Vicki helps check sections by punching the rider ' s score at the finish gate .
HOW DID YOU FIND YOURSELVES HOSTING THE YOUTH PROGRAM ?
TOM : We used to do the youth [ events ] for our own local clubs , and I knew that Mr . Bill ' s health was not so good . It was an opportunity for [ Vicki and I ] to gently move in when he wasn ' t feeling well , and he was willing to let us take the reins .
2015 was our first year ; we had one rider at Florida , and we recruited him . He was a little Strider kid named Sully . At the time , Sully and his family lived in Florida , but eventually moved to Colorado . By the time the weekend was over , his dad bought him a little OSET from us before he left . From there , we went to Tennessee and ran into the Glueck family ; all the kids were riding with us at that time : Max , Kylie , and Hailey . The members began to grow after that first year .
WHAT GOT YOU STARTED IN YOUTH TRIALS ?
TOM : I ' ve been riding trials since 1972 ; I started selling bikes in 1984 and have sold everything except GasGas . Eventually I just lost my drive and my interest , and my body didn ' t work quite as well anymore for competition .
What really got me started was my grandkids . Manufacturers didn ' t have any bikes for the small kids to ride back then , so we got involved with the OSET bikes . I started selling them along with the other trials bikes that I sell , and got the grandkids involved in it . Then they wanted to come ride the events , and then more kids became interested , and it just kept growing after that . The OSET is what made it possible for us - being a dealer , having the bikes , and watching the growth of
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 64