SEQUATCHIE, Tenn – When it’s 17-year-old Atlanta resident Owen Witcher’s turn on a downhill mountain biking course, his father, Chip, starts a routine.
He says a prayer and sways nervously back and forth until his son flies past the finish line.
“Knock on wood,” Chip Witcher said, tapping a tree next to the finish line Sunday after his son’s first race as a professional. “He’s wiped out a few times over the years and had a couple bumps and bruises but no major injuries.”
Owen Witcher was among 130 mountain bikers competing at Marion County’s TTC Gravity Park in the first event of the Downhill Southeast Series organized by world-class rider Neko Mulally.
Riders decked out in flashy uniforms and big helmets manuevered bikes equipped with large, tread-heavy tires around treacherous turns, skidding along rock formations and flying over jumps, landing usually with bursts of straight-line speed, though some took tumbles along the skinny trail.
There were a few wipeouts and a few mechanical problems for some riders, but thanks to beautiful weather and detailed organization, the race brought rave reviews from competitors across the country competing for the first time this year.
“It was great,” Owen Witcher said after finishing the course in a competitive three minutes and 18 seconds despite blowing out his rear tire. “It was put on really well. There was a great turnout.”
The TTC Gravity Park parking lot teemed with activity as mountain bikers and their families set up campsites around their trucks and SUVs. Most arrived before Sunday’s race to get in practice runs.
Others congregated in the woods around the finish line, where an announcer gave live results over a public address system that played upbeat music in the downtime between finishers.
“We weren’t out here trying to kill ourselves,” said Asheville, N.C., resident Andrew Slowey, who was racing for the first time since breaking both arms in a competition last year. “We’re just trying to get our equipment dialed in and see where our fitness levels are and see how we stack up after a long winter.”
Downhill mountain biking competitions are completed in a time trial format, with riders going down individually on a narrow course that features rocks, jumps and other obstacles. Top racers hit speeds of more than 30 miles per hour on Sunday.
Handling the dual role of race organizer and competitor, Mulally finished second with a time of two minutes and 44 seconds, behind Luca Shaw of Hendersonville, N.C., who finished in two minutes and 42 seconds.
“Luca and I ride together all the time and I know I’ve got to be perfect to beat him,” said Mulally, also an Asheville resident. “I made a small mistake, but I like to be held to that standard. That’s why I ran the races series here, because I want these guys to come out and push us.”
Across the amateur, men’s professional and women’s fields, the worst injury was believed to be a broken femur suffered by a competitor in the amateur division.
The atmosphere was relaxed, with competitors encouraging each other while battling against themselves in preparation for the spring and summer seasons.
“I used to play basketball and all the other sports, but I loved being on my bike,” Owen Witcher said. “I started doing BMX and then about four years ago I started racing downhill.”
And Dad may still get nervous. But he understands why his son gravitates towards the adrenaline-inducing sport.
“It’s just him, the bike and the woods,” Chip Witcher said. “And there’s no one else around.”
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.