racer daze: Joanna Petterson

Leogang World Cup, Day 3 | Vital MTB

2010-06-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Leogang World Cup, Day 3 | Vital MTB

Check out the shot by Sven of the womens podium, maybe they spell my name wrong, but Sven knows about being proud to represent South Africa.

twenty ten

2010-04-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! After living between Hawaii and California in the off season I am in hot pursuit of a successful 2010. I spent the winter months riding mostly road, working at my local shop, Kauai Cycles, and working on cycling skills with a great group of women all participants of Boot Camp by Stacy. Having some cycling knowledge I was on hand to teach flat repair, optimum cadence and bike handling. I race the bike leg of a sprint distance triathlon and took 2nd at a local cross country race held on Kauai and had a great time even though I pulled a rookie move and ran out of water on the 2^nd lap.. Where is my feed zone?!

I kicked off my gravity season at the Fontana National where the winds seemed determined to blow not only the smoggy air away but most of the XC and gravity racers. Sunday somehow managed to pull itself together and the winds subsided to clear blue skies. I placed 1^st in 4X and 2nd in DH to my friend and fierce competitor, Melissa Buhl. Next stop would be the 20^th Annual Sea Otter Classic. It had to be one of the greatest Sea Otters of all those 20 years as we had incredible weather and not a hint of fog, mist or rain.

My usual events of participation went well, new bike for dual slalom, I’ll be trying out the hardtail this year for racing, looking for that extra snap out of the gate and corners. The field of women was the largest it has been in probably 8 years, which is great. I know the womens gravity field is growing across the country and it would be amazing to see that increase have the support to get to the Pro level. I was reasonably pleased with qualification as I had a mechanical in both runs; qualifying 10^th put me up against Kathy Pruitt in my first run. With a near crash on my first run I wasn’t able to catch her and was eliminated first round.

Onto DH!! The track was pretty much the same, with the finish being shortened by only a few hundred yards, practice was fun as usual, a non stress race track, with jumps and bermy turns all the way down.

The field was pretty competitive and I placed 8^th overall.

1 BUHL, MELISSA

2 ATHERTON, RACHEL

3 MOSELEY, TRACY

4 JONNIER, SABRINA

5 DONOVAN, LEIGH

6 KINTNER, JILL

7 GRIFFITHS, FIONN

8 PETTERSON, JOANNA

9 PRUITT, KATHY

10 BUCHAR, CLAIRE

One of the highlights of the event was being invited as a guest of the Little Bellas Lunch with the Pros. Having the opportunity to meet the girls that could be the future of the sport was amazing, the energy and enthusiasm is contagious and a good reminder of why I do what I do. I love being a part of that and thank Lea and Sabra Davison for the invite.

After the Sea Otter Classic I headed north for the first race in the PRO Gravity Tour held in Port Angeles, Washington. The drive was beautiful and having a venue on the Puget Sound was not so shabby either. The track is top notch, fast, flowing, and just loads of fun. Sitting in the venue on Sunday was somewhat surreal as the sound echoing off the mountain was reminiscent of a World Cup with cow bells, air horns and no lack of heckling spectators.

I was feeling pretty good in practice on a new bike but I had a mechanical in my race run and had to pull off so as not to slow anyone up. It was a great disappointment but I can not tell you how ecstatic I am that it was not a World Cup and I can do everything in my power to prevent that from happening again.

I’d like to extend my thanks to my 2010 sponsors, without you, this would all be a lot more challenging.

Bromont, a crash and a podium :)

2009-08-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Downhill is what we do. But from the get go this weekend I hadn’t expected it to go as far downhill as it did… and then make a complete u-turn.
I was having a great week at practice. At times I was feeling really good on the downhill track and pretty confident in my ability to qualify this week.
The track was dry when we inspected it and by the morning of practice it had completely changed with the downpours that ensued. But that’s racing… rain or shine I try to face the day with every intention of riding to the best of my abilities and beyond. One spill in practice and I was feeling focused for qualifying. I had a pretty good run but after last weekend I was definitely a little cautious, which I couldn’t afford when I hit a rock and my chain came off my chainring. Luckily I was able to spin it back on just in time and made it into finals.
Racing Saturday morning was met with sunny, beautiful skies. And the track was drying out again, except for a few sections that got so soaked they wouldn’t dry out soon. The Bromont course is a very rocky track, one particularly fast rocky section I felt very confident in was my quite literally my downfall during my race run. I was seen by many on freecaster.tv, spinning and sliding out of control down the rocky face, lost my goggles (which someone was kind enough to return) and managed to turn my bars so far sideways I had to stop and fix them after getting out of the rock section. I lost so much time in the process I finished last, much to my disappointment.
I couldn’t believe it.
I took my frustration and decided to let go of expectations and just ride my bike. Mountain Cross remained for the day’s competition and I needed a little redemption. I was asked during practice what I wanted from the day and I answered honestly, to have fun riding my bike. And that’s what followed. My first heat was challenging with Mio Suemasa, Anneke Beerten, and Neven Steinmetz in the gate along side me. I came across the line in second to Anneke and was into the round of eight. In a dramatic second heat, I battled for 2nd and came out on top. I was into the finals for the second time in 2 weeks.
I was up against the same three women in the final as I was last weekend in Mont Ste Anne. It was Jill Kinter, Anneke Beerten, Fionn Griffiths and myself lined up for the start.
I had a pretty good start from lane 4 and held my line, managed to get past Anneke and Fionn for a brief moment when Fionn shot in front on an inside line and took first. It was a great race and I finish 4th. I also walked away with the pride of knowing I was one of the only women to attempt the pro line of challenging doubles. That was one of the highlights for me.
This week I am in Vermont for the Mount Snow Mountain Bike Festival. Looks like it’s going to be a busy weekend!

2009-07-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ah what a weekend of fun in the... rain :)
DH was not nearly as exciting for me as 4X. Both tracks are amazing here and the 2010 World Champs are going to be great in my opinion. I think this weekends racing has given the organizers a good idea of what they need to fix and all the changes they have made that are great!
In DH I was feeling really good in practice and even had a few compliments, saying I was looking fast. I felt pretty good going into the qualifying, my run was going well, but I managed to crash in a high speed section and not make the final 20. And I was so close to the top ten with my no. 12 plate!
So it was into 4x I needed to put all my focus and energy.
My wrist was a bit sore from the crash but I managed to let adrenaline take over for racing and felt strong.
Racing started Saturday with a round of 16 for the women, 4 heats. My first heat I was 2nd to Anneke Beerten, and the next heat was going to be a challenge. I was up against Anita Molcik, Anneke Beerten and Melissa Buhl. Taking outside lane choice I had to find a passing opportunity. In the first turn I was in 4th just looking for a pass, Anita slid out and I passed her on the first berm. Following Anneke and Melissa I took the outside through the rock garden while Melissa took the inside. Unfortunately for Melissa she went down hard in the rock section and I passed her there.
I was into the finals with Anneke, Jill Kintner and Fionn Griffiths. Again I had the outside lane choice so passing would be my only opportunity for finishing better than 4th. We started and headed down with myself in 4th. I followed the pack looking for a pass. Anneke and Jill took the inside line on the jump section and Fionn and I headed outside for the big double. On the lip of the jump, Fionn slid out with a rear flat and I narrowly avoided her and cleared the jump, pulling into 3rd. Ahead in the berm Jill had crashed and I wasn’t able to pass her, so Fionn snuck around us and I was back into 4th. Jill and I pedaled for the finish when Jill took another spill and I pulled onto 3rd again. I finished up 3rd overall, thrilled to be on the podium and great to see the SA flag raised in my honour.
The racing was exciting and I everyone needs to be congratulated on a great course and some really fun competition.
Thanks to everyone for their continued support.
Now I’m after No.1 !

2009 Has Potential

2009-01-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

It is january first, well, almost january second. Kauai time has come and gone so quickly and now I'm on cali time and soon it will be england time. Training and getting ready for 09. It is going to be a good year, I can feel it in my bones, in my heart, in my determination. The first World Cup race is going to be in South Africa, the country of my birth. 2009 is going to be a great year..
I'll be back, as often as possible to post what ever I can come up with; most likely it will have to do with racing, bikes, kiting, training, photography, baking bread, surfing, traveling, riding, music, movies and whatever else I feel like.
I just want to share with whoever reads this that you should remember to follow your dreams, don't give up, fight all the way, kicking and screaming, and clawing your way if you have to, but follow your dreams because as far as I know, this is the only shot we get.

super racing update

2007-05-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Time flies when your riding your bike! I'm on the road again, all packed up for 5 months of riding, racing, travel and any odd job I can find! The Brodie Bunch headed to Santa Barbara for the Firestone Walker Mountain Bike classic. It was a great event, with an amazing amount of attendance. The dh course was a good skill level for the newer dh'ers and proved to be an excellent endurance test. The dusty venue was no match for the outdoor showers that were provided. After a day of practice we raced on Saturday in a two run format. My first run was clean but was too slow to beat my speedy teammate Jackie Harmony. I had to get my head into the game and pedal HARDER! So it came down to the second run, after a tough sprint to the finish I was able to clinch the win! Thanks to all the ladies for a great race!
This past weekend we all headed to the famous Fontana, aka fontucky NORBA National. The Mountain cross course was excellent and I hope Norba continues to stick with that trend! We practiced downhill and 4x for the first few days and raced 4x on Saturday. With a great group of girls showing up (we still need more racers, so ladies get out here!) the racing was fun and close. After some fun rounds I ended up 4th in 4x. So, a little disappointed but happy to have raced such a fun course, it was onto Sundays DH event. With a small spill in my practice run and a pretty puncture wound on my shin I headed into the finals with a grin. Raced, SPRINTED my legs off and ended the day in 5th. Great race. This weekend it's off to Nathrop to race the Mountain States Cup. Looking forward to some cattle field camping, bonfires, starry nights and some of the best 4x racing in the USA. Hope everyone is great and I'll see you on the dirt!

NEW SEASON NEW TEAM

2007-04-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

It's already the 2007 season. I spent the winter in Hawaii, recovering after my ankle break and surgery, with my family, friends and new brother Benjamin. My Brodie Rodie bike took me for miles and miles of paved road adventures while I focused on getting stronger and having a great summer. Now, with a bunch of great new sponsors, a new team and some of the old sponsors I really believe in, I am chomping at the bit for the season to start. So stay tuned for more frequent updates and photos, hopefully and see you all at the races!

2006-07-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

Catherine, Benjamin and Charlie in Kazakhstan.

2006-07-23T22:36:00.000-07:00

Okay for those that know.. my parents have been in kazakhstan since may 11 adopting a baby. The whole process is amazing. I am so very, very proud of both of them for enduring it to adopt my new brother Benjamin Ghengis Petterson. The good news is that they just landed in Kona and are home. I cannot imagine how incredibly good and how anxious they must feel to be starting this new chapter. WELCOME HOME!!!
Their blog is a heart wrenching, humorous, enlightening, tear jerker if anyone wants to read it.
http://pettersonfamilyadoption.blogspot.com

2006-06-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in Virginia it is just past midnight. The ac is blasting and the motel room is rank. I have been living out of a bag since April 2nd, the Sea Otter Classic. Granted 5 of those weeks where in kona I am still feeling the monotony of packing and unpacking and driving. When you are pushing your body and have bruises covering your legs, scratches and scrapes and you switch beds every 5 days it get's painful to say the least.
The downhill course in Vermont this past weekend was really challenging in the sense that you really have to just let go. Very high speed, to the point of having white knuckles almost! I was pleased with a few technical challenges I overcame but very unsatisfied with a crash in the last wood section in my final run. I was feeling great until that point. But I suppose it is perfection we strive for and so far I have achieved it once this year in Fontana. A clean run is all I want. Ah well. It is a work in progress as usual.
Most racers are on their way to Mont ste Anne for the world cup this weekend, but we are on our way back to North Carolina and then either west virginia or pennsylvania this weekend following some prize money. But it's late and the rest of the people crowding this room are going to sleep so I will try to write more.. when inspired.

FONTANA aka FONTUCKY

2006-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

Just spent the weekend down in warm windy socal racing at the Southridge series at Southridge park in Fontana, the location of a stop on the NORBA national series. Despite the lack of altitude and chairlift the organizers need to be recognized for putting together a good event, listening to the riders and holding an event for the many riders that show up to play, have fun, check out bikes and enjoy the sport of cycling. The terrain is dusty, lose and has the potential to have some great techy sections. not a high speed course. Shorter than sea otter, but they are working with what they have. And the courses are ever evolving. I think that if they keep mixing it up they might be able to put a pretty fun short course together for the national. The mtn-x needs a little more work. It is really short. But all in all in was fun to get away for the weekend see a few friends, ride my bike and test out my awesome new travis fork. Hopefully I will be heading out to Bootleg canyon this weekend for a little more riding. And MOREWOOD bikes rocked the party. A ton of people out there having a great time on their Morewood bikes and ripping.

can't a girl lead a normal life

2006-02-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

i was sitting in traffic. what the hell is wrong with the world. i was thinking about children. about one day having them. but what is there for the future generations? I am so scared of the possibilities. We are so trapped. All i want in the future is to have a family, raise my kids and teach and play and learn. To gather and grow our food. to build our home and to fend for ourselves. but we are surrounded by money and possesions and all the things that control our lives.
when did we become a being that covets materials instead of food and water. the real necessities in life. why did shiny things that sparkle take the place of treasuring our families and communities and what we can grow with our own hands? answers anyone...

i don't even know why i am writing about this but it was on my mind. and i wanted to get it off my mind...

crazy hair

2006-02-05T00:51:00.000-08:00

5 days until the first race.. it is all i want in life these daze... all i have been working for it seems. my toes and hands are cold. my trailer space heater has not caught up with the cold air that has settled around my body. i should get off this computer and snuggle into my two comforters, surround my self with my pillows and hope for sleep. my mind has been racing for about a week and a half now. more than usual. and i am wanting to feel rested. but my eyes are opening earlier and earlier it seems but my body isn't. i lie waiting for a little sleep. or i just envision back flips. how to approach the lip, lean forward a little then thrust back, looking up and back spotting the landing, just before i see it i shift my weight forward to counteract the rotation.. relax and land. this is all in theory. i have never done a back flip... but maybe soon. we will have to see.