Privateer Perspective

Work hard, play harder – that’s the life of the privateer. The degree of what constitutes being a privateer varies, from the desk-jockey speed demon, to the co-factory student. There is a range, but at the end of the day, none of these athletes are winning their bread with their skills…yet. The work/life balance is a struggle for the average person, right? Now, imagine piling on training in the gym, riding a bike, planning trips, writing sponsorship proposals, and all sorts of other nuanced minutia on top of grinding away a 9-5 job, a part-time side hustle, or even putting it all on a credit card while studying at school. That is brutal commitment and drive, putting the millennial “adulting” to shame and proving that grit counts when odds are stacked. 

During the first national round, the Windrock Pro GRT, we hung out with many of these intrepid riders who are on the cusp of the big show - the “privateer pros.” These fiesty competitors are working and/or studying while try to make racing at the elite and UCI-sanctioned level happen. Many have some level of support, whether it’s familial, a shop/distributor/co-factory/grassroots hookup, or some other form of benevolent benefactor. The costs of trying to leap into the top tier of the sport are intensely prohibitive, meaning that going it alone is nearly impossible.

We wanted to learn what it took for these riders to go from being self-supported local pros who climbed onto the national level, and have now reached a point where it’s within reach – and what they believe it will take to grasp it. Does it really come down to access to equipment? Is it the taboo conversation around financial support? Or is it about training hard, aligning yourself with a good mentor/coach? There are near-endless factors in the equation, and it’s certainly different from rider to rider.

Another side of the story is Neko Mulally, Sean Leader, and the supporting crew aim to produce a race that is of World Cup-caliber, but on a regional/semi-local scale. Their intent is to give North American riders a chance to stack themselves against the factory elite from the US, Canada and across the pond, as it's getting harder and harder to make it into the highest teir of the sport with the new points restrictions and the general cost of travel. With Windrock being a Cat 1 UCI event, it runs almost identically to how a World Cup is run, so it also helps riders learn the pace of compentition and procedure throughout the week. It's a unique event and a special one for what it represents in its efforts to grow the DH scene domestically.

The Privateer Pros are the underdogs, so get to know them, show them some support, and know that they represent what is possible with determination and savvy.

[Rachel Audio]

[Sam Audio]

[Wiley Audio]

[Austin Audio]

[Dylan Audio]

[Isaac Audio]

[Warren Audio]

[Tanner Audio]

[Kirk Audio]

[Steve Audio]

[Ben Audio]

[Frida Audio]

[Forrest Audio]

[Max Audio]