Aaron Chase/Cannondale Press Tour

Day #9 11/14/03

Aaron
We woke up real early to meet up with Mike Shaw. (the dude that built and made the red bull down under event happen) Mikes a good guy and very easy to work with, so when the dump trucks started to come Mike and I had the same idea. Make some fun but big jumps. Shaping them would come tomorrow, so we went to Manley beach and rented body boards to shred the gnarly waves (right Lars) it was a good time. The waves were pounding and the current was pretty strong. After riding for a bit in Sydney we went out for a Manley style steak dinner with Aiden (from Cannondale) and some of his “mates”. The portion size were very large and coming from Japan the portion size there forces Don and I to order two meals each.

Don
Another night without much sleep. We got up `early to help with the dirt jumps. This jump jam is going to be sick! Mike knows how to through down for an event. The beach across from our hotel is awesome. Aaron and I got body boards and hit the waves for the couple of hours we had before we hit the streets of Sydney. Let me clear one thing up that AC just mentioned. The name of the town that we are staying is called Manley. I didn’t want you to think that we went to a beach in an alternative lifestyle area. “Not that there is anything wrong with that”.

The street session in Sydney was rad. Aaron and I were given the tour from Australian trials stars Ben Benny, Mike Shaw and Chris Herron a freelance photog. I know we only scratched the surface of what is here, but we hit up some cool spots. Big water gaps, step down and step up staircases, big wedge rocks, sprocket stalls and dodging the cops. Then it was a ride back to the hotel past the famous Sydney opera house on the Manley fairly (no comment).