Introducing......... Mary "the hammer" Moncorge!!
A little interview with Santa Cruz Alliance's one and only Mary Moncorge:
photo credit: Patrick Branch
shine: Where did you come from?
MM: I'm from Normandy - France. Grew up in a place where there are more horses and cows than people
shine: How did you get here?
MM: I came first for school (7 years ago) in Wyoming. I decided to stay for a boy and get a job in the US - it didn't work out with the boy but I kept my job and finally moved to Santa Cruz.
shine: How long have you been riding?
MM: It will be 3 years next month that i've been riding ) 1st XC and i move to DH 1.5 years ago. I rode my first dual crown in June 2010.
shine: How did you get into mountain biking?
MM: Same boy I move accross an ocean and left my family behind: I wanted us to have a common activity and MTB looked pretty rad and thought it could satisfy my adrenaine rush. I got my rush but my ex couldn't stand the fact that after only 1 month of riding a bike I was way faster than he was.
shine: What was your first mountain bike?
MM: Santa Cruz Juliana - I nicknamed it snow white
shine: Current downhill race rig?
MM: Santa Cruz V10 carbon, powered by Sram - 35lbs of goodness
shine: Where will you be racing this year?
MM: Racing the Pro GRTs, some Northstar races
I'm also trying to qualify for a couple of the World Cups on the east coast - if not, I'll go to Master World Champ's (as i'm turning old this year)
shine: You're on a really cool team called the Santa Cruz Alliance. How did you make that happen?
MM: Last summer Michael Town had the idea to regroup some local Santa Cruz Bikes sponsored riders as well as some promising local riders under one roof. Michael offered me a spot on the team and with my background in marketing he asked me to take care of that aspect to go after sponsors.
shine: Why are you called "the hammer"?
MM: Haha. It started when I met Josh Bender: he nicknamed the hammer because I like to build stuff. Then my housemate distorted the first meaning of it because I break stuff that are not suppose to break and also because I'm a masher on a bike
shine: goals for the season?
MM: Stay out of the ER - I went 3 times last year. But more seriously, as it's my first season pro, I want to get a top 3 at a Pro GRT races. I'm planning to go to Brazil for Master World Champs (as I'm turning old this year)
shine: Plans for next year?
MM: I'm trying to get UCI points and enough racing experience to go do a couple World Cups and if I've enough time, I'd like to do the European championship
shine: Advice for girls trying to go pro?
MM: Training, ride as diversly a possible and most importantly enjoy every bit of it.
shine: Dream ride?
MM: A place? New Zealand but closer to where I live it would be Gooseberry Mesa - I love that place
shine: Favorite foods:
MM: Hmmm, I've a pretty bad sweet tooth but I love a good salad with a bunch of veggies, goat cheese and poached eggs
shine: Worst injury?
MM: When I was 13 I broke my arm in 2 places and it moved at a 90° angle. They cast me on the hematoma: my arm moved in the cast and didn't heal straight. After a month, they had to rebreak my arm. I spent over 4 month in a cast and wasn't allowed to do any sport for almost a year. It was the worst time
shine: Best bruise picture?
MM: I need to take a pic of my leg...
shine: Yes you best get on that :)
shine: Who are your sponsors:
MM: Santa Cruz Bikes, Sram, Rockshox, Truvativ, Avid, Gopro, Time, Bertoni eyewares, Hutchinson, Azonic, TLD
shine: Highlights of race results:
MM: For this Season: I won the 3 first Bailey Bike Park DS races, I took 8th at the Pro GRT in Port Angeles, I took 8th at Sea Otter
