Jake Kinney: Over the Atlantic.
As you know I recently embarked on a trip to Spain and China. While in Spain I was going to meet up with my good friend Hector Saura from bicyclenightmares.com, he planned to take me around Barcelona and ride some legendary spots and take part in theHappy Ride contest at La Poma bike park. The first day I arrived in Barcelona we went to a local skatepark and then rode the famous sea walls. Those was have been a dream of mine to ride and it really feels like your surfing a giant wave on your bike. The next day we rode the La Poma bike park, again another spot on my bike bucket list. That bike park is amazing it has many different lines from trails to contest jumps. I have been on my bike 2 ½ weeks since my broken ankle. I knew coming into this trip I was healing and planned on taking it easy but really wanted to perform my best in the events. While at La Poma I started to ride the big line, that’s the line the contest would be on. Those jumps were really fun, as I started riding my ankle was feeling good but I was not fully confident on being able to handle some tricks or even know if I was ready to put a foot down incase I had to. The following day we went over to some trails and meet up with the locals. These trails were amazing; very my style jumps, big, steep and technical, the locals there were really nice and amazing riders. I started riding and felt great, as the session went on my ankle was getting pretty sore, so I took some breaks and enjoyed the day. The following morning I woke up and my ankle was very weak and sore, I would not be able to go back and ride La Poma that day and start working on my contest runs. I had to make what I felt was the best professional decision and I needed to cut part of my trip short. In China I was supposed to enter FISE in Chengdu China, I did not want to travel so far to come up so short and make my ankle worse. I was able to change around some flights and enjoy the rest of my time in Spain. I got to do awesome some sight seeing and still went over to the Happy Ride event to hang out and ride with everyone during practice. I was able to meet so many rad people and see some really good up and coming riders from Spain. Overall the trip was great, I am very blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity. Now that I am back Ill keep working on the strength of my ankle and come back with full force for the rest of the year. November and December will be great months.
-Jake Kinney
