Photo: Trent Bona |
It’s time for you to get to know downhiller Colin Pickett. Colin, a 21 year old Western State student, moved to the valley for school and riding bikes. With strong race finishes last year, the Alpine Orthopaedic’s team member will be competing at various DH and Enduro races at the pro level this summer.
Growing up riding dirtbikes and dabbling in mountain biking, Colin was introduced to downhilling at 13. He was quickly hooked and started racing competitively at 16. He met then-Crested Butte Academy coach and pro downhiller Kain Leonard at a race and started racing with the CB crew even though he went to highschool in Steamboat Springs. He decided to go to Western State because he knew he could combine his quest for higher education with his passion for riding bikes.
Photo: Trent Bona
Living in Crested Butte has really allowed Colin to progress his riding. In a recent interview with West Elk Project, Colin expressed: “The endless single-track trail riding really separates Crested Butte from other areas in Colorado and around the country. When you combine that with the deep roots that mountain biking has in a place like Crested Butte, you have an awesome culture that you can share with your friends that allows you to really push yourself.”
Last year Colin won the Cat 1 (Expert) class races at Wildflower Rush here in Crested Butte and at the Mountain States Cup (MSC) series race at Keystone. These finishes earned him his USA Cycling pro license, which means he will be racing against the country’s best riders this summer. Colin will race in the remaining MSC races at Crested Butte, Telluride, and Snowmass. Colin is really looking forward to racing at the Winter Park Enduro, a prestigious 5-stage downhill race combining full-tilt downhill stages and Super-D-like stages. The summer is chock-full of other races for Colin, including the Red Bull Burner series, the Buffalo Pass Enduro, and Fall Tilt at Telluride.
Photo: Trent Bona
Mainly, Colin just wants to have as much as possible riding with his friends. The photos we used in this Community Profile came from a photo-shoot with West Elk Project contributor Trent Bona. He had this to say about shooting and riding with Colin: “Colin is a tough rider to shoot with because he always rides pinned, in race mode. He has told me on more than one occasion that the big stylie airs and tricks the other guys are throwing in the bike park are not his thing. Instead Colin rides fast, really, really fast and that makes him difficult to capture with my camera, especially in the dark woods of western Colorado. During this shoot last fall we had a pretty thick storm cloud overhead and really dark woods indeed, but I was stoked to capture Colin’s buttery-smooth riding style that makes him so quick on the racecourse. The way he scrubs turns and boosts off the smallest baby-heads and roots to clear larger features is so awesome to witness through the lens and in the images. I’m reminded that, whether I am shooting photos of Colin or trying in vain to hold his back tire on the DH course, I am always impressed by how fluid he is in the corners and how hard he charges on every lap.”
Photo: Trent Bona
We look forward to watching Colin race this weekend at the MSC Wildflower Rush here in Crested Butte and seeing what he can produce in front of the lens. We will follow him over the rest of the summer and beyond, check back with us as the summer continues.
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