As the 2009 World Cup racing season hits full stride, lets take a closer look at one of the United States downhill podium prospects--Aaron Gwin.
Gwin’s rise to the forefront of American mountain biking appears sudden. However, to Aaron, it’s long overdue. At just 20 years old, he is a seasoned veteran of two-wheel racing. He was a BMX champion before the age of ten, and a promising motocross career was cut short due to a laundry list of injuries.
Gwin training in Temecula, California. Photo: Ryan Cleek
Southern California’s Gwin threw a leg over a downhill mountain bike for the first time in 2007. Less than nine months later, he scored two top-ten World Cup results on notoriously brutal courses and watched his stock rise as a professional downhiller. Rather than radiating arrogance after his improbable first-year success, Gwin has the quiet confidence of a seasoned veteran. His demeanor can’t help but make us think he knows something the rest of the competition doesn’t.
We caught up with Aaron at his training grounds in Temecula, California, to find out what drives this up-and-coming American racer and how he plans to follow up such an incredible year.
Gwin's wide-open style was acquired from years of motocross racing. Photo: Ryan Cleek
Mountain Bike Action: You are practically unknown in the mountain bike world. What is your cycling background?
Aaron Gwin: I started riding bikes at three years old and going to BMX tracks and racing at four years old. By the age of six I was racing all of the ABA and NBL nationals and was sponsored by Dan’s Competition. By age eight I was racing full national seasons, but began to get a bit burnt out. I quit BMX and switched to school sports for a while. At age 12, I picked up motocross and raced at the intermediate level until I was 17.
MBA: Tell us about racing motocross?
AG: Motocross was a major part of my life. My goal was to make a living racing. I was home schooled so I could ride moto every day and work with my trainer. I was riding injured a lot of the time, and I had put too much pressure on myself. I was never healthy and that was frustrating. The injuries were what made me quit motocross, because riding stopped being fun.
MBA: Do you put that same amount of pressure on yourself today?
AG: My approach to mountain biking is a lot different from motocross. I’m more relaxed and do not put that kind of pressure on myself.
MBA: What turned you on to mountain biking?
AG: One of my good friends in the Palm Springs area where I live owns a bike shop, and he’s a friend with Cody Warren (pro downhill racer). I went to Interbike in 2005 and met Cody there. He had recently won the U.S. National Downhill Championship, and I remember his bike and awards on display. Cody and I ended up hanging out there in Las Vegas and riding BMX together. Later in the year, he took me up to Big Bear to ride cross-country. We just had short travel bikes, but it was a lot of fun. I ended up buying a mountain bike after that trip. Cody talked me into riding with him in 2007 while the mountain bike movie “Stars and Bars” was being filmed. I hadn’t ridden a downhill bike before, but got comfortable quickly and several of my whips are in that video. A couple of months later I entered my first downhill race at Fontana, California. I had only ridden a downhill bike a few times, and never raced a mountain bike before. I decided to enter the pro class and got third place (out of 20 pros) in my first race. After that race, I thought about doing it more than just once in a while.
MBA: How did motocross and BMX skills prepare you for downhill?
AG: The mixture of BMX and moto worked out well. Riding motocross taught me to be aggressive and study line selection. A course like Mont-Sainte-Anne, which most riders categorize as gnarly and fast, seems mellow to me. BMX taught me to be smooth on the bike and taught me basic handling skills.
MBA: Did Cody Warren motivate you to ride at his level?
AG: I tend to take everything to the limit. I want to be good at everything I do. With a guy like Cody around, you know what going fast looks like. I think riding with him helped me and opened my eyes to how fast top guys like him can go. If you want to ride with guys like him, you have to step up and go for it. Cody is really supportive of me and is there if I need help with anything. I was lucky to have him around from the beginning.
MBA: You had a fairytale inaugural season. How did it feel to go from racing local downhill events to World Cups?
AG: It was crazy. I had a season plan that I put together with SoCal Yeti team manager Rich Houseman. I was going to ease into it. I did a few races at Fontana and some Colorado Mountain States Cup events and did well. The World Cups were certainly a new experience, and I felt it at the first two I raced. I felt like I belonged at the World Cup finals in Schladming, Austria. Also, it helps when you have teammates like Sam Blenkinsopp and Justin Leov. I can always go fast in practice, but going fast in the race is something totally different. When they tell you you’re on pace you tend to believe it!
MBA: Is racing something you’re enjoying for the moment, or are you working towards making a career out of it?
AG: Downhill racing is definitely a career focus. I tried the college thing for a while, but it wasn’t for me. I left the motocross thing unfinished, and believe I could have made it there if I was healthy. I belong in some kind of racing, and I have the best support from Yeti. This is the perfect mix of racing for me, meaning my health, enthusiasm, and support. I plan on making it last as long as I can and am working to make it lead to industry opportunities after racing.
MBA: What surprised you about world-class level racing?
AG: The number of guys who can go fast at the World Cup level was eye-opening. When I raced moto there would be a couple of fast guys at local races, but at the World Cups 20 guys go really fast, and the top 100 are all really good riders. Everyone’s times are really tight, and I’ve learned how little things can make a big difference. A foot dab can lead to a five-second loss, and 25 spots.
MBA: What was the reaction of the seasoned racers to your eighth place at the 2008 World Cup finals?
AG: Everyone was just stoked for me and they were really cool. Sam, Justin and I all want to beat each other, but your results are on you. You want your fastest time, of course, but are happy when a teammate does really well. The 2008 World Cup finals in Schladming were awesome for Yeti. Sam won, Justin got sixth, and I finished eighth. All three of us finishing top ten was a cool experience. All of the other fast dudes showed support and said congrats as well. It’s pretty sick to see how for the most part everyone gets along and is willing to help out.
MBA: A common trait of elite athletes is the confidence that they will succeed. In the back of your mind did you know you’d find success at some form of racing, and it all came together in downhill?
AG: When it comes to racing, I’ve always felt like I belong at the top. I have my own way that I approach racing. I work really hard and want to keep improving. I’m not sure where it comes from; I guess my dad’s pretty competitive. Having success in BMX at an early age makes me want to transfer that aspect to riding and competing in other sports. I feel once you learn what speed is, you want to keep that level of performance. I’m working hard with my trainer these days to be the best I can.
MBA: What will be your encore performance in 2009?
AG: I will race the full World Cup schedule and the World Championships on the Yeti team with Justin and Sam. I’ll definitely race the U.S. National Championship and some Mountain States Cups. My goal is to consistently be in the top ten at World Cups. 2009 will technically still be my rookie year racing the complete circuit.
MBA: How do you stay focused in the presence of your almost immediate success?
AG: My first-year success doesn’t really get to me. I struggled a lot to make it happen in moto. I had the speed, but it never worked out, because of either bike problems or injury. Something always seemed to hold me back. I don’t mind any hype around me now. I’m not cocky, but confident in my abilities. In my mind it’s an “about time” kind of thing for me.
AARON GWIN
Nickname: Gwiny
Age: 21
Birthday: 12/24/87
Hometown: Morongo Valley, CA
Height: 5'11
Weight: 165
Marital status: Girlfriend Carrie
Current home location: Morongo Valley, CA
Started mountain biking (year): Sept 2007
Turned pro (year): 2007
Sponsors: Yeti cycles, Monster Energy, Smith optics, Freestyle watches, Houseman racing, Jett, 661, loopd.com, and Dylan Dean designs
Riding specialty: Gooners
Favorite place to ride: Anywhere new
Favorite food: Mexican
Jobs held other than bicycle rider: I used to be a motocross mechanic and before that I worked as a plumber for a little bit
Goals: To always give it 100% and be the best I can be
Heroes: God
Most embarrassing moment: When I asked the guys at Yeti how to take the rear wheel off while packing my bike for Schladming.
If you were not a pro rider you would like to be: A Pro motocross rider or some type of sports trainer
Cars own: 1999 Toyota Tacoma race machine
Something you always take when you travel: My laptop, cell phone, and wallet
Favorite bands: Jimi Hendrix, Wolfmother, Jack Johnson
Favorite hobbies: Surfing, tennis, moto, snowboarding
Story and photos by Ryan Cleek
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