Chapter 2:
Tyler stood with his back against Bridgette. They both had their arms cross in an intimidating stance. A camera flashed repeatedly in front of them. A crew of people hurried around behind the camera. Tyler was covered in sweat; he wore his full snowboarding gear as multiple hot lights shone down on him. It was the photoshoot for the magazine ad. His sponsor, a goggle company from his hometown, wanted the ad out for the beginning of the season. It was Tyler's only piece of media in the run up to the first race. Luckily for him, it would be over soon.
"Okay I think we got it!" The photographer said looking up from the camera. "You two can relax. But stay there until we've checked the photos." A group formed behind the camera and a major discussion began between them.
Tyler relaxed his body and unzipped the parka he was wearing.
"This sucks right?" Bridgette said, though she seemed perfectly comfortable. He imagined she was used to this kind of thing. He'd seen her in dozens of ads. While the goggles were his only endorsement, every part of her gear was claimed.
"Yeah," Tyler agreed.
He'd never been good at small talk with Bridgette. They might have been from the same hometown, but Tyler did not really know her at all. She was a star from a young age, always travelling to competitions around the country. Tyler was a bit of a late bloomer. They knew enough to acknowledge each other, but not much more.
"Did you get a chance to go back home in the offseason?" Bridgette asked.
"Course," Tyler replied.
"What did you get up to?" She pressed.
"Spent most of it helping my dad. He runs a landscaping company. What about you?"
She shook her head, looking almost forlorn. "Nope. I didn't get a chance." Then she perked back up. "But I had a great offseason. I spent a month surfing in Hawaii. It was beautiful. I spent almost every day at Honolii Beach. Then, I met up with a humanitarian group and travelled all around Sub-Saharan Africa. It was an incredible and eye-opening experience. When that was done, Redbull called with an idea to do a video series combining surfing, snowboarding, and environmental awareness. We travelled to Japan, Chile, and Australia. It was a lot of work, but I think we made something special."
"That's really impressive," Tyler said.
"Thanks. I try to do my part. It's so easy to forget about the world out there, when you're so focused on something like TSX. It's also given me a chance to rejuvenate and get a balanced body and mind for the season," Bridgette said.
"Totally," he said. She didn't seem too rejuvenated to him, but a photoshoot was nowhere to make that judgement. It was amazing what opportunities big endorsements provided. A lot of doors opened for her when she won the first season of TSX in the women's competition. He could not even imagine how much his life would change in that position. Despite being in the same league, her world felt unattainably far from him.
"How did Geoff enjoy all of that?" Tyler asked.
Bridgette's demeanor changed again. "Oh, he didn't come along. To be honest, I barely saw him. He was busy doing his own thing."
"Like what?"
It took her a moment to respond. "Honestly, I'm not sure. He spent most of it at Lake Tahoe. We tried to text, but he'd just tell me about partying with his bros. I was so busy, it became kind of a chore." She forced a smile. "I think he might have visited Miami for a bit, but I'm not even sure."
Tyler was surprised by the candid answer. They might have their hometown connection, but that was it. They'd never had a real conversation before. If she was willing to open up to him, he wondered how deep the feelings cut inside her. Bridgette and Geoff had built a reputation of being the only stable and happy TSX couple. They had miraculously avoided the tabloid drama, that sometimes overwhelmed the TSX coverage. But Tyler guessed everyone was human, even them.
"That sucks," he said.
"Yeah," she acknowledged.
After they finished, Tyler grabbed a taxi back towards the hotel. The photoshoot had taken place on the outskirts of town in an old industrial building. Chris had transformed it into a media studio for outside press and sponsors to use.
"Would you like to listen to the radio?" The driver asked.
"Go ahead." Tyler said.
"And we're back! You're listening to Radio Shred! As always, my name is DJ Rock joined by my bestest bud and cohost Spud. With the first race of the TSX season right around the corner we're going to take a deep dive into this upcoming season: what are the storylines going into this season, who are the favorites, and what are some surprises to look out for. To do this we have a special guest in the booth. Welcome TSX expert and television pundit Harold to the show, who you can catch every Sunday evening on his Sportsnet show 'The Revenge of Powder H'."
"Glad to be here."
"Now Harold, for anyone not familiar with TSX take us through the first couple seasons of TSX."
"Sure. This is the third season of TSX. The first season champions were Alejandro and Bridgette. Two riders who cemented their spots at the very top of the sport and popularity. For the second season, there were more polarizing figures who became champions, with Lightning and Josee winning. Neither were the favorite coming into the final race."
"Now for this third season let's look into what to watch for and expect. Give us an overview of each of the competitions, starting with the men's."
"The men's competition really comes down to five riders: Alejandro, Lightning, Geoff, Duncan or DJ. You can expect every final to consist of some combination of those five. Lightning will be looking to prove that his victory was not a fluke. Alejandro was very close last season of achieving back to back championships and will be looking to put himself back up top. Geoff the party guy, Duncan the resident bad boy, and the laid-back DJ will all be looking to avenge the embarrassment of having Lightning beat them last season and will be hungry for their first championship. No offense to the other riders Brick, Scott, Brody, Jacques, Tyler, Owen and the rookie Junior, but they don't have a chance in hell."
It did kind of annoy Tyler that this comment would probably be the only mention of him in this entire broadcast.
"What about the women's competition? Take us through it."
"The women's competition is a much more wide-open field. It is hard to predict who will win because really every rider has a chance. Don't be surprised to see to a completely different set of riders competing in each final. Any self-respecting TSX fan knows that the women's competition is the better competition. Josee got in some controversy at the end of last season for some of the harsh words she had for her competition, she'll be looking to prove herself once again on the mountain to quiet all the backlash she has received. Bridgette had a disappointing second season and while she remains the most popular women's rider, she will be looking for a bounce back season. The real rider to watch though is Heather. Most pundits when TSX started felt she would dominate and that has yet to happen. She will be the most hungry to win. But again any number of the other riders Izzy, Eva, Jasmine, Sky, Jo, MacArthur, Sanders, Stephanie and even rookie Carrie, all have a chance to win."
"Thanks Harold! I can't be possibly be more excited for this season to start. Any thoughts Spud?
"How do you know if a grilled cheese is the right way up?"
"We're talking about TSX Spud, not lunch."
"Sorry dude. I must be hungry."
The taxi pulled up to the hotel and Tyler got out. He headed into the lobby. Next on his calendar was a meeting with Courtney, the media rep for the league. It said to meet her in the front of the hotel. He was a bit early, so he took a seat on a couch and tried to make himself visible. He hated doing media. It made him so anxious that he might say the wrong thing. They never cared about him anyway. The media only paid attention to the stars. He did not shine bright enough for them.
The radio program bugged him more than he liked to admit. It was typical of the handling of the league. There were a few names worth paying attention to. Everyone else was just background. He might not have minded it if there weren't consequences. He spent his time between the summer working for his dad. Comparing that to the kind of life Bridgette or Alejandro enjoyed, it was like night and day. Having a sponsor like Nike or Redbull created endless possibilities.
"Ah Tyler!" Courtney said walking up to him with a clipboard under her arm. "You're early. That almost never happens." Courtney took a seat on the couch opposite him and took a tape recorder out. Courtney was the media rep for the league and in charge of all official press. "Ready for that quote? It will only take a minute. Just say what you want into the recorder."
Even with Emma's warning he had still not even taken the time to come up with something to say. "What is this for again?"
"We are doing introductory rider profiles on the website and we just need a couple sentences for a personal quote blurb we will stick under your photo." Courtney said.
Tyler sighed. "Okay. Uh, how about: I'm looking forward to my first full season at TSX. I intend to prove I'm more than just a replacement."
Courtney shrugged. "That will do."
"It's not a very good quote is it?" Tyler asked.
"There were worse. All Duncan gave me was his phone number. Super professional. Joke will be on him when I publish it for everyone to see." Courtney put her tape recorder away in her bag. "That's it, thanks Tyler."
"That's it? That's all your getting from the riders?" Tyler asked.
"Come on Tyler. You know how these things work. Just a quote or two for the small guys and big interviews with the stars. I had a full hour long interview scheduled with Alejandro this morning but he was a no show. Typical for those hot shots."
Tyler wondered why he even bothered asking. It was another reminder of how the riders lived in different worlds. Except, this time Tyler knew Alejandro's absence was not because of his prima donna profile. Alejandro was probably still reeling from his break up with the television star Blaineley. Tyler imagined news of the break up would be the single biggest scoop of the season if he shared it with Courtney. For a moment, he imagined how much more of a spotlight it would give him, if he said something about it. Sure, the person to spill the beans would likely only be mentioned in the fine print, but it would still be more than most of the coverage he had received so far. But, just as soon as the thought came to his head, he pushed it out. Alejandro trusted him. Tyler did not know why. It was probably the same reason Bridgette had been candid with him before. Whatever the reason may have been, he did not want to throw it away. Right now, it was all he had.
"Alright. Well good luck with your race." Courtney stood up and stepped away.
Tyler checked his phone for the next thing on his calendar. There was a notification that the course for the first race had just been opened up for the riders to practice on. He knew he needed to do a few runs and shake off his offseason of rust. But, before he hit the slopes, he needed a coffee.
When Tyler entered the coffee shop he saw there was a long line. He took his place at the back of it and waited. It was moved slowly and he considered forgoing coffee, but when he looked up at the counter and saw Lindsay working behind it, he decided to stay. She looked equal parts hurried and frantic. She desperately tried to get everyone's order done with a smile on her face that could have melted all the snow off Garibaldi.
Tyler could take solace that he did not need to talk to anymore press until the race. He still felt awkward talking to any kind of press. It was still something he was getting used to. Even when he won competitions prior to being picked for TSX he would rarely get much attention. He figured he just did not have that spark other riders had. It was still a few minutes until finally Tyler got to the counter. Lindsay's face seemed to light up when she turned around and saw him.
"Hey." Tyler said.
"Hey! Taylor!"
"Tyler."
"Huh?"
"My name is Tyler."
"Oh right. Sorry Tyler. What can I get you?"
"Medium coffee."
"Coming right up!" Lindsay turned around and started to make his coffee. "Isn't it exciting? The first TSX race is going to happen soon." She did not need to remind Tyler. "I'm thinking I will try to follow it this year, but I don't have a favorite yet. I'm trying to figure out who to cheer for."
Tyler wanted to tell her she should cheer for him. The idea of her excitedly watching the race, hoping for him to win, was a comforting thought. But it was pointless. She did not even knew he was a rider. He could tell her, but it felt embarrassing to mention it now. Plus, what kind of a fate was cheering for him? She'd be doomed to be constantly let down with each new failure, each disappointing finish, each time he faded into the shadow, eclipsed by the light of the other riders.
"I heard the Alejandro guy is really good. I've seen him in a bunch of magazines with Blaineley too. I was thinking he'd be the best person to support. What do you think?" Linsday asked as she handed him his coffee.
"That's a good idea." Tyler said. "I think he could probably use some support right now."
"Huh?"
"Lindsay!" Beth called out from the other side of the counter. "Stop chitchatting! The line is out the door!"
"Sorry!"
It had to be Alejandro. It was always someone like Alejandro. Tyler could not even begrudge her for it either. Alejandro was a good choice. He was a better rider than Tyler. Tyler could not compete.
Tyler took his coffee back to his hotel room and prepped for his practice. It was truly amazing how much Lindsay made him forget just how awful a product he was buying. Still he needed the energy. This was going to be the first major practice runs he would get in since arriving. He knew his muscles were going to be stiff and he would be hurting for a while afterwards.
As one of the TSX riders, Tyler got the special perk of not having to take the normal lift up the mountain. Instead the TSX riders got a personal snowmobile taxi up to course provided to them. At the top was the riders lodge, designed specifically for the TSX riders. Inside was the men's locker rooms. There were personalized stalls for each rider with their gear laid out. Even Tyler had to admit it was pretty sweet. It reminded him of locker rooms shown on espn after nba games. Facilities like this made him appreciate that he really was competing at such a high level.
Once he was fully geared up, he headed to the course. A TSX course consisted of a number of sharp turns and jumps down the mountain. It was important for him to get familiar with the layout of the course. When competing he would be wrestling for space down the track with three other riders. So, he needed to figure out spots that he could use to cut inside and overtake someone, or an angle off a jump to get him in the best spot to hit the next turn.
The first few times Tyler went down the track were rough. A few of the jumps were causing him trouble. He could not quite stick the landing. It wasn't that they were difficult. He felt as though he was flinging himself forward, lacking precision and control.
There were a couple jumps he had real difficulty sticking the landing. His frustration grew with each wipeout. It was not that these jumps were all that hard, he was thinking too far ahead and needed to focus on just making the landing. Once he got over that he started to feel a bit more confident.
For the first few hours he had the track to himself but eventually other riders started practicing as well. The first one was Duncan, who made things a bit more difficult.
"Out of my way loser." Duncan said shoving Tyler down at the start. "Make way for riders who actually have a chance of winning."
Duncan was one rider who had always had a bad reputation. He was an aggressive rider who was known to throw elbows and do whatever it takes to win. His 'I don't give a fuck' attitude though had made him very popular. He was also really good. Frustratingly good.
"Ignore him." Owen, one of the other riders said offering Tyler his hand and helped pick him back up to his feet.
"Wow, Owen, you are actually practicing?" Tyler was a bit surprised to see him. Owen never had a good work ethic, often partying late into the evening the night before a major competition.
"I'm a rider aren't I? Come on, let's practice together." Owen said.
Owen was a big guy. That was his one major advantage. He would go down tracks like a wrecking ball, it was impossible to get past him. Unfortunately for him, he was usually behind everyone else.
They practiced together for a hour, until Tyler was pretty wiped. He could already feel his body was done. All those crashes in the beginning had really taken their toll.
"I'm going to call it here."
"Hey! Let's get go grab a drink!" Owen said. "There's a decent bar not far from the hotel. Come on, I'll show you."
Tyler was not one for drinking with such a major event coming up. He did not want to waste a day of prep by being hungover. He needed all the prep he could use. However, it was nearly impossible to say no to Owen. Tyler had learned there was little point in arguing.
They rode down the mountain on the same snowmobile. The bar was only a few doors down from the hotel. It was a cozy pub with a wooden aesthetic. It was mostly empty, though it was still early.
"Hey Ryan!" Owen called out to the bartender as they found a table to sit.
"Hey Owen. The usual?" Ryan asked.
"You got it!"
"I'll just have a pint of whatever lager you have." Tyler said. They had been there less than a week and Owen had apparently already on a first name basis with the bartender here and had a regular order.
"I'm telling you." Owen said. "New season, New Owen. Sure, I got last place the first two seasons, but not this season. I won't be falling into the same traps as last year."
Ryan arrived at their table and placed a pint glass in front of Tyler. Then he put down two full pitchers of beer in front of Owen and an empty glass.
"I think that is good Owen." Tyler said. "What about Izzy?" Those two had had a turbulent on and off relationship. They were both terrible influences on each other. Their escapades were often all over the tabloids: crazy late-night binges, trashed hotel rooms, drunken debauchery at official TSX events. Izzy was somehow able to still be a top rider even with all the distractions and substance abuse. Owen on the other hand was not, and his terrible results reflected that.
Owen shook his head. "No more Izzy. We are done. For good. I've got to focus on me."
"That's good to hear."
"Guys like us, we're a different breed as guys like Duncan. We've got to really pull our bootstraps up to even get noticed and prove ourselves. They don't know the struggles like we do."
"I don't know. Talking to Alejandro. He's got struggles too."
"Since when were you and Alejandro buddies?"
"Uh, He has the room next to mine in the hotel."
"Hey I think that's great. The more guys we can get on our side the better." Owen said having already drank down a good portion of the first pitcher. "This is going to be our year man! Finally prove that we belong!"
Tyler was a bit unsure whether he liked the fact that Owen was grouping him together with Owen. Tyler had done poorly last season, but he did much better than Owen. Plus, Owen seemed like a nice guy. But there was a dark side to him too. His words felt a little hollow. Sure, Owen was practicing, but only did for half the time Tyler did, and now they were at a bar while Owen was just throwing back all this beer. He hoped he was wrong and Owen really was making a new attempt. Tyler hoped the same could be said of himself and that this season would be different for him too.
…
Afterword:
Thanks for reading. We hope you liked it!
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Till Next Time –Nyhlus and BJ
