On The Pegs October 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 10 | Page 70

On The Pegs
P 70
On The Pegs
Vol. 3 Issue 10 - October 2018
P 71
PAT SMAGE:
DEBRIEFED
PAT SMAGE HAS BEEN AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN WHEN IT COMES
TO US MOTOTRIALS SINCE 2006 WHEN HE WON HIS FIRST TITLE. PAT
GAINED ELITE STATUS THIS YEAR WHEN HE CLAIMED HIS 10TH US MO-
TOTRIALS TITLE, TYING HIM WITH GEOFF AARON. PAT’S MINDER IS NO
STRANGER TO WINNING, EITHER. RYAN YOUNG HAS SIX TITLES TO HIS
CREDIT, AS WELL, AND WAS A BIG INFLUENCE ON PAT’S CAREER.
ON THE PEGS SAT DOWN WITH PAT AND RYAN AT THE DONNER NATIONAL
AND THE FOLLOWING IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
What are your thoughts on winning 10 titles?
It’s definitely unbelievable. When I started I looked up to Geoff Aaron and when
I met him I’m like, ‘There’s no way I’ll ever be anywhere near - he’s an idol’. It just
felt so far away to have any chance at being anywhere near him. I really didn’t
even think about reaching that number until last year I got nine. I’m like, whoa,
that’s almost ten. It really didn’t sink in until then. Now this year getting it done is
just unbelievable. Looking back, seeing all the years lined up just puts it in per-
spective. Now it does feel like it went by really fast. Had some great memories
and great times and a lot of stuff to look back on and just take from it. It’s been a
great journey.
After you won that first national, what did you think you could accomplish?
I didn’t have that goal at all, of winning 10 titles. I wanted to get as good as I
possibly could. I wanted to try world rounds and see where that would take me. I
always wanted to be one of those guys, but once I started to go over there I real-
ized it wasn’t for me. So then I focused myself on riding in the States and doing
shows as well as nationals. Just wanted to keep going as long as it was fun and
enjoyable and there was enough support and reason to keep going, I was going
to try to keep it going. So to go this far is definitely awesome, but it’s not over yet.
Still signed on for next year. Still having fun. There’s some kids coming, but hope-
fully that’ll just motivate me to keep pushing myself and hopefully continue to do
well. n