“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” –H. S. Thompson
At Freehub, you could say we’re all a little weird about mountain biking; a little obsessed. You probably are too if you’re reading this book. But this season, after a good three-year start out the publishing gate, we wanted to take our passion for the sport to the next level. We wanted to unbind it from the pages of print, and bring it to life—living, breathing, riding and racing. We wanted to unleash it—we wanted to turn it pro.
So we recruited an inaugural race team of true professionals. What does that mean? Well, that they possess twisted skills on a mountain bike, yes. But more, that they’ve got a weird, unyielding passion for the feeling of shredding knobby tires and full suspension down fresh dirt. It’s a passion that rises naturally from a well deep within and keeps them coming back for more, pushing it harder and harder each time. That’s when those who have “it” become the sought-after when the going—or riding—gets, well, weird.
We chose these four, with Matt Orlando, as both team rider and manager, because they’re ripping shredders, with drive and determination to push the limits of themselves. But also because they possess the personalities and attitudes on and off a bike that we think mountain biking should be made of: We can crack a cold one with them after hard ride; we can joke with them; give ‘em shit; give them a man-hug when the time’s right. And this is the case even though their comfort zone on a bike begins where everyone elses’ ends.
It’s out there, my friends, where the weird turn pro. We’re honored to have Trevor Parson, Victor Smith, Evan Geankoplis and Matt Orlando fly our Freehub flag.
