For two days, the weekend warriors joined the Downhill legend in Epic Bikepark Leogang to shred the trails and to work on their skills. Besides skill- and technique sessions, the camp also offered an insight into how someone like Gwin, a five-time Overall World Cup Champion, prepares and trains for a World Cup season. Another important point of the camp was the Track Walk: finding lines, planning your run and turning your thoughts into reality when it counts the most. Video analysis sessions offered riders a chance to sit down one-on-one with Gwin to talk about their technique and what they can change to ride better, safer and faster.
To get an inside look at how the participants did, how the camp was and the lessons that were learnt.
We caught up with Elias Martin, Lukas Pachner and Michal Cermak to see what they thought about the Gwin camp.
How was the Gwin Camp for you?
Elias Martin: “It was extremely interesting and valuable for me, especially the Track Walk segment. It was cool to see how Aaron Gwin walks a track and picks his lines, especially when compared to someone like me. That was definitely impressive.”
Michal Cermak: “Aaron was pretty awesome. He showed us new lines and made us better bikers. I also liked the chilled-out atmosphere. So, it was perfect.”
Lukas Pachner: “In one word: awesome! I wasn’t sure what to expect, and what I experienced surpassed all expectations. To ride with someone like Aaron Gwin was incredible. I am super stoked that I could have been a part of it.”
What did you learn during the camp that helped you as a rider?
Elias: “I made a lot of progress during the camp, the most visible of which is line choice. I learnt a lot of lessons during that segment - how to find the right line, how to ride berms faster and how do I come out of a corner fast are all important for me to know.”
Michal: “Aaron opened our minds. He showed us lines of which I thought they weren’t possible before the camp and told us the advantages of those. When I tried them myself, it opened a completely new world to me.”
How was Aaron as a coach?
Michal: “Aaron was incredible. He explained a lot and answered every question.”
Lukas: „He was extremely open, took the time to talk to everyone and was also very relaxed. From what I saw, to ride with us and to show us how to properly ride was also fun for him.”
What impressed you the most over the last few days?
Elias: „The way that Aaron rockets down a track impressed me incredibly. The speed and the skill - that was amazing to see.”
Michal: “To meet Aaron personally and to see how fast he can ride and to realize what is possible on the bike. It was also really nice to meet the others and have a chat about a shared passion.”
What did you like most about the camp?
Elias: „The togetherness experienced with the other camp participants. We were more or less on the same level and pushed each other to reach new limits.”
Lukas: “The nature around Leogang and the bike park are just insane. I’m here more often because I like the area. The food, the Riederalm hotel, that was great. The organization was on point.”
How would you summarize the camp?
Elias: „I definitely learnt a lot of new things. The group was awesome, and Aaron was great. I would definitely participate again.”
Michal: “It was really nice and very helpful. Now I know what to work on and I was able to find new stuff how to push myself forwards. So hopefully it will help me for my future races.”
Lukas: „I really hope this camp will happen again next year and that I can be a part of it again.”
