Our very own Chris Best started 2024 as the new Utah League Director taking over from Dallen Atack. You can read his bio below – congratulations Chris, we are so excited for your new career!
CHRIS BEST – LEAGUE DIRECTOR
Chris started mountain biking back in grade school when the only option you had was to build your own “klunker,” as the mountain bike had yet to be invented. Push uphill, bomb downhill, crash. Repeat. Those early experiences led to a lifetime of messing around with bikes. You name it – if it has two wheels and pedals, Chris has probably built, raced, and crashed it more times than he can remember. Most of his faster years were spent racing track (velodromes) as a sprint and kilo specialist. Raced up and down the west coast, doing pretty good on the national level. But Chris never lost his love for riding dirt.
Fast forward to 2015, Chris has two daughters and heard of this NICA thing. He and his daughters check out a pre-ride at Soldier Hollow, and his jaw drops. Chris was expecting 20-30 kids (a big race when he was a junior) but not this. 100’s of kids riding, and he knew right then he and his daughters found their people. Very soon it became a family affair with both daughters racing, and his wife Lucy coaching as well. A few years later, Chris got tagged to run the Park City High School team, and that was that. He found where he needed and wanted to be. Been head coach, chief mechanic, bottle washer and counselor for the most amazing group of people he has had the good fortune to know for 5 years now. While for most people 2020 is a year best forgotten, Chris feels much differently. The challenges of COVID-19 presented us with the necessity to see and do things differently. Our perspective as individuals and a team changed to best face the challenge, we grew and learned, and as a result we had our most rewarding season ever. Chris did not expect this but will always remember this lesson. Prior to taking this position, Chris was a designer for Black Diamond Equipment for 18 years, making all sorts of fun stuff for mountain adventures. Recreation is typical for Chris. Bikes on dirt, skis on snow. And little skijouring with the dogs to keep things interesting.
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