Written by:
Cyndi Schnorenberg
Editors Note: This is the third in a seven part series by the SPEED Girls as they attended the Cornerspin School for a weekend of riding instruction. Cyndi works in the Marketing Department at SPEED.
Cyndi
As I watch the water drops fall from the sprinkler, I slowly see the dirt turn into mud and raw fear consumes my thoughts. I start to worry that everything Aaron and the other instructors have taught me all weekend is going to fly out of my head faster than the dirt on the track turning to slippery mud.
Jumping hard on the kick-start of my Honda XR 100, the engine starts to rumble as I toe the engine into first and slowly let out the clutch to start my first lap on the newly wet and slippery track. The recording from Aaron starts playing in my head…”Screwdriver hands…. Elbows up…the thrusting of the hips telling me to sit over the engine and closer to the tank,” up shifting to second and starting to fish tail, my heart is pounding. Until today, my motorcycle riding experiences have only seen me on dry pavement. Gaining speed down the straightaway and setting up for the first turn, I feel the water drops from the sprinkler hit my face. Realization of how muddy and slippery the track really is sets in as the ass end of my bike starts to slide out closer to my left hand. Somehow, I find myself standing on the pegs, letting the dirt bike move back and forth under me like a beautiful choreographed dance.
Cyndi had previous riding experience, but learned a few things at the Cornerspin School. (Photo: SPEED)
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Smiling from ear to ear now knowing that the first lap is under my belt, I start to gain speed and then more speed, as the laps on the wet track are tallied up. It’s a mental challenge to read the track as it changes from wet to dry, but somehow it becomes easier as each lap is checked off. Then, our instructors Dillon and Russell realize we have picked up the pace and are emerging from our scared shells. Their fingers start drawing a small perfect circle in the air, which can only mean one thing…we now have to ride the same loop in the opposite direction.
As we ride lap after lap, the track once again becomes dry and hydration is needed again, but this time for our bodies. Up the big rock hill we go, merging once again with the larger group. As my girlfriends’ faces come into view through my goggles, the look of satisfaction and confidence on their faces is a mirror of how I feel. We share stories of the track, our accomplishments and bruises, over the best tasting Gatorade, and laugh as hard as you can imagine.
Thinking back to a measly 24 hours earlier, the coworkers that came with me didn’t know the difference between the locations of the brake and the clutch. Now, looking across the group, they are not only laughing and enjoying the weekend, but they were also shifting, riding one handed, and making beautiful U-Turns on a dirt track. Aaron sat with us as we talked about our individual accomplishments, and through that time we were able to learn that no matter how long you ride, there is always something more to learn.
Now, about to climb on my personal motorcycle, a Ducati Monster, to take an afternoon ride, I am more confident as I approach a small patch of gravel or a puddle. Knowing how it feels when the back tire is frantically moving back and forth to gain traction, the fear that was once there is buried a little deeper, and the confidence of my riding skills and ability has exponentially risen.
Click the Thumb Below to read each girl's story from cornerspin
Stay tuned for the next entry soon...
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