Monte Carlo

I can’t remember exactly what year it was when this jump line first started being created, but I can vividly remember the first time I laid eyes on them. It was 2005 or 2006! One day while hitch hiking for a ride up Rose Hill to ride the infamous trail, as I would every day after school, a familiar face rolls up. Dustin Windrose and Chris Cooper along with some others were looking for guys to help them work on the jumps that afternoon. I eagerly jumped in the truck to finally catch a glimpse of these warlocks I had been hearing tales about. Down in this random little ravine, there they were. Big, steep, and clearly over my head at the time. It took me a year to get through the set but for a number of years some of the most unreal sessions and great times were had in that little valley. Monte Carlo was the only proper dirt jump line in town until Brad Stuart started working at the Ranch and turning that place into what it is today. The jumps were named after a badge emblem that was found off one of the dozen old derby cars scattered about the bottom of the ravine. From a distance and as you walk up, this tick-infested little valley doesn’t look all that inviting. For many years since that time, these jumps, for the most part lay dormant, but this spring seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the local shred gang back together after the long winter to clean up and restore an old legendary spot. We had a really fun time in the process, spent probably too much time on the “chill zone” but it was well worth it in the end. There’s something to be said about turning an old dump site into bits of art and creating a healthy place for us to express ourselves on and off the bikes. There are certainly worse things we could be doing, and I hope these jumps continue to gather friends and tell more stories for many more years to come. - AGGY