Couple weeks back I were in schools MTB event. Event included relay race, dirt jumps and orienteering. I would say that was perfect. And not too difficult to organize, only if you want to. Pretty many students were there with BMX bikes and most joy were shown at dirt jumps!

Paul Langlands had shown up to also. Paul is well known dirt jumper from NZ. Guys didn't do any flips. There just were no need to break any limits. Kids were stoked just to see basic 360. Also Paul is still getting better from serious head injury, which he got suprisingly while jumping with his bike.

Are dirt jumps extra dangerous? Why riders don't want to use helmet? Paul had a helmet and he wouldn't even like to think what would be the situation if he hadn't have it. He also told kids that he likes riding his bike and by using helmet he can do it longer. The same advice works in racing too. I don't know why so many riders are riding without pads. By using simple protection you can avoid unnecessary injuries. I have decided to I'm gonna use neck brace in future. I used to think that neck braces are only for those who jumps over 10meter jumps. Pretty many has told me that it's not much what you need if your neck is just in wrong ancle.. So long baby.. And that is so true! Counting negative and positive things you see it's pretty good to use one!

When I heard that Paul is having a show, the first thing came to my mind was: how schools can afford that. Paul lives in Cambridge, which is 2h drive away. Pure charity didn't bring him here, but pretty close: ”We get small payment for this. Mostly it just the idea that it's free for kids and they get to see the jumps. When events are bigger and you pay to get in, ofcourse our salary is also higher”, explaned Paul. Basic summer week Paul has two competitions and 1 show. It's not enough to cover living, but working part time works.

Paul has his friend Jon Riddle with him. Jon has done dirt jumps only two years. While Paul is giving autograph and goodies I'm asking Jon about learning the basics on dirt jumps. He recommends everyone to start by making the small jumps with shavel. Places like these are perfect for beginners, but hardly never dirt jumps are tabletops. ”People are too lazy to do tables and if you know you gonna fail, you can drop the bike in between jumps and landing. So you don't need to worry about it when you land”. For me it looks like Paul and Jon are doing the same tricks. Why everyone are so excited about Paul? ”Paul has done this much longer and won many competitions, but I also like staying back. It's easier and you can do your own thing” lauhgs Jon. At the same time we are watching how Paul runs the ”business” and I understand what Jon meant.

After few show rounds, everyone can try jumps. The best thing is that Paul and Jon are there with kids. Waiting for their turn, like everyone else does. Paul Langlands used to ride racing when he were kid. He guess he did it from 5 to 12 years old. And also rode some downhill. Later I heard that Paul were really good in racing. Even won NZ Champs in his age group several times. He didn't mention anything about that to me while we talked about racing. I kinda like that attitude.

All bike riding seems to make you support each others. Many people have told me that everyone riding BMX racing should also ride street. Otherones think motocross and DH is the way to happiness. I have noticed that pretty many good BMXers are riding XC as on offset for BMX. And I do not know any elite riders who doesn't have roadbike. Right now I think I need to learn some dirt jumps :)

If someone have wondered about the post I publish on Finnish, but didn't ever translate it to English. That was about my project. Althought the project is only in Finnish and in Finland.

I asked people to support my BMX riding and for return they will get emails about me getting ready for Worlds and they getting ready for the first Finnish Champs in BMX race. Also we gonna have one week before the Champs privat practices on our new BMX track "pyöräkrossiparkki". The track can be found from internet www.pyorakrossiparkki.fi or in facebook www.facebook.com/pyorakrossiparkki.

RedLine get their pros together to help me (Tory Nyhaug, Alise Post, Robert De Wilde), so I will send forward the tips they have gave. Also Sarah Walker is helping me out, so her words will be heard too.

Sorry for the delay. I'm 100% sure I published this, but now I saw text were only saved in drafts. Text is from 21st of Feb:

Soon even my mashed brains can't take no more. Everything is rolling good, but BMX is causing more stress than I have ever had before. I can't understand it. I have never been good with manuals but also never this bad! Where did it go?

That much I wrote at morning. I couldn't continue coz I was feeling anguished. Worlds has bring some pressure to my riding. I used to ride for fun and just doing some sports. I still have little bit thought of doing sports, but nothing about having fun. I don't even have any goals for Worlds. I just know if I want to go with full speed that means I have to be able to manual or jump the first obsticle. Right now neather one is working. Actually jumping is going better than manuals!!

Clark and Kent contractors has been signed to build the track for the next worlds. Same brothers did the track for Birmingham. And again the race will be indoors, so the track will be "small". Also change from previous years; first will be raced all the challenge classes. After that supercross hill will be added to the top of the 5 meters ramp. That just makes me wonder what the first jump is going to be like.. Here is a link to track designers website: www.clarkkentcontractors.com. Nice looking creations!!

Couple friends have stod by me with the "pain" I feel. It's kinda joke to feel such torment because of BMX. At the same time the pain is real. I think about this days and nights!! Today I kept myself away from riding bike.. So I were sweeping the track for 3 hours. Seriously, send me to some island where is not a bike, no tracks.. not even internet!

I sit down on my saddle, I'm totally done. I have had maybe thousand rounds doing manuals. BMX is wonderful! Wou, just after writing the last post I were standing on back yard with shovel, ready to bury my bike. Not really, but riding hadn't been much fun for long time. What the heck? Am I pregnant? I feel my heart pumping in my throat, even that I know I'm not. My mood is going up and down like I would be.

I'm on Cambridge track. Here is deep 5meters (approx. 16 ft) similar to the one at Worlds. Suprise were that Sarah Walker is coaching me. Training unbelievable, the best I have ever had. Same for the results going from hell to heaven, can't ask much more!

We concentrate on the last straight. After every lap I see Sarah thinking about the movement I did and the move I should have done. She has her hands on front of her, like she would hold the handle bars. Then she is on the jump and does the manual and her upper body moves like she would be riding. She can't ride yet. After the olympics her shoulder got operated. She crashed in Norway Supercross race. So while she practiced for the Olympics she knew the shoulder couldn't take her fall down even once. At the same time, if she wouldn't been practicing the fullest, there wouldn't be chance to do good. She got silver in Olympic games, so I would call that good, that's winning. Right now her program includes two times a day physio. Sarah believes she will be able to jump after 6 weeks. Time for Worlds is 151 days, what would be nicer than win Worlds in home country.

Pretty much the practice is about concentrating. Sarah is working thru toughts, using lot of visualization. I realize that I have to get better with this. We also discussed about the Worlds and the first jump. That takes away my stress. It might not be the best to jump it, and most likely not to manual. "You just need to learn to manage it, there is a way", smiles Sarah. Huh huh what experiences!!! I have started to think positively about the Worlds. My class will be much harder than last year, because bunch or elite riders are coming to Challenge class. Qualification changes so some of the riders who rode elite last year don't have spot for this year.

The first real race in New Zealand. One thing kept bothering me; they didn't post the motos. You didn't know what gate you'll have or who you are going to race with until you went to gate. And we had 2 gates of riders in my 20 inch class. We were all mixed. Normally you would have 3 motos with same group. Now we had 4 motos with different riders everytime. Then semis and finals.. depending how many riders there is in the group.

I raced both classes, so that means 10 rounds total. Well, I wasn't the only one, so no extra credit for that :D With 20 inch bike we rode motos to know who gets to the finals. That was kinda easy.. Everytime I made out of the gate 1st or second so then just keep otherones behind you.. that's easy. For the finals I get to pick good gate.

Finals were a different story. I don't know what happened; I might have been to tired, or just thinking that I'm too good, maybe other ones get themselfves together. I made it out of the gate to be 2nd. In the first turn I were the last!! I would call that as a flop! I passed a few girls, but deal was done. End up to got sixth.

In cruiser class we had only one gate of riders. It means that every round counts. I think I got 2nd, 3th, 2nd, 2nd, 3th but seriously I don't know which place I end up with, no one made any comment about that. No trophys or press meetings with riders explaining why they didn't win. And price for racing 2 classes were 20 NZ dollars. In Usa you pay more for the local races. And this were one of the biggest races over here. In Usa price would have been about 140 US dollars (=165 NZ $). You didn't get a trophy but still with that price you got 2 icecreams and 2 juices for free!

It was defenately fun and I learned a lot especially about which lines to take! After race there were dirt jump jam. Firemen game to water the jumps coz it was so hot. I give my points to them!

I was thinking to put here the photo of firemen I had in instagram.. but I lost my phone, so let's forget it. If I find my phone you can find me from instagram with name: odetobmx :)

Earlier today I was thinking to write a story based on cycling happening I visited yesterday or about Paul Langlands who was showing dirt jumps in the venue. Then I remembered it's Valentine's Day and old thoughts became history.

In Finland, Valentine's day is called friends' say.. and the whole day is about friends and how important friendships are. Last year I spend my Valentine's day in California. Year before that I just came back from Jamaica to Finland and now I'm here. Sometimes I'm little bit scared that my friends (all over the world) will forget me, because I'm always somewhere else. And sometimes I can see that it has totally not happened :)

Good friends are like shoes, it's hard to run without the other one! (And also good friends understand when night comes and you just have to go to sleep.. Good night)

This is what I want to get in Finland :) Maybe we would have more these if we would have more summer. Summer, autumn or fall. I don't miss winters :) I can travel to the mountains if I need to get ride Snow-Strider.

But today I was riding a track. Practicing manuals, because we gonna have a race here on the following weekend. If you wanna survive from it you have to be able to manual. It wasn't getting anywhere and I became frustrated. LIke the most frustrated you just can be. I knew there was an other way. It's not looking too easy, but nothing impossible, right? I'm talking about jumping.

Everyone else had left a while ago, so I were there all by myself. By accident I gave a look to the dirt jumps :) Dare I? It's stupid to go to jump when there is no one else, but at the same time I will not ever make my to jump while otherones are looking.

I walk up on the jumps. I had all my gear on, so nothing that bad could happen. First time I rode down pretty slowly.. Second time I took little bit more speed.. and pushed with my legs. Wuhuu! That was so cool! I jumped!! I went again.. and again..

Telling the truth I was probably 5cm in air, anyways, I made it and it was so much fun! Even more fun that I had imagine! I want more of these to Finland!

Bummer.. while internet is working super slow I kinda forgot to update my page. Anyway last wednesday I were riding on track. First time during my NZ visit. And also signed in for racing.

First note; it's really nice be here already now. Tracks are defenately different than in USA! First riding session remind me about the problems I had last year in World Champions. Shapes on BMX tracks in USA are kinda pale compared to other places. By other places I'm meaning NZ, Europe and World Champions. Five meters starting hill gives you lots of speed for first two streights. Also jumps really needs to be jumped or manual or then you might like to brake down.

Anyway, riding was fun! And I made good in race too.. I won every start which I didn't fell down :D and with flats! :)

Next to the track was perfect dirt jumps for me. You can start from small jumps and go bigger. Most important there weren't any gap between the jump and landing!! Everything were tabletops! Today I have done 12hours fishing trip so it's time to get bed.

Good News keeps on coming! Being in NZ has been unbelievable.. And I haven't even been on track yet. Or I were once, but got flat tyre. BUT everyday Mrs. Walker has took me to mountains for a endurance ride. Today Mr. Walker had left me note which practices I'm supposed do when they are at work :) WONDERFUL!!

One day I told Sue that jumping has gave me some hard time, she just said she can make me manage it! Addition to all this; I have heard them talking together what practices I should do on following day :D

Let's not go over positive. I can tell you that I have been walking this dog everyday.. Those ones who knows how much I like dogs and cats,

Here I am.. Start in New Zealand has been enjoyable.

All started at last year World Champions. While I was doing my job as a team manager of Finland, I got to know Sue Walker the TM of NZ. I told her that I had been thinking about coming to NZ to practice BMX. She welcomed me and gave me her contact information. Also BMX WC 2013 is going to be in NZ, so puzzle was ready. At this point I didn't know that this same lady is Sarah Walker's mom.

I arrived to Auckland. Sue had arranged a transportation to the airport nearby their home. She came to pick me from there. I was little nervous to see how things are going to go. Cos actually we hadn't talk if I was going to stay at their place or some friends house..

Couple days has passed now. Mostly I have been just getting used to time difference and new environment. Everyday we, me and mama Walker, had made couple hours ride with mountain bikes. I'm sleeping in Sarah's room. Later on I might go to stay at Sue's son's place in Rotorua. That is much more close to good BMX track. Matthew rides downhill, although he has won couple time World Champions in BMX too.