Mountain biking is gaining ground

If Ozaukee’s mountain biking team was a stock, it would be the hottest buy on Wall Street.

The off-road squad has seen 51% growth in the last year, from 64 participants to 97. The statewide league has seen a similar increase, up 400 from last year to reach 1,800 riders.

“It’s awesome,” coach Anthony James said.

He said last year the pandemic actually helped numbers. Going bike riding through the woods was deemed a safer activity than being in close contact in other sports, and since most activities were canceled, people were looking for things to do.

The team has put effort into expanding as well.

“We have signs everywhere now,” James said, adding a website was built with a focus on search engine optimization. Two fundraisers at Wayne’s Drive-In in Cedarburg also helped.

The team’s atmosphere is a little different than in other sports since no cuts are made and everyone participates.

“They all ride,” James said. “There’s no bench.”

This year, the team has riders from the Northern Ozaukee School District for the first time. Eight riders from the district are on the squad, including seventh-grader Hugh Steffen.

He already makes the four-minute bike ride to school every day and got a nice mountain bike, so Steffen thought he would give the team a try.

“It just looked fun to do,” he said. “It’s not too relaxed, but you can learn a lot and there’s a certain thrill to it.”

Riding on the trails, he said, is where the proverbial rubber meets the educational road.

“Most of it is getting experience,” he said. “You can only be taught so much.”

One of the experienced riders, Emma Kasza-James, a junior at Port Washington High School who was among the top bikers in her division two years ago, said there might be another draw to the team.

“I think people are discovering how fun it is to be out in nature,” she said.

Kasza-James is also a cross country runner but she said mountain biking is her first passion.

“I love my team here and what it has grown to become,” she said.

At races, she likes to get to know the other riders. The team usually camps out at the races since they are held so far away, and bikers form bonds with teammates and competitors.

“I love to meet new people and make connections,” she said. “In other sports, you’re constrained to your own team.”

Kasza-James also has seen her own growth as a rider.

“When I first started I wouldn’t even think about going down hills on my bike. I was just so afraid of falling,” she said.

Getting out of her comfort zone and learning how to ride different parts of courses has made her a better competitor.

Thomas Jefferson eighth-grader Harrison Ebbers has seen improvement in three years on the team.

He picked up the sport from his father and said, “It’s fun to get faster.”

He appreciates the welcoming atmosphere of the team along with the competitive side.

“When it’s time to race, it’s time to race,” he said.

The friendly factor is what Fox Point’s Erin Hong, a senior at University School of Milwaukee, likes best. She is in her fourth year on the team.

“I just love how everybody is so supportive,” she said. “I’m not the most extroverted person but everybody was really welcoming.”

Cedarburg senior Tyge Plater said he likes the freedom to push himself as hard as he wants without being forced to compete in the races.

“That’s what a lot of kids do, just come out here to have fun,” he said.

The team practiced last year but competitions weren’t held due to the pandemic. This season, the schedule is back to normal. The team competes Sunday at Minooka Park in Waukesha, its shortest commute. Races range from six to 21 miles, depending on age and gender.

Coach James said a variety of activities keep practices interesting. Games of Scrabble are held in which letters are placed throughout the course and team members get points for the words they make. Last week, one coach went over bike maintenance so team members learn to take care of their equipment.

For more information, visit www.ozmtb.org.