We thought it was about time we had a chat with Benny Hill and find out some more about one of the most exciting riders to hit the scene of late.
Ben Hill – You know the name and you have no doubt seen him plastered across downhill247.com but no only does he have the style but also the speed, we had a chat with Ben to see what makes him tick and here is what we learnt;
Ben Hill the 16 year old from Alstom, Tasmania has burst onto the scene over the past year with the CWR Team but has been riding for four years after using it for MX cross training and realising he enjoyed it moreA�he attributes a large part of this to dad who was into bikes as a kid.
A MX background no doubt helped shape Ben’s style today.
Ben has been racing for about 3 years, his deal with Clint White’s Avid Zerode team came about under differentA�circumstances, I had a broken arm and didn’t have anything to do so I sent Clint an email.A�As it turns out Clint was thinkingA�if the right junior came up then okay, as it turns out Ben was just looking for some tent space and I couldn’t promise him too much,A�so after a few casual emails it was sorted.
A casual deal with CWR has been positive for both parties with Ben recently being selected in the long team for the World Championships’ later in the year.
We are real fans of what Clint White has done with the team over the past few years, what is the atmosphere like amongst the team chilled and fun. Talking about race atmosphere though any crazy race rituals? Not really I did get a pair of gloves off Troy Brosnan a little while back and I keep them in my bag at every race, that is about it. Steep, rough tracks with jumps and cornersA�are the best kind of race track. If I was describing my style it would be loose but I don’t try to be it just happens!
Steep tracks with lots of corners and big jumps are Ben’s favourite. Sometimes that loose style goes to the extreme!
Ben’s home state of Tasmania has plenty of this type of riding, Glenorchy is the favourite, the riding scene has a good vibe, there are not heaps of riders but it is the most fun place to ride.
Ben’s favourite track also happens to be in his home state at Glenorchy.
Ben has just been selected for the long team for theA�World Championships’, so he will be off to the team campA�before finding out whether he will be representing Australia in South Africa. Some of his favourite results have been in the Victorian Downhill Series at Mount Taylor andA�Maldon. His whips are some of the best out there and we had to ask Clint the hard question, what is Ben like on wheels? He is pretty tough on wheels, his whips make him go through themA�quicker than most.
If you see Ben out and about, buy him a flavoured milk but make sure it is lime!
Ben would like to thank; Clint White, Zerode and especially his dad!
Danielle Beecroft coming through the rocks, despite being the sole competitor in her class she was still charging hard.
We had so many images from the weekend we just had to share them so here is part 2 of our Oceania’s coverage from Glenorchy, Tasmania.
Starting off witha video… Here we have Ben Power getting sent wild over the jumps near the bottom of the course, this is not for the faint hearted! (Ben’s okay though!)
Now you might think this is David McMillan because we all know David does whips but this is actually his team mate, Jackson Davis, getting his style on!Simon Palmer dropping in!Josh McDonald out in the open near the botom of the course.Joey Vejvoda finished 7th.Tom Matthews rounded out the top 10 in Elite Men.The colours in this shot are crazy but that’s because of the white powdery dirt that lines much of the track. Of course Troy Brosnan’s style doesnt hurt either!David McMillan again! This time his wheels are on the ground though.Joel Willis heading through the final lower section before coming out into the open.Jackson Davis rounded out the top 10 in 10th!With that we are done with Oceanias.
Oceania’s was the last big race of the 2012/13 Australian domestic season but that wasn’t stopping the whips from flowing!
The Final chapter of the 2012/13 Australian National Series was Oceaniaa��s, a standalone event but an important one for many riders trying to chalk up a big result. So off we headed to one of Australiaa��s most southerly points. This year the Oceaniaa��s were held in Glenorchy Tasmania, just a short drive from Hobart but one of Australiaa��s best downhill tracks.
The long weekend meant that many people got a full day’s practice in on Friday.
Friday practice brought with it some awesome looking weather, from inside a car at least but when you stepped out you realised it was super cold, and very windy in some of the open sections of track. This wind caught many riders off guard through the lower jump section. The most notable off was Ben Power, not suffering any weekend ruining injuries, but a spectacular off all the same!
There were some wild times due to the wind at the bottom of the track but else where on the track riders were still battling as Luke Ellison shows us!
Riders continued to roll through the course and it began to get very dusty, ruts formed and some sections became super loose, many having rocks torn out of the ground due to the solid braking. By the end of Friday the track was beginning to change, this meant Saturdaya��s practice was almost like starting over again.
Whooooo-weeee! David McMillan cracking that whip!Ben Hill adds his style further up the course.But it wasn’t just those two throwing down the style…
Saturday practice saw riders pushing that little bit too hard, which resulted in a lot more riders appearing into the open jump section at the bottom a little worse for wear. Many were covered in dust from little offs and mistakes through some of the looser sections back up the track. Due to the rather small turn out and the completely relaxed attitude of the event, many riders were having plenty of fun on the bottom set of jumps! Two riders of note to turn up the style were David McMillan and Ben Hill who were throwing sizable whips all day.
The powdery conditions in some places meant you either hit your line or were back pedalling fast as Claire Buchar demonstrates!Troy Brosnan found a rock that took a disliking to his rear tube and stole all its air!
As seeding came around the track had grown some teeth and rocks had started appearing in some of the high speed sections, Troy Brosnan found out the hard way flatting in his seeding run. This sent him to the bottom of the pack, meaning he would have to do a run early Sunday, would this potentially be an advantage due to the ever changing track conditions? Troy wasn’t focused on that, he was clearly disappointed in flatting but looked forward to his race run Sunday. At the end of Saturdaya��s seeding Kovarik Racing had stolen the show, with top qualifying honours going to both Chris and Claire.
Chris Kovarik took the number one position after seeding on Saturday…As did Claire Buchar by making it down the track unfortunately being the sole Elite female entrant…
Sunday brought some excellent racing, even with the very minimal field. Danielle Beecroft claimed the win for Under 19 females, disappointingly being the only female rider in her age group and only one of two females racing downhill the entire weekend.
Under 19 Female champ, Danielle Beecroft, you have to commend her effort despite being the sole entrant, this course tends to do that.We are keen to see how Danielle goes overseas later this year.
Thomas Crimmins also had an early start due to a fall in his seeding run, this didn’t faze him though as he crossed the line to take honours in the Under 19s mena��s class, could this be a prelude to a potential advantage for Troy Brosnan?
Thomas Crimmins comes in hot!But rode it out no worries and took the win in Under 19’s.Luke Ellison negotiates a tricky rock garden and brought it home in second place.
Claire Buchar claimed the win in the Elite females, again being the only female in her class. Ironically though, she was not actually able to claim the Oceania title as she is not from the Oceania region.
Claire Buchar has been having a good Australian domestic season but again was the only competitor in the Elite Female class!Due to her citizenship she was unable to claim the Oceania’s title though!
As the Elite men started rolling down the hill we Saw Troy Brosnan come through early and set a blistering pace topping Chris Kovarika��s qualifying time from the day before. Troy assumed the hot seat all the way through to the top 5 riders.
A flat saw Troy Brosnan head off early in the day for his final run, with a strong run he was sure of spending some time in the hot seat!Another strong race for Jack Moir, third in the end, he must be hungry for a win though?!
As the top 5 began descending the times became increasingly tight, Jack Moir came through less than half a second behind Troy. It was now essentially Troy vs. Chris, Chris is renowned for taking enormous chunks of time out race tracks the world over. Could he do it in this circumstance? He would have to top his qualifying time by a sizable margin to claim the win. As Chris appeared over the first jump in the open section he appeared to have the clock under control. He pedalled hard over the line to stop the clocks 3 seconds in the green and claim the win at Oceaniaa��s.
A strong seeding result set Chris up for the win, he dealt with the deteriorating conditions perfectly.Chris cranks across the line to take the title!The top 5 were; Chris Kovarik, Troy Brosnan, Jack Moir, Kaine Cannan & David McMillan.
For many of Australiaa��s top racers this was the final race in their Australian Campaign, we here at Downhill247.com would like to wish all of them the best of luck at the upcoming Sea Otter and for the rest of their International Seasons!
We have a bumper set of photos from this race so watch out for part 2 up soon!
Round 5 of the Victorian Downhill Series saw everyone head up to Mount Baw Baw, after a break that seemed like an eternity. Conditions were near to perfect, especially considering there was an enormous storm that ripped through the Baw Baw area, threatening to close the tourist road with debris. Many arrived early on the Friday evening to celebrate the 21 birthday of Eamonn Flahavin, who tragically passed away in a car crash last year.
It has been a little while between VicDH races and everyone was keen to get back into it!
When the track opened Saturday there were many more riders than usual for a Saturday practice, many came up early for the party and more wanted to ride in memory of their friend. As riders came through doing runs the early reports were the track may very well be the quickest it had been in a very long time, it had drained off well and was extremely sticky.
Epic! Good conditions just made the event that much betterThe track itself is pretty awesome regardless of the conditions.
The competition was going to be rather tight for this race with a few big names staying south due to Oceaniaa��s next weekend. The biggest name to note was Troy Brosnan, The Team Specialized rider opting to stay in Melbourne over the week and head south after Baw Baw. As Saturday began to roll through people began to realise just who was racing so more and more spectators began to gather, all wanting to watch some of the worlda��s best practice through the rougher top sections.
He pulls a crowd does old Troy Brosnan, we can’t call him old though can we…!It is always good to see a keen, enthusiastic and vocal crowd!
By the end of Saturday we were all surprised at just how well the track was holding up, though there were plenty of braking bumps forming on the high speed track the general track condition was far better than expected with no real ruts forming and the moisture seemed to be holding the track together over helping it fall apart. This was going to make Sundays racing very interesting!
Surprises all round as the track was turning into a beauty of a race track.Joey Vejvoda and Jack Moir throw down a practice run.
Sunday morning came around as the wind kicked up, knocking over the Gippsland MTB timing tent at the bottom of the track and bringing with it some extremely cold temperatures. With the clouds moving at a high speed, some threatening clouds came and went without crashing the party but the potential for rain, though not forecast, seemed high.
As usual the weather was high on the list in everyone’s minds.
Qualifying began with one mentionable name absent, Troy Brosnan had picked a virus and wasn’t feeling up to racing at all. Though there was disappointment Troy was ill and unable to ride there was also a spark amongst riders as it seemed like the win was anyonea��s again. With qualifying over there was a small lunch break and racing began.
It was unfortunate to see Troy out of action on the weekend but these things happen.
As riders began coming through the track it appeared the track had become much quicker, but some ruts had begun to form, catching some riders off guard. The most notable rider to take a tumble through the ‘Jeep Track’ section was Jackson Davis, the Specialized Swell rider who wins our vote as the off of the weekend. As you can see below, the faces tell the whole story.
The facial expressions in the background pretty much sum it up!And in full size…Jackson wasn’t the only one who got a bit wild!The degree of rider/bike wildness varied though!Those that got it right though were really motoring!
The Elite men starting coming down track and someone shifted the whole race up a gear with the speed going through the roof, the looseness was off the charts! With many riders appearing to just be passengers on the bike through the rough stuff. The times began to tumble and before we knew it only the top 10 were left in the start gate. Rhys Atkinson appears through the crowd and cruises through the rocks with almost effortless speed but loses traction around the following corner and has a minor off continuing Rhys’s run of bad luck racing this year. The next rider down is Liam Panozzo, who also gets extremely loose but holds on and bring it back to set a quick time which sets him up in provisional first. With Dean Lucas and Jack Moir to come, could anyone top Liama��s time? As Dean crosses the finish he clocks a time slower than Liam, this leaves it up to Jack Moir, looking quick all weekend did he have what it takes to top Liama��s time? Jack flew past us on track and as we heard the time over the speaker, Jack had topped Liama��s time and claimed the win at Mount Baw Baw continuing his extremely promising results previous to his time overseas.
Tegan Molloy mirrored her number plate by finishing 2nd on the day.Winner! Jack Moir’s domestic campaign is tracking well in preparation for his overseas competition later this year.The crowd gathered in the usual spot and got behind the riders no matter what they were doing, here Jack Moir gets some encouragement.
JustA�prior to the Elite Men’s presentation there was a special presentation of the ‘E-Man Memorial Trophy’, which also included a ‘scholarship’. Awarded each year to a deserving rider this is designed to help them out with expenses such as travel, accommodation, and racing costs. This year the trophy was awarded to a very deserving rider and also a friend of Eamonn; Dru Berryman. Dru was overcome and unable to speak, but we feel that this award couldn’t go to a more deserving rider, so congratulations Dru.
There was some very emotional moments during presentations but for a valid reason.
Sunday saw racing finish with the following results:
Elite Men:
1st Jack Moir
2nd Liam Panozzo
3rd Dean Lucas
4th Joey Vejvoda
5th Alex Swann
Elite Women
1st Sarah Booth
2nd Tegan Malloy
3rd Alyssa Lyons
4th Ellie Wale
5th Liching Li
Under 19 Men
1st Olly Zwar
2nd Aiden Varley
3rd Luke Norris
4th Austen Hawkins
5th William Stajnko
Another good race and VicDH just shows why it is the premier downhill series in Australia, oh and did anyone say champagne showers?
We are off to the Apple Isle next for Oceania’s amongst other articles you will see on the site!
Epic! Dust, light and track all combined for some banger shots!
Welcome to the final round of the Australian National Downhill Series! Nestled in the alpine country of Victoria there were hints this track would supply the goods. As competitors began showing up and walking the initial part of the track, from the bottom upwards, excitement grew and even grown men began to giggle with jitters of excitement as the track unfolded before their eyes.
There was no hiding it Hill was who everyone was watching but a strong field meant it was up in the air.
First practice opened and every rider was emerging over the finish line wide eyed and large mouthed. The track was certainly delivering everything that everyone was hoping for. While chatting with Sam Hill he described the track as ‘a mini Val Di Sole’ which we agreed with completely. So, what did that mean? We’re pretty sure it meant you better watch out, because we all know just how well Sam Hill and Val Di Sole go together. As the practice began flowing the track started to wear in, lines began to form, ruts were dug and the dust gathered. Come Friday evening there was so much chatter about the pits of just how fun the track was that no one was actually concentrating on just how to find a fast line yet.
Henry Blake didn’t quite have the weekend he was hoping for with a crash but he wasn’t the only one with plenty of riders over the weekend chasing five cent pieces!Jared Rando, the family man, may have retired from international competition but he still knows how to handle a bike!Another rider who didn’t have an ideal race run was Chris Kovarik but he still tore up the hill.
As the sun rose on Saturday and crowds gathered around the pits the first shuttles went up, the dust was un-settled and the racing began. Riders began picking lines, Sam was finding lines no one else could and everyone else had the joy of watching world class riders perform on a proper downhill track. As qualifying rolled around the clouds began to gather and the rain began to fall, would this affect qualifying? Would the dust become mud and turn this place into Sam Hills playground? The rain grew heavier, but the thick pine forest held back the moisture and after only a hand full of riders the dust kicked up yet again and the track seemed almost untouched by the heavy showers. Sam Hill appeared first as he held the no.1 plate, as he went past you could see that another gear had been engaged, could anyone catch Sam? Jack and Connor went past and the dust began to hang in the air, making it difficult to see much at all, would having an early qualifying run become an advantage due to visibility? Only time would tell. Troy having the number 32 came through much later in the field but looked just as quick with the visibility not seeming too much of an issue at all. As the final qualifier crossed the line it was pretty apparent that Sam Hill was in fact the man to catch on this track, Sam walked away Saturday with a commanding 9 second advantage over his closest rival; Jack Moir.
Another super strong race weekend for Jack Moir who keeps improving, we are excited to see what he can do as he heads overseas later this year.Was Jase standing with one foot lower than the other or was the track really that steep?! David McMillan had it covered ether way!
Race day arrived with a brisk and damp morning, but again after only a couple of riders the track was back at its dusty best. The track opened for practice and many did only one run to check the track for any new ruts that had been formed through the days earlier racing. As racing began riders began to tumble, bikes began to suffer and the course showed its teeth. Many riders were suffering mechanicals and coming off. It seemed if you could keep both wheels on the ground and stay upright there was a good chance you could walk away with the win. As the top ten began to traverse down the hill times began to tumble, as Troy passed the finish line he took the provisional hot seat with only Jack Moir and Sam Hill to come. Jack appeared around the corner and pedalled hard but couldn’t quite make up the time, this left only Sam Hill to come, the former team mates were in for a battle, would Sam keep it on the vertical and come down with a winning time? Sam appears around the corner pedalling hard, eyes flash from the clock to the track as we watch Sam manual over the line for the win by 1.10s.
Dean Lucas took the win in Under 19’s and was pretty excited to boot!Crouched and low, Kovarik looking good!It was good to see Troy Brosnan back and racing at Bright, in the end he was duelling with his former team mate for the victory, impressive for a comeback race!Finishing off the season as he started it, Sam Hill took the win.Both Sam and Claire took the race and the overall series, Claire with a big piece of foam attached to her hand to help reduce the vibrations to her injured hand.
This left Sam with a National Series white wash, claiming the fastest times at each round, not only for the finals, but also for qualifying and giving him a solid overall, a warning sign to competitors in the upcoming World Cup? There can only be one winner on the day, but as everyone walks away from the track there really are only smiles, this track had delivered some excellent racing and was a favorite track for many this National Series.
Ben Hill had an awesome Tassie series, plus he is a style merchant! We will be doing a full Inside Info with him soon, watch out now! Image: Andrew Palmer
This weekend Glenorchy mountain bike park hosted the 6th and final round of the Tasmanian 2012/2013 gravity series. All the riders were keen to do as well as possible to gain maximum points in an effort to improve their overall result for the series. When Sunday morning rolled around a heavy fog and rain blanketed most of the city leaving riders nervous the race would turn into a mud bath. Surprisingly though, the rain didna��t make its way to Glenorchy and the track stayed relatively dry for the entire day.
Glenorchy is one of the best downhill race tracks in Australia and with Oceanias just around the corner this was a lead up event for many of the locals! Image: Andrew PalmerThere are still plenty of interesting lines being used, as Kaine Cannan shows us… Image: Andrew Palmer
Riders punched out heaps of practice runs in the morning in an effort to familiarise themselves with the course and their lines once again. Seeding runs went well for all with everyone making their way down the course safely. Riders also treated the event as a practice for the Oceania Championships, which are being held at Glenorchy from the 29th of March. As usual downhill247.com will be covering the event so be sure to check back then.
The final round wrapped up with Dan Booker taking the win in Under 17a��s, with Connor Greatbatch and Ewan Favretto following behind. Ben Hill and Brent Capel tied for first place in Under 19a��s! Simon Palmer finished in second with Ben Chopping in third. Kaine Cannan took his 6th consecutive win for the series showing his dominance over the Elite field. Remy Adderton took second place on his brand new bike, riding it for the second time that day. Aaron Oates took third place in elite. The Women’s category was again won by Christina Sergeant with Jill Brady in second place.
Dan Booker took the win in Under 17’s and gives us the thumbs up for another successful season! Image: Andrew PalmerEwan Favretto took out third place in Under 17’s. Image: Andrew PalmerBrent Capel and Ben Hill tied for the win on the day! Ties happen every now and then for downhill but we can’t think of too many that have happened for first place! Image: Andrew PalmerSimon Palmer sends the tabletop near the bottom the course and takes out second place in Under 19’s in the process. Image: Andrew PalmerAaron Oates took the more conventional line near the bottom of the course and third place in Elite in the process. Image: Andrew Palmer
The overall series podiums were also held. Under 17a��s was won by Dan Booker with Tyler Wickham and Ewan Favretto following him. Under 19a��s was taken out by Ben Hill with Brent Capel and Simon Palmer trailing him. Elite Mena��s was again won by Kaine Cannan, Aaron Oates in second and Andrew Weatherhead in third.
You have to hand it to Kaine Cannan, 6 from 6 is a super effort! Image: Andrew Palmer
The organisers would like to thank the sponsors; Ride Bellerive, Hill St Gourmet Meats, St Johns, Moo Brew and Track X as well as all the event organizers for another fantastic Tasmanian downhill series. We head back to the Apple Isle soon for Oceanias, stay tuned!
