Hold on Loosely

This industry we're in can be a bit cyclical. There are lean months and months where you're gonna go full tilt boogie until you just can't boogie no more. Then, somewhere, somehow, you dig and find it inside yourself to boogie once more. On top of the work we do, we support a sport we love dearly. Balancing the two can be a whirlwind of sorts and this September we are gearing up for a four-on-the-floor, face melting season.

We're talking about the Portland Trophy Cup - Portland's twilight cyclocross race and local shred fest. Last year High Order came with the heat. KV, Mr. Kyle "Cotton Todd" vonHoetzendorff, had a hot mic of laughter and fun with High Order's very own, well... me - Amanda. We were there with our sponsorship love, support for our friends, and to elevate this rad race they've put together over the years.

The High Order section in the "Party Zone" at the Trophy Cup transformed throughout the 6 week series. Each Tuesday night, we'd dip out of the shop a little early, make our way out to our local racetrack, PIR, meet up with the crew, and frantically set up our section of the course. At first the features we brought could be looked at as suggestions, like a lone jump. Which then turned into course persuasions, a jump and the ripplers. Finally in the last couple races it was course decisions - Do I choose the barrier or the jump? Bold questions for a fast race.

The question that yielded the decision was, "Am I going to hit the jump and become one of the elite few that grace the Sender's Only Club?" The only other choice was the barrier. You could bunny hop the bunny hoppable barrier OR you'd have to dismount your bike all together to give it the ol' up-n-over. That takes time, which the riders knew very well, so we saw a lot of first time Sender's on the nights where we gave them two options for a Party Zone exit. These Sender's have been looking at our High Order space transform over the weeks as if we were playing out our Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" on VHS fantasy. Why give it all up at once? Great question! Glad to see you're following along. We didn't. Each week it was different, with more. More energy, more ripplers, more jokes, and a band to boot. Every race of the series our space had a jump and if you hit that jump, it sent you straight into the Club. Straight into Trophy Cup history and herstory. Many chose to avoid it. Only the daring went wide to give us all a show.

You remember that Hairclub for Men commercial? "I’m not only the hair club president, I’m also a client". It's like that, but for the Sender's Only Club and Sean. Don't worry, his hair is fine. That's him above. Sean built the jump he was hittin' and the crowd, well... it went wild like crowds tend to do.

Photo by @markpnw503

From dusk to dark, the vibe got loose and the race got fast. Sender's Only Club was no longer a suggestion, but a growing entity. A club increasing in numbers lap by lap and after the second or third - it was a lifestyle.

Photo by @markpnw503

They come out at night, the shredders, and when they do the stoke levels red line. Hearts were on fire at our High Order "party zone" extravaganza. Somehow KV and I found enough words to keep the crowd entertained for a good four hours every Tuesday and as riders repeatedly hit the jump, everyone collectively lost their minds; each time more extreme than the lap before.

I say all of this not to tell you, the reader, about a good time that you've potentially missed. No. I'm telling you, the reader, because this year High Order is back and with more of what you love - us. So buckle up, Buttercup, it's gonna be a wild ride.