The Summit County community is passionate about mountain biking. With the county’s expansive network of trails and local races, community members often look forward to the summer season just as much as they long for the winter.

Summit County’s passion for mountain biking is also reflected in the community’s youth. With so many sports to choose from, many youth athletes decide to dedicate themselves to the sport of mountain biking at an early age.

The love for the sport has continued to blossom at the prep level, resulting in the highest turnout the Summit Tigers mountain biking team has ever seen. After rostering close to 30 athletes last season, head coach Mickey Florio and the rest of the Summit Tigers coaching staff will be in charge of over 50 athletes this fall.

“We just started practice last night (Tuesday, Aug. 5) at the Frisco Peninsula,” team director Sam Streletsky said. “We typically have a small start to the season and this year it is super true. We just have a lot of kids who are out of town until a little closer to (when) school starts. Last year, we had about 29 kids on the team and this year we are going to have over 50.”

The extra athletes are expected to aid the team as it makes a transition from the Division 2 to the Division 1 level this fall. The jump is expected to yield deeper race fields that will test the Tigers both physically and mentally. 

Additionally, Summit will transition from the Yampa region to the Piedra region this season. The change in regions was made in large part so Summit can continue to compete at the Frisco Bay Invitational on the Frisco Peninsula at the end of August.

The competition has been a cornerstone event for the team not only for exposure, but also for Summit High School as a whole. After years of operating as a club team, the Summit Tigers mountain bike team was formally recognized by the Summit High School athletic department as a varsity-level program last fall.

“Last year was the first year Bob Bodor officially recognized our kids with varsity letters, were included with senior banners and at the prep rallies,” Streletsky said. “A lot of the things that all the athletic teams get at the school. We have just been a club until now. So with that, we just had a lot more advertising for our local race.”

Streletsky firmly believes that the support of the Summit athletic department, along with the local Colorado High School Cycling League race, has played a key role in encouraging 20 freshmen to join the team ahead of the fall competition season.

Beyond the promise of competing in front of family and friends at the first race of the season in Frisco, the change to the Piedra region allows Summit to be exposed to a different set of teams and athletes than they are used to. 

“We are going to be racing against some big contenders in the league like Durango, and the kids are excited to see how we stack up against them in the regular season races,” Streletsky said. “I would say a few of our kids are a little disappointed that they won’t get to race against their Steamboat buddies and stuff this year, but I think they are really excited to meet some other teams.”

After graduating several influential leaders from the team at the end of last season, numerous athletes have already stepped up for the team. Summit will specifically lean on Fiona Florio, Finn Brown, Noah Dippenaar and Kate Williams throughout the team’s slate of fall races. 

“The kids really see an opportunity to run for captain here in the next couple weeks and know that it is not only a really fun thing to do to support the team, but also looks really good on their college applications,”  Streletsky said. 

Although Summit only competes in four races prior to the state championships in Glenwood Springs in October, the Tigers typically begin the season ready to compete for podium finishes.

“To be honest, they come out the gates absolutely stoked,” Streletsky said. “This race at the end of the month could not get here soon enough for some of these kids who have been really training hard all summer.”

Only hosting formal practices two times a week for two hours, many athletes train on their own in an effort to improve their fitness and riding abilities. The only time where enthusiasm can wane among the team is in the final weeks of the season when Summit is often forced to train inside because of snow. 

Despite the less than ideal training conditions, Summit routinely shows up to the state competition and performs at the highest level. Coming off a seventh-place finish in Division 2 at the state competition last October, the Tigers will look to place as high as they can in the Division 1 ranks this season.

Although the races are the main focus of the fall season, Streletsky and Florio are looking forward to how the group grows and develops in the span of a few months.

“Seeing these kids grow so much in a couple years’ time is really cool,” Streletsky said. “… Seeing some of our more reserved riders come out of their shell and support our new riders is so cool and so rewarding. It really speaks to how our coaching staff creates that setting where even the quieter kids can feel comfortable.”

Summit will open its season at the Frisco Bay Invitational on the Frisco Peninsula on Sunday, Aug. 24. Competition is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. with the final race starting at 2:15 p.m.

Prior to hosting the Piedra region on Sunday, the Crystal region will take to the course on Saturday, Aug. 23. The two-day competition requires hundreds of volunteers to be successful. For those wanting to volunteer at the race, visit ColoradoMtb.org.