Kirt Voreis Interview
Photo: Dillon Clapp/TruVativ
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Some riders use injuries as an excuse to back off the throttle and take a few weeks off; Kirt Voreis uses them as an opportunity to try new things. At the NORBA Nationals in Mammoth, California, a painful separated shoulder prevented him from racing on the rocky downhill course. But he used the free time to enter two other events, the Kamikaze and the mountain cross, an event he had only competed in once this season.
His entry into those races may have been unplanned, but it was hardly surprising. Voreis, after all, is one of the most versatile riders today. The 30-year-old has been a pro for the past 10 years, has stood on World Cup downhill podiums, won dual-slalom national titles, filmed with New World Disorder and still spends more time dirt jumping than kids half his age. His enthusiasm for all styles of riding even led him to coin the phrase “allride.”
Bike caught up with him at Mammoth on the final day of competition. Even relaxed inside his RV, Voreis' seemingly limitless energy showed in his facial expressions and the way his eyes grew wider as he talked about shaving his legs, living in the 909, the sport's progression and his future goals.
Bike: You've been on the road so long that you will have a new area code when you return home. Are you bummed that you're now in the 951 and not part of Southern California's infamous 909?
Voreis: I should be really bummed out. I've lived in the 909 my whole life, but I don't really care about any of that stuff. But I've been on the road for three months and I am looking forward to going home and doing some weeding. And the city of Alto Loma is upset about this 16-foot-high roll-in ramp I built to the trails in my backyard, so I might have to take that down, too.
Bike: You compete on so many levels, what's your favorite type of riding?
Voreis: I'd love to do more filming. I'm never completely happy with what I have out there. I'm always trying to do more. But I really do love racing. I just love the learning aspect of it. It's not like learning tricks where you can go down to the dirt jumps and learn 360s or truckdrivers. There's so much that goes into the life of being a racer.
Bike: You came into mountain biking with a nice arsenal of tricks though. How did you get started?
Voreis: When I was 17 or 18 I quit skateboarding and started riding BMX bikes and learned a lot of tricks. Sometimes I wish I would have stayed in BMX and dirt jumping, but mountain bikes are so much more progressive. I love 'em.
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