By
Cable Willford
(ED-Here is Pro hillclimb Yamaha racer Cable Willford's thoughts on the third
RMSHA race of the season last weekend. We will be following Willford as he
helps to try to put Yamaha on the map-hillclimbing wise that is.)
No gain without pain. Yamaha made
history in Jackson Hole with the first 4-stroke over the top, just minutes
after I suffered a massive wreck that started right below the timing
lights and ended up caught in the catch net. The crowd-pleasing crash unfolded
in a hurry as it scattered hill crew from above the 3rd catwalk down below the
2nd. The valiant efforts to save my sled came up short and it was like being
sucked into a black hole once the tumbling sled gained momentum.
Dazed and confused, I remember the
cheering crowd and shouts from the hill crew asking me if I was ok as I
walked down through the aftermath picking up pieces of my sled as I went.
I realized my goggles had been torn from my helmet and the violence of the
spectacle also managed to separate such items as sunglasses and wrist watches
from the some of the crazy cowboys who got involved.
Yamaha's Eric Josephsen commented
later that once it started to unfold, all he could see were dollar signs
evaporating as the sled made its way down the hill into the catch net. One of
the benefits of being on a factory race team is the amount of resources
available in these situations. The sled was so bent and broken that I was sure
it wouldn't be able to make the last run in my Open Mod class. The Yamaha
mechanics swarmed my sled like angry ants on a banana and it was put back
together and race ready within 30 minutes.
Overall the weekend was a lot of
fun. Hanging out with members of the Yamaha cross country race team and
paricipating in the hillclimb event is always time well spent. I am proud of my
teammates, Kody and Kolton Malmborg and Nathan Titus, who all rode hard
and represented Yamaha very well. Our team keeps getting stronger and making
headlines as we go.
The race at Pebble Creek has been
cancelled because of lack of snow, so now I have an extra week to lick my
wounds and regroup before heading to Logan, UT, for the Beaver
Mtn. race.