ASPEN, Colo. — Port Angeles’ Jake Anstett is used to going uphill in the dirt and the mud.
Now, he’s getting the hang of going uphill in the snow and the ice. And the X Games better get used to him.
Anstett, who got his start in hill-climbing riding up the Deer Park track just east of Port Angeles, is the defending North America Hillclimbers’ Association Rider of the Year and the leader in NAHA points. Now, he can add an X Games medal to that impressive trophy case.
Last year, Anstett thought he would give the X Games snow hill climb in Aspen a try. He didn’t do especially well, failing to place.
This year, though, in only his second year at the snow climb, Anstett won the bronze medal in front of a huge Aspen crowd and television audience.
Anstett isn’t shy about saying his goal is to go after the gold medal next year
“There’s definitely room for improvement next year,” Anstett said while driving back to Washington from Colorado.
In addition to the snow climbing, the X Games are simply a huge, wild scene. “It was really nice to show up a few days early this year. It was cool to watch,” he said.
The motorcycles for the snow climb are pretty much the same as for the hill climb except for one huge difference. The tires.
Anstett had 228 spikes embedded in his rear tire for traction on the snow. These are similar to the kind of spikes you see on tires in motorcycle ice racing, a popular sport in northern Europe.
The front tire had 48 bolts and 48 spikes. The traction isn’t quite as important on the front tire because the back tire is doing most of the work up the snowy hill.
Anstett won two hill climbs to make it to the semifinals, facing Logan Mead of Concord, Calif. Mead, the 2017 NAHA champion, is Anstett’s biggest rival in the summer hill-climbing.
Mead won this round, beating Anstett by 1.11 seconds. It was the only race of the X Games Anstett lost.
In the bronze medal race, Anstett was winning by a huge margin over Austin Cardwell of Montana when Cardwell crashed.
Anstett was consistent at the X Games, with times of 11.22, 11.78, 12.47 and 11.37 seconds in his four races.
It was his only winter snowclimb of the year.
“I was a little improved from last year. I hope to compete for the gold medal next year,” he said.
To watch the X Games hill climb on YouTube, go to https://tinyurl.com/Anstett.
Port Angeles’ Jake Anstett waits to begin his quarterfinal race Sunday at the X Games snow hill climb in Aspen, Colo.
Anstett, at right, easily beats Austin Cardwell on Sunday in the bronze medal race of the X Games hill climb in Aspen, Colo.
