Name – Samuel Krajnik
Profession – Roof tiler soon to be pro rider in XC
Uphill or Downhill? Both! must have disciplines in each to be the best
When did you start riding mountain bikes? I started riding mountain bikes 1 year and 6 months ago and have seriously come very far from just a casual roadie rider. Its all in the moment and the thrill of the ride.
Who/what inspired you to begin riding? My friend Geoff sent me a few clips one day and next day I purchased a Giant Talon (destroyed it in 6 months).
Most epic day on a bike? My most epic day would have to be Bright – Mystic Mountain. The second mtb I owned was a downhill! All I could do was just go for broke and let loose. On every jump I just got higher. The trails had me hooked, all in my first 6 months of riding. I was doing in months what takes most people years. The thrill of being in the air and seeing how hardcore one can go is the first moment a person knows who they are and where they were meant to be in life. Riding is more than just a love; it is my passion and is in me physically to a point I look at any mountain and I see where we are meant to be.
But the best day of my life to the point of super epic was meeting a man named Ian de Kam, a fellow member of the Castlemaine Rocky Riders (rider profile September 2019). He took me for a spin out there as I just decided to ask him to show me around and ever since I’ve been riding the Castlemaine trails!! I fell in love with how hard you can push your self mentally and physically. I was doing things I thought I couldn’t and dropping the gnarliest loose trails so fast and swiftly on my BH Lynx bike. Wow what a day that was!!
I’m currently riding…a BH Lynx 2014/ Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt 10/ Giant XTC Advanced 2018/ and GT Avalanche Expert.
Favourite trails (other than Castlemaine) – Favourite would have to be one in Harcourt – Track 8 – risky, gnarly, insanely loose and still scares me every time I drop in! A few more as well but too many to mention.
If I wasn’t mountain biking I’d be… a very sad man! I’m glad I am; I wouldn’t be in a good place, maybe not even here alive today, honestly.
One day I’ll ride… BC bike race and trails in Canada – Squamish etc.
When I head out for a ride I never leave without… food! water! pump ! tube! multitool
My race highlight? Harcourt and Castlemaine! XC 3rd place!!!!!!!!!! And 3rd place overall! Wow; never thought i could be such a beast.