Rooted MTB: The Re-Introduction | Season 7 Prelude 1

Rooted MTB established themselves in 2018 as the U.S premier privateer team that would go on to exclusively finish in the top 30 over 20 times consecutively. Even though some of the results have been lacking, there has never been a trip that wasn't filled to the brim with idiotic jokes, the same 5 meals, and giggles that never end.  

Austin Hackett-Klaube, Harrison Ory, and Wiley Kaupas were the core three with filmer visionary, who didn’t write this, Kasen Schamaun at the helm of the camera. A sweet man named Armen Davis was in the inaugural season of Rooted in 2018 but stepped back due to business and to focus on sending the best memes in the group chat.

Originally the group's aim was to showcase what goes into being a high level privateer on the cusp of greatness while staying away from the “grind” style race content we have all come to know. Austin, Harry, and Wiley took on the world; racing World Cups in Europe, enduring Enduro's in Mexico, clubbing in Canada, and duking it out at the North American MTB Capital, Winter Park, for three years in a row for a national championship. Race results were never the goal of the team, but they were hoping for a couple more results at the pointy end. For some weird reason, when the crew started filming their races, the results disappeared. Nevertheless, Rooted's most important mantra was to have fun and that’s what they did.

Race weekends, at their core, are vacations with your friends for 95% of people at the race. Most riders in the shuttle line are going to come out negative on the weekend and probably grin and sign up again.  So the boys kept racing, and laughing, often finishing mid-pack; then riding, racing, and laughing some more.  

Over the years, reality snuck its little head in and the 20-something year old racers' focus diverted from their racecraft to silly trivial things like their careers and avoiding starvation and back pain. 

Through these years of metamorphosis, Rooted signed its big talent. The Jackson Goldstone of Summit County, the silky salamander himself, Bodie “The Bodes” Heflin.  Bodie, a previous affiliate of Austin Hackett-Klaube, was brought on and his serious dedicated approach to racing mixed with his kind and gentle manners, and a sneaky insane sense of humor made him the perfect fit. 

Now the team is traveling through space and time with Wiley Kaupas stepping back to pursue other endeavors while keeping biking as a form of expression rather than validation. Austin and Harrison's racing has taken a backseat as their passion for the sport continues to grow. Like all true vets, they're slower than they ever were, but have the nicest equipment you can imagine. They plan on helping Bodie as a young man navigate his race career. Bodie Heflin is currently in “Project World Cup” and we are all watching him "Bodie Build" to get it done. It is always bulking season. 

Don’t get it twisted though, Rooted MTB is a legit race team steeped in prestige and tradition. Satellite affiliates, not legally binding, include all the MTB homies: Dak Norton, Aaron Gwin, Nik Nesteroff, Christopher Grice. These are just some of the names that would probably acknowledge that they have had a conversation with someone from Rooted.

So, we have been around as Rooted MTB for 7 years, but figured we would reintroduce ourselves. Rooted heads into the season ready to see Bodie chip away the Everest of a World Cup qualification. Austin and Harrison will show up to races and offer key race experience and driven insight to Bodie as they work to get over the line safely. They have work on Monday. We will see all this and more. Tune in and smash that subscribe button.