“Riding on a bike has been a passion for me since the first time I tested a friend’s Stumpjumper bicycle in 1982,” Mr. Scofield, the head coach of mountain biking, shares. “It has been a joy to share this passion with all the different Kent students for the past 25 years.”

Kent School has a unique mountain bike program full of passionate student cyclists. They usually practice on a network of trails across from the south fields, starting at the rope course and going all the way down to crew race finish line. The trails are somewhere between 7-9 miles in length and go up three different peaks of 700 plus feet of elevation climb. Students sometimes ride on trails above the cross country course as well.

  Even though mountain biking is an intramural sport, the bikers have raced five times this season. “There are 6 schools competing in our league this season,” according to coach Scofield, “there are 2 divisions in a mountain bike race; division A is for the veteran racers while division B is for beginners.” Most notably, Davis Humphrey has won 2 division A races, setting the course record on both occasions. Coach Scofield sees great potential in his bikers and believes they are improving everyday.

Joining the mountain biking team is a life-changing experience for many students. Aaron Mao, one of the bikers, enjoys the spirit of exploration that comes with the sport, always finding something new when he rides on the trail. He adds, “Mountain biking challenges me both physically and mentally. At the beginning, I have to overcome both physical limitations and fear when I ride on the trail. Overcoming my own fear is the most rewarding part of mountain biking.”