Harrison Ory may present himself as a simple laid- back guy enjoying life as it comes, but outside of school he’s a tough-riding, competitive downhill bicyclist.
Artwork by Ed Gloor
In this world Harrison Ory finds himself to be a top dog, having won over 50 regional races and placing 5th and 6th in two national races. He is sponsored by Mojo Wheels, 661, Dakine, Sol Vista Bike Park, Smac Innovations, and Great Divine Brewery. He may jokingly describe himself as, “…really cool,” but with all his popularity in the biking world few would refute the truth in that statement.
Harrison’s mother Lisa, who owns a bike shop in Lakewood named Mojo Wheels, got him into biking when he was just four years old. But despite his thirteen years of experience he says he never goes into a race overconfident and always finds himself dealing with trying to overcome his anxiety. “You’ve only got your one run and you have no way to gauge yourself, like the speed your going. It’s just all in your head and it gets really stressful,” said Harrison.
Downhill bike racing is truly one race, typically only taking two to five minutes to complete. To emphasize this stress, competitors often win within hundredths of a second of another; the difference between first and fourth can be a fraction of a second. A moment of lost concentration, a breathe of undisciplined actions, an instant too long of braking and the race is blown. Understanding this brings chilling clarity to his worries.
To be the best it’s important to have the best equipment. Harrison rides a 2011 Specialized Demo 8. His Rock Shox Boxxer Fork helps him achieve an optimum ride and for all the fashionably minded out there, it’s a glossy jet black with a complementary white fork. It gives him a low center of gravity helping him carry speed and make turns, one of the most important aspects in downhill riding according, to Harrison. He believes that biking is all about geometry and handling. To have better control over the bike Harrison has a slack head angle, which has to do with the angle between the fork and the frame, going with the low center of gravity it has. To have a smooth riding race Harrison uses Specialized Butchers, giving him that extra traction that is so necessary on the loose rock and dirt tracks. His three concussions and one broken bone may not be a prime rap sheet in discussing the safety of his bike, but his wins sure reflect it’s peak performance. “When I bike I can’t be scared to crash and hurt myself. I need to constantly push and sometimes wreck to improve,” says Harrison.
While Harrison excels at riding downhill, when it comes to school he finds himself fighting an uphill battle; one that he is also determined to win. His class load includes AP Physics, AP Calculus and Technical Writing along with being involved in the Center for Communication Technology program through his Video Intern class. “One day I wish to be an engineer and make bike frames; I love designing things,” says Harrison. Maybe one day he’ll be able to calculate what his force and speed must be, based on his mass, along with the force of friction giving him the knowledge on how to achieve his best ride; but for now he wishes that more people would embrace the biking world as paying fans. “There’s only about ten people in the world who make a living off of Downhill racing,” Harrison sadly states, fueling his dreams of being an engineer instead.
Harrison loves everything that goes with biking and wishes to be a top pro, racing for the rest of his life. “I just want to ride my bike forever. I enjoy all types of bikes; it’s just the funnest thing ever to me. I like to ride motocross, cross-country, dirt jumps, BMX tracks, and just everything. Everything is just so fun to me,” Harrison joyfully declares.
Interested? Harrison’s best advice is to just get on a bike and start riding. Despite it being an individual sport there are teams out there to join and gain the skills needed to be the best. Harrison’s team is Mojo Wheels and he says that they all work together and are about helping each other out. “The more experienced, better riders will go on hills and show the less experienced guys how to do things, and whenever we travel we all go together even though we’re in different divisions.”
Harrison’s life may be steeped in downhill biking, but his overall philosophy is all about getting out there and really going for the things he’s passionate about. Harrison coolly remarks, “It’s sweet to put in a lot of hard work and improve so much then see such a drastic outcome; basically seeing all your hard work pay off.”
