Downhill MTBing at Paris Mountain

So I found out a few days ago about the paris mountain downhill race! The Greenville News did a great article on this weekends festivities.

Now this race is in my own backyard. It is on a hill I know very well, at a specific location on the trail I am very familiar with. (RSS readers click here to see video)

In all fairness to myself, This is the ONLY time I have ever fallen on this rock. In fact, that is why my buddy Mark wanted to get it on video... so he could show his buddies how someone he knew was doing it. Here is where I went wrong. When I got to the very edge of the rock, you will notice that I turn my head towards the camera. Somewhere along the way, I decided it would be a good idea to grin sheepishly at the camera before continuing over the ledge. As you can see, this particular idea was about as bad as I could have come up with.
Now if you will click on the small picture link for the race pic/vid site, you will notice these guys floating over the same rock with brilliance and ease. they look so peacful don't they? Aren't they looking like it is a bunch of fun?

Don't be fooled: These pictures got me too. I went out this morning to see how close I could come to their estimated winning race time of about 2:12. I decided to take my single speed, because I like the longer wheelbase, and who needs gears going downhill anyway? I parked at the sulfer springs parking lot, and suffered painfully all the way up hincapie's challange to the top parking lot, wishing that I had brought a gear bike instead. After reaching the parking lot I climbed up to the pinnacle of the sulfer springs trail, where I believe the race will start.

Then I hammered all the way down the hill. I mean I flew... like the wind! I did go over the handle bars once to avoid bear-hugging a tree in a section that I should have never got into trouble on. But I felt fast... real fast! They had added a few new elements to the trail, which were a bit suprising, but I made it. I grabbed the brakes and abruptly stopped when I reached the Mountain Creek Trail sign down by the sulfer springs parking lot again so I cound click Erin's stopwatch. (which I borrowed to get an accurate time - I don't care if it is a girls watch, leave me alone!)

You wanna know what I did it in? 5:06. What a loser!

Needless to say, I am still undecided about droppong the $40 bucks to register for the race. I would have to go directly there from church, without any trial runs on race day, and hope for the best. Mark and I are going to go over there this afternoon and do it one more time to see if we can improve on our times at all. I'm not very optimistic.