DHI: Pottie is amped to tackle 2021’s downhill scene

Hey guys! I am back and I have to say I really enjoy this column as it gives me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you and hopefully, give you something to think about or give you a different view about how things go in the gravity scene.

So 2020 is a bit of a write-off in terms of events and races so what I want to share this time around are my personal goals for 2021, things I would like to change on the local scene or just things that I want to achieve.

One of my big goals during the last couple of years was to help the sport grow. When I say “the sport”, I mean disciplines like downhill, enduro or even trail riding, the more gravity orientated disciplines. I think it is important and here are my reasons why. Firstly, South Africa is very marathon orientated and that is 100% fine, nothing wrong with it. However, this has caused a bit of a misconception into what mountain biking really is. For example, a person would walk into a bike shop and tell them he wants to start mountain biking. The first thing they sell him in most cases is a 100mm cross country bike, and that is a very specific tool. A short travel XC bike is designed to put you into a position that makes it comfortable to ride long distances and this is most of the time not necessarily what the person who is starting mountain biking actually wants, even though they wouldn’t know that because they are just starting out. Chances are the person who is starting out is going to be riding the local trail parks in their area, and that is mostly trail riding. So that specific person should have been sold a 120 or 130mm bike as that would have given them way more control and means to have fun on the bike when they go trail riding.

Secondly, skills on the bike is very important because the better your skills are the safer you will be on the bike as well as it will enable you to have more fun. The gravity disciplines make people work on their skills development more. Skills are also something that gets built up over a long time as confidence plays a big part there, but once you have it you

Coach Pottie explaining the levels of stoke the riders would shortly experience.

will have it always. Look at all our top XC racers we have as an example, the late Burry Stander as well as our latest sensation Alan Hatherly. They all raced downhill as young riders before they specialized in their current disciplines. Now I am not saying you have to race downhill to be able to make it, but they built their skills as young riders and now as established athletes they have those skills

dialled and can perform at the top level.

For those of you who don’t know, I have been doing mountain biking youth skills camps for the last 10 years. During the course of the last couple of years I have had many cross-country riders join the camps and a lot of them had so much fun during the skills sessions and runs down the hill that they started to do more trail, enduro or even in some cases downhill riding after the camps which is of course really good for developing their skills. Then I have noticed, because there are more kids joining the gravity scene, we started getting more people entering the downhill and enduro races which obviously helps the sport to grow. So for 2021 my goal would be to build my camps to have more events nationwide and thus also helping to grow the sport to get more riders into it.

I will also be racing locally and internationally once again next year, so I will always be in that start gate trying to do

the best I can. But one big priority that has come up the last couple of years is my team mate, Erik Irmisch and I, having been working closely with our bike brand YT-Industries with development and feedback on the bikes and parts they use. It is super interesting work and you learn a lot in the process as well.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts here with you guys. I am looking forward to the next time. Until then, keep safe and happy riding!

“ONE OF MY BIG GOALS DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WAS TO HELP THE SPORT GROW.”

Johann Potgieter

JOHANN (POTTIE) POTGIETER is a multiple national downhill champion. He loves to rip, stay caffeinated and share his skills and knowledge with new gravity riders. Follow

him on instagram @johannpotgieter_downhill Little Rippers getting ready to for their shuttle ride.