Knowing somewhere like the back of your hand means having an intimate familiarity with that place; the smell of cool spring weather at the start of the season, the rhythm of bridgework under your tires, the sound of touching down on the sweet spot of the dirt landing. In their latest video for Marzocchi Back of My Hand, athlete Sam Soriano and filmmaker Tory Powers explore the trails and textures of three very different—and very cherished—riding zones in Colorado where she evolved during her rise as a professional mountain biker.
Watch Sam reconnect with her hometown zones while paying tribute to the trails, jumps, and bike parks that helped shape her into the rider she is today.
“The locations are my three favorite riding spots in Colorado; Valmont bike park in Boulder, Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park, and Enchanted Forest in Golden,” says Soriano. “There’s a certain nostalgia when I ride these trails. I've been riding places since I started mountain biking and it's almost like I'm paying homage to the rider I was. It's really rewarding to literally feel and recognize how far I’ve come when I return to these spots.
“Tory and I chose Back of My Hand for the title because I really do know each of these places like the back of my hand. They almost feel like an extension of my body. Obviously, these trails are constantly changing and after moving to Utah, I don't get to spend as much time riding them as I used to. But when I come back, the feeling of riding them hasn’t changed that much at all. It just feels like home.”
“When my family moved to Winter Park, riding the bike park sparked my love for downhill and I would train there preparing for the World Cups,” recalls Sam. “As a freerider, riding Trestle sparked that discipline change after cleaning the Banana Peel trail. I would ride Enchanted Forest when I was training for EWS and (Big Mountain Enduros). I would meet my friends at Valmont and we would ride together until the sun went down. All these places have pushed my riding immensely and I owe my career to riding at Trestle, Valmont, and Enchanted.
“I know when I ride in these places, I get to choose the kind of day that I have whether that’s a day dedicated to progressing and learning new tricks at the bike park or just a casual trail ride with friends at Enchanted. Truthfully, I have the greatest appreciation for the trails when I'm just riding for fun. No focus on tricks, just riding for me. It’s something I forget to do too often. The joyful memories of riding at these places will forever fuel my passion for mountain biking.”