as mountain biking, progression is fast. Every new generation sees the top-guns of the previous generation doing things that those older riders have built up to over years of practice, and assumes that\u2019s the level to start at. So they do just that, and then push it further. Better junior bikes help, too. The current crop of youngsters are starting at an incredibly high level and at ever-decreasing ages.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re the parent of a potential young ripper, how do you encourage them? Well, they\u2019ve got to want to do it, for a start. There\u2019s no point in forcing them to ride a bike if they\u2019d rather be playing football or the guitar. <\/span>It\u2019s not about having the most expensive bike, either. The beauty of MTBing is that it can be just as fun on a basic hardtail as an expensive full-sus. Just make sure it\u2019s the right fit so as not to put them off. That said, it\u2019s an advantage to have something light and advanced enough that they can handle it, pull the brake levers and change the gears.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

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417 BIKE PARK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n