Somerset West teenager Ethan Parr won the African section of the YT Mob World Tour last month.
The YT Mob is known for going on a global tour to hunt for the team’s next downhill racers.
The search covers six camps on six continents to select eight young downhill riders to compete in a camp in Spain for the chance to join the team on the World Downhill circuit next year.
The selected eight are now in the running for two spots to race as juniors in the team.
“Honestly, to put it plainly I still can’t believe it,” said Parr, 17.
“During the African camp there was so much talent that anyone of us could have made it. It was such an honour to receive this opportunity.”
Teenager Ethan Parr won the African section of the YT Mob World Tour last month. Photo: Seven Films Videography
Parr said when he first heard of the YT Mob World Tour he did not own a downhill bike, so that was his first priority.
“About four months prior to the camp, my dad found a great deal with Johann Potgieter who was selling his 2018 YT Tues.
“Now I had no excuses. I had the bike and it was all up to me. I knew I was going to be going against some of the best youth riders in Africa, so I started trying to get as comfortable on my new bike as possible, even if that meant just riding it around the garden.
“I rode my bike whenever I had the time. That’s why I think I got this opportunity – because I might not have been the strongest rider there but I feel as though I may have been the most comfortable.”
He added that what also helped him a lot was that before the camp Andrew Neethling, who Parr calls a legend in SA downhill riding and in the sport as a whole, agreed to give him a few lessons.
“What we basically did was just tone everything down. We went back to the basics and started to build on my technique.”
Parr said the camp in Spain happened about two weeks after the YT camp took place in SA.
“These two weeks were a pretty stressful time for my family and me because we had to try and get a visa.
“Martin [Whiteley], the head of YT Mob, was truly amazing during this time. He did everything we requested – he sent emails to the Spanish embassy and made sure everything was good with my family and me.”
He added that the camp in Spain was “mind-blowing” and he did not know what to expect as he headed into it.
“From the moment I got there I was treated as a professional. What also amazed me was how down to earth these icons of the sport were.
“I mean Angel Suarez and Martin talked to me as if I was on the same level as them.”
Parr said when he arrived at the hotel he met the other seven riders and it was the first time the whole experience started to sink in for him.
“To be honest, it was a bit overwhelming.”
He added that on the first day of the camp they built their own bikes in the YT Mob headquarters, which was near their hotel in Grenada.
“Then we familiarised ourselves with the track. The first thing I think we all noticed was the altitude. We were 1 600m above sea level and living by the coast certainly didn’t help.
“The track was also about five minutes long, which was about twice as long as any of the downhill tracks I have ridden here in SA.”
Parr said the following day they did two race runs which he found “incredibly tough”.
“We then went to a steeper and more technical track, which was about four and a half minutes long. I unfortunately crashed in my race run down this track on the final day, which was very frustrating because I was really feeling good.
“I learnt the most when I was riding with my competitors who had so much more experience than me. They were such cool guys.”
Parr said for his whole life he had been passionate about many sports, but most passionate about cycling.
“The fact that this passion of mine could turn into a career baffles me. Not many people can say they get paid for their passion in life.”
He felt that living in South Africa could be a bit of a setback as riders were “so far away from the action of the sport”, which was in Europe.
“Getting to Europe without any factory support is very expensive and difficult to manage, so the biggest door that will be opened if I get a place on this team is that it will bring me closer to the action.”
As for his goals, he said these would remain the same whether he was selected or not.
“No matter what, I want to be a contender for the top step of the podium in the UCI World Cup Series.
“Yes, the YT Mob team will help me a lot in terms of reaching my goals faster, but that doesn’t mean I will never get there, because I will.
“Long-term I want to be a world champion. I want to experience the feeling of putting on those rainbow colours.”
