Chris Clark performs during a recent stunt show. (Provided Photo)
Competitive mountain bike riding, says Chris Clark, is “a lot like golf.” That might seem like a highly unlikely comparison, but Clark explained that the similarities come in the way that competitions are structured. In both sports, there’s a technically challenging course set up and, “You’re just trying to get through the course with the skills you’ve got, and whoever has the lowest score at the end of the day wins.”
This year Clark will be performing at the Strawberry Fest on Saturday, June 20 at 11:30 a.m. on North Avenue. Although he has competed all over the world and ridden at national and world championships, now Clark spends some of his time doing shows much like the one he’ll be doing in Owego.
The show is typically around 20 minutes long and, as he rides and does tricks, he talks to the audience through a headset microphone, explaining how to overcome certain obstacles and also providing some information about basic safety techniques used in his style of riding.
He said, “It’s all about learning skills and techniques and not being a daredevil,” noting that in the 15 years that he’s been doing this he hasn’t broken a single bone.
“It’s not necessarily a show just for kids,” said Clark. “It’s a show where I’m doing stunts and it’s exciting, but I’m riding an adult bike and afterwards all the fathers are like, ‘Oh my god, I had no idea you could do this on an adult bike!’ Everybody has seen BMX but nobody has seen mountain bike trials.”
Part of that, he explained, is because his Clark’s discipline of riding is not included in either the X Games or the Olympics. (However, he’s performed exhibitions at both events in the past.)
Clark lives in New Jersey, but during the warmer months of the year he does about 150 shows like this one. He said that he’s considered going down south for a Florida tour during the winter, but by the end of a six-month show season, he’s usually ready for a break.
When Clark did his first paid show, he was just 13 years old. He first competed in the pro classification at 15. He developed a lot of the skills he needed on his own.
“My mother could just kind of open the door and let me go and I’d be back around dinner time,” said Clark. “It was the result of no one’s hard work but my own.”
Fortunately, Clark grew up in a good area for his chosen sport. He said, “The northeast is a hotbed for mountain bike riding, particularly technical mountain bike riding. It’s really hilly, rocky terrain so it just breeds riders.”
At a young age, Clark got hooked up with a group of professional riders and while practicing with them he was able to further develop his own skills.
For aspiring young mountain bike riders, Clark said that safety is the most important thing.
“If you’re going to get into stunt bicycle riding or any extreme sport, one of the most important things is to learn the skills and techniques in a safe way.”
