Remember the Canyon Maydena Dream Weekend comp from a few months back? Been wondering who was the lucky bugger chosen by Canyon to head to Maydena Bike Park for a weekend of riding? Meet said lucky bugger, Jacob Schellen, and enjoy a few shots from a spectacular weekend of frothing and ripping.
Mate, you’re the envy of the Australian MTB public. Who are you?
My name is Jacob Schellen, I’m a 19 year old from a small town called Heyfield in Victoria.
What are your home trails?
I’m pretty lucky to live just a few minutes from Blores Hill MTB Park. It doesn’t have the biggest elevation out there but it’s just had a few track updates from Dirt Art and it’s super fun.”
How did it feel to find yourself at the top of Maydena, on a kick arse Canyon, with one of the world’s best riders?
I’m still trying to get my head around that! Awesome people, awesome place and awesome bikes, it doesn’t get much better.
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What bike did you ride at Maydena, and how did it compare to your usual bike?
Between the two of us we rode a Torque and Strive although I didn’t really get off the torque. As expected it was a lot more aggressive than my Kona Process and just felt perfect for the types of tracks at Maydena. What really surprised me was how easy it was to pedal up the steep hill back to our accommodation considering its descending capabilities.
What did you learn from riding with Troy?
I think I was having way too much fun to be trying to learn from Troy! But I did probably get better at taking sketchy inside lines in the greasy conditions on the second day of riding.
Do you reckon Troy learnt a few things riding with you too?
I’m not sure I’d have too much to offer Troy but I hope so! Haha.
Tell us about riding the Maydena trails – how did you find them?
Riding the trails at Maydena would have to be the most fun I’ve ever had on a bike. We had great weather the first day then the rain came down that night which made for super slippery and loose riding on the Sunday. The trails themselves were incredible and need to be ridden to understand just how good they are. The guys who have built them have done an amazing job – big ups to those fellas!
Anyone you’d like to thank?
I can’t thank Darryl enough for the whole weekend, also to Sam, Troy, Aaron, Luke, and Jasper for the best riding crew ever. Finally thanks to the whole Maydena team, you guys have done something amazing and I’ll definitely be back soon!
