By Becky Walz,
Decorah sophomore Garrett Willie is ready to ride this spring.
Last year, Willie rode as an individual in several mountain bike races in the state.
Now, he’s starting the Decorah Area Mountain Bike Team, known as DIRT. Sponsored through the Iowa Scholastic Mountain Bike League, DIRT is open to anyone in Decorah and the surrounding communities who is interested in learning more about mountain bike racing.
Finding his passion
Willie, the son of Brett and Peggy Willie, found mountain biking during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he first got on the bike years earlier.
Garrett said he took up biking late in sixth grade when a group of friends got together after school and tried riding. He said after that initial ride, he was highly motivated to get back out there. Soon, it became a consistent part of his day. ?During the 2020 COVID pandemic, Garrett said his passion for riding was revitalized and he started riding daily. He used his brother’s bike at first, before buying his own last year.
Peggy said Garrett would ride his bike all over the trails and made friends of all ages. Those friends showed him techniques to make him a better and safer rider. Peggy said Garrett often rode every day.
Last summer, Peggy took Garrett to Cedar Rapids to compete at Mt. Trashmore.
“He went in and he did really good. The next thing I knew, he won,” said Peggy.
Garrett competed in a few more races after that, advancing into the varsity division. From there, Peggy said a representative from the Mason City team mentioned the Willies should start a team in Decorah.
“I just want other parents to experience it like we did,” said Peggy. “He made so many friends.”
About the team
DIRT is open to anyone in the grades 6-12 in the Decorah area, even if they don’t go to Decorah High School. It’s open to any gendered student.
The team also is still in need of volunteer coaches. Garrett plans to help coach as well as compete this season.
Peggy said being a part of the team is more than just where you finish during the race. It’s about the people you meet on the path. That point was driven home last summer when Peggy saw Garrett making friends while he was riding.
“He and another guy were side by side and I saw that they were talking during the race. They became friends. It was just so cool because this is a sport where they can do this for a lifetime. It’s fun, clean riding and they make friends,” said Peggy. “Mountain biking is a different kind of sport. Each kid has a spot to find their niche.”
As a competitor, participants learn basic bike maintenance, like how to change flat tires. There also are plans to teach each participant and coach basic first aid.
Peggy said Decorah provides a unique place for competitors because of the terrain. With the bluffs and trail system, it is the perfect place to practice and learn skills needed to compete.
“The trail system here is phenomenal. We have so many hills and valleys. It’s a biker’s paradise,” she said.
About the races
In the Scholastic series, there are several categories for each race. Garrett explained it’s similar to a cross country meet, with different divisions and competitors going for an individual score. There are also some races where a team score counts.
This year, the season is in June and July. Some years, there are also races in May. The year kicks off on June 3 at Mt. Trashmore in Cedar Rapids. Other races are in Solon, Mason City, Dubuque and Davenport. The state championship is in Des Moines in July.
Decorah will host a race on Saturday, June 10.
Races for the varsity are about 15 miles, taking riders roughly 45 minutes to complete. JV races are 8-10 miles and middle school races are 4-8 miles.
Participants can compete in any or all of the races. Garrett said they can also just come for the practices.
According to the Scholastic Mountain Bike League, the goals of the group are “to fill a niche for students whose needs may not be met by traditional interscholastic sports. We provide an opportunity for young people to participate in mountain biking and experience the benefits of being part of a team.”
“A lot of people didn’t realize this was a sport,” said Garrett.
“It’s really neat to have this connection for kids of all ages. It has it’s own community,” said Peggy.
Time to join
Details are still in the works for DIRT. As of right now, practices will be on Sunday afternoons. During practices, participants will learn about bike safety and maintenance, rather than riding. Anyone can join, even if they have no interest in actually competing.
They’ll also discuss trail etiquette and help maintain the trails in the city.
“It’s going to be fun,” said Peggy. “This team is a camaraderie thing where we support one another. You develop friendships. These are friendships that can last a lifetime.
The kickoff meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, at the Decorah Public Library public meeting room at 9 a.m. For more information and to see the 2023 schedule, visit the team’s Facebook page or email Peggy at decorahmountainbiketeam@gmail.com.
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