BROOKFIELD, N.S. — A veteran motocross racer is trying his hand at snowbiking for the first time, at the upcoming X Games Aspen in Colorado this weekend.
Brookfield’s Mitch Cooke only has a few days’ practice on a snowbike, a modified motorbike with a ski in front and tracked wheel on its back to grip the snow.
“I don’t feel like I’m under much pressure, because of my lack of experience,” Cooke said Tuesday. “Every time I go on the bike, I get better.”
Cooke, 36, will be up against racers with several years’ snowbiking experience in Aspen. He has sponsorship from Cobequid Mountain Sports.
He says snowbiking has grown in popularity over the last five or so years.
X Games Aspen itself runs from Jan. 23 to 26, but the first snowbiking race is not until Saturday.
Cooke said each snowbiking race is about 10 minutes along a set course on Aspen’s ski hill.
Off the race track, Cooke is looking forward to watching the snowboarding and “being a part of the biggest extreme sports event in the world.”
While this is Cooke’s first snowbiking race, he is no stranger to adventure as a motocross rider. He has taken part in dirt bike races in Canada, the United States, Dubai, Uganda, India and Europe.
Cooke took up motocross racing through his father and went professional for 10 years, starting at just 15 years old.
In Brookfield, Cooke is the owner of Pleasant Valley Motocross Park. The track hosted national races in 2002, 2016 and 2017 and has been a longtime favourite of riders and fans alike on the Atlantic series.
Cooke’s other business ventures include HAF Skate and Tattoo, Jimolly’s Bakery and Café and 2U Like New Auto Everything. Mitch and his brother-in-law, Tyler Medaglia, are also owners of Callus Glove Co., motocross gear.
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