A championship effort results in the making of champions, as many HSSS riders found out on May 19 at the North Shore Mountain Bike League (NSMBL) championships.
A stellar performance from a core group of dedicated HSSS riders resulted in both the juvenile boys and senior girls teams taking home the gold.
"These guys and gals are amazing," said teacher-sponsor David Gregr. "This is the first year that they've really taken off - they really reserved this."
Gregr recognized the efforts of Don Ross Secondary coach Peter Lang, who gets the junior secondary students in excellent riding shape before they attend HSSS. "He does an amazing job,' said Gregr. "We get most of out senior riders from him, and they're all in great shape and very well-prepared."
Gregr also reserved some of the praise for the riders themselves, as well as all of the parents, who provided so much support throughout the season.
"They are all an extremely dedicated group of riders of different disciplines," he said. "Some are excellent cross-country riders while others really excel in downhill and freeriding. And the support from the parents was incredible - the encouragement and enthusiasm they brought to every single race really helped us."
In the individual categories, HSSS powerhouse Heather Rochetta pedalled her way to the overall senior girls title, while Neal Kindree, a Grade 11 student, took home the overall senior boys title as well as a second place finish at the B.C. championships at Bunson Lake on May 29. Grade 9 student Gavin Arnott finished in first in the juvenile boys category.
