Hey Everybody!!!

Hope your week is going well!

I am just settling back in after Scotland. The trip went really well, except for a few minor details, such as messed up reservations for a place to stay, and not knowing how to get from Glasgow to the Bike race. But of course, everything worked out.

Scotland is a very pretty place with a lot of cool people. I heard soo many different accents, that when I heard an american accent, it was a special moment. It was pretty funny. It was rainy and cool most of the time we were there, but it didn’t stop the spectators. WOW! I have never seen soo many locals into mt. biking. School buses full of kids, and bus loads of families just showing up to support there heroes. Soo many kids were running around getting autographs it was crazy. One of the most amazing things I have seen in the industry. It is amazing how Europe respects mt. bikes, and the riders this much. It was like going to a pro football game. Quite fun!!!

Well, Mick came out well. The last few years he has broken himself on that course. So it was a blessing to come out healthy. Especially after his big accident in Vermont.

Now we are back in the states at my families ranch. Then on Sunday it is off to Las Vegas for Interbike. The airlines lost my luggage on the way back from Scotland, so I am still waiting for it to be delivered. Hopefully soon!

I havn’t gotten back on my bikes since I hit my head. I figure it was bad enough, that I should give it a few more weeks. It still hurts once and a while when I get my heart rate raised, so I will let that be my guide.

Well, I hope you all have had a wonderful day, and I hope to meet you soon! Until next time, ride smart!!!

RIDE’N ON AND ON!!!
HANNAH LEIGH STEFFENS

Dear friends,

I hope your weekend went well, and you had fun riding, or just hanging out.

My weekend went very well besides a few minor misshaps.

The SLOPESISTAIR event went off with a bang. Literally. The course was awesome! The riders were amazing, and the time was right. We all had a blast, and pushed each other to the core of our abillities. Which is exactly what we need to be doing.

We had almost completed a full day of practice, and I was working on dialing in my no-footed cans off the second jump. It all was going great when I pulled an extended no-footed can, and landed back on my pedals. The next thing I knew, my handle bars wrapped around my leg, and I was slammed to my head. I blacked out for a moment, and then jummped right back up. I guess the people at the bottom of the course heard my head hit the ground, but I didn’t know this till later in the day.

I continued to ride, but it wasn’t the same. I began to have dreams while I was riding. I would dream I just followed one of the girls down, and we jumped the very last obstacle which wasn’t even open that day. But I was not able to think right, so I didn’t know I needed to stop. I was only focused on not allowing the crash to affect me mentally.

Finally my good friend Darcy who had taken a hit earlier, finally took my helment and told me it was time to stop. On the way back to the car, I guess I repeated the fact I felt like I was dreaming like 15 times. That’s when they knew something was really wrong. We had our rider meeting, and by then I was catching on that I was repeating myself a lot. So I bit my hoody sleeve, and made sure I didn’t speak any more. I have had two friends who have done this injury, and I knew how annoying it can get by reapeating things too much. But Darcy took good care of me.

The next day I had to make one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. I would pull out of the SlopeSistair. It was a very hard thing to do, but it would have been pride and selfishness if I hadn’t. One more hit to the head, and I could have died. Not something to be messed with. I learned a lot of personal value from what happened, and it showed me a lot about myself, good and bad, but I will work on changing the bad, now that I recognize it. But I am glad I am here to tell you about how awesome the event went.

I am super proud of all the girls, and I give props out to them all. Please check out the event news which should be up on sites any time now. Special thanks goes out to Stephanie Nychka who pulled it all together, and the hard working crew who kept it clean for us, and to Hemlock resorts for letting us put it on up on the mountain.

I am off to Scotland tomorrow to support my boyfriend, Mick Hannah at the last world cup race of the year. So thanks for checking in, and I will talk to you as soon as I get back. Thanks for all your support!

RIDE’N ON AND ON!!!
HANNAH LEIGH STEFFENS

Hannah Steffens Featured in Outside Magazine Special Edition

Gary Fisher athlete Hannah Steffens is one of twenty elite adventure sports athletes featured in Outside Magazine’s special edition book ‘Faces’.

According to Outside, Faces focuses on, “exploring the lives of those who dare to look beyond their fears and elevate their sports beyond what was thought possible, providing inspiration and opportunities for the next generation.”

The special edition includes in-depth athlete profiles along with incredible photography to tell 20 amazing stories. Hannah is featured in 6 pages of the full color book. A key portion of the article is “Anatomy of a Backflip,” where Steffens takes us through her signature trick step by step.

Look for the 160 page perfect bound book to hit newsstands in September and run through December, retailing for $9.99.