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Checking in: Coen Skrypnek’s World Cup debut

Racing in Europe as a privateer, pizza, and getting to ride whip-offs with the world's best

Dunbar Canada Cup Panorama Skrypnek

Coen Skrypnek is a Squamish junior who moved out from Calgary, the whole family did, chasing the downhill dream. He recently returned from his first set of World Cup races, Leogang and Les Gets, in Europe.

After a mechanical in Austria, and a detour to Crankworx Innsbruck where Skrypnek was eighth, Coen made his first junior World Cup final at Les Gets. With the intense level of competition internationally, it’s a major milestone for any racer.

We talked to the Skrypnek family before they left. Now we’re checking in to see what Coen’s first European racing experience was like, and how it went racing as a privateer on the World Cup circuit.

Coen Skrypnek. Photo: Zane Simmonds
Canadian MTB: So this was your first trip to Europe to race. How was the experience? What were you expecting, and how was it different?

Coen Skrypnek: It was my first time in Europe at all, actually. I thought the jet lag might take a toll on me but it wasn’t as bad as I expected. We were able to sleep on the plane, then landed at Frankfurt at 8am. Then we were in Leogang, Austria, for about two weeks. A week in Italy, then we went to France for Les Gets.

Austria was great, I found the food there was so amazing. They really love and care about what they’re making.

Oh yeah? What was your go-to, or favourite?

All around Europe, the pizza was so good. I thought in Austria it was great, but then we went to Italy. My expectations for pizza now are so incredibly high.

How did the racing compare? Everyone has ideas what World Cup is going to be like, did it live up?

What I found was the features are significantly bigger and harder than anything you might see on a regular, provincial race circuit, if that makes sense.

The other thing I found was that, over the course of a day or weekend, the amount that the track actually changed was insane. The first day it’s quite smooth. But come qualification or race day, there was a crazy amount of ruts and bumps and roots that weren’t even there on the first laps.

Is there anyway you can prepare for that, coming from Canada?

You just have to be prepared for that change. For us juniors in B Practice, that runs earlier in the morning, where A Practice is later in the day. For qualification day, we practice at 8:45, then stop riding for 2-3 hours while the pros all practice, then we have to try qualify. In the time between when we practice and qualify, the track changes a huge amount. So you have to just have a bit of a “send it” mindset.

Coen Skrypnek Europe
The Canadian junior group together in Europe: L-R, Tegan Cruz, Jackson Goldstone, new elite Seth Sherlock, Jake Jewett, Tristan Lemire and Coen Skrypnek, far right in Canada colours. Photo: Mike Skrypnek
So you had two chances at the World Cup, plus some racing at Crankworx Innsbruck. How did racing go?

At the first race in Leogang, I was on pace to qualify. Based on splits, so you never know what could have happened. Then I did flat half-way down the course. That was pretty upsetting to me. I mean there’s nothing you can do about a flat tire, other than choose a better line. So that was pretty gutting.

Then we drove to Innsbruck (Crankworx) and we got to do whip-offs. That was probably the funnest event I’ve ever ridden in. Like, hitting that size of a jump with that many of the pros it was a super cool experience. It was cool to ride with those guys, because I’ve looked up to them for so many years.

Then the Innsbruck DH, it was fast and maybe not as gnarly. Or the faster the you went the gnarlier it was. I had a pretty good weekend, and slid into 8th in the juniors. I had a pretty good run, so I was happy with that.

Finally, we raced Les Gets World cup. Making finals there felt really good, that was one of my main goals over there. I think I was more stressed out for qualification than for anything I’ve ever raced, actually.

Once I got past that it was race day, I just had to giver’er gas and went for it. I couldn’t put together an incredible run there, so I slid into the top-25. It just left me wanting more.

So you get over there and you have two races. As you mentioned, you can get a flat tire and that’s just part of racing. Is there any fear that you’d go all the way over there and just not make any finals?

After Leogang, that kind of crossed my mind. That’d be quite devastating, just because I put in so much effort in the off season to get to that point.

As a junior, you get two years and – as a privateer – you get limited chance to go over and make an impression. For anyone not as familiar with downhill racing, what do these races mean for you?

The junior downhill years mean a lot. It could decide if you end up racing your first years of elite. If you do junior, and have so-so results, you sort of think, OK, I’m going to go home and maybe come back in a couple years.

If you can’t get a team spot, just financially, it gets so expensive. Especially if you’re north American. So there’s a lot of pressure there.

Some juniors are travelling with full factory support. You and a few other Canadian’s are racing with some North American team support, but it’s totally different.

Us privateers, who were on Team Canada – we had to register under the national federation – we all stick around each other and make sure we’re there for each other. Just because it’s very nice to see a familiar face when you’re over there. It’s super tough being alone, so once you have the guys you usually ride with, it’s just more comfortable.

It’s super tough not having a team there, because so much can go wrong, and everything’s quite intense on these weekends. I was able to pit with the Kona team for the two races, which was incredibly helpful. Having mechanics there was so nice, my bike was dialed the whole weekend.

“Travels with my father” – World Cup edition
So you’re 17 right now?

Yeah, I turned 17 in Leogang, actually.

Was it just you travelling?

I was with my dad, which was nice. We rented a van, road tripped it around Europe., and had some really awesome times. It’s something neither him nor I will ever forget. I was glad to have him there instead of just anybody.

So that’s where the go-fund-me comes in, flights and hotels and travel?

Yeah, COVID’s been really tough on everybody, and we totally understand that. The amount of money you need to spend to get to racing is substantial. We were just looking for a little more support, just because of that cost.

Speaking of last year, how did the lack of racing last year effect you?

I really think racing last year would have helped. A lot of the Europeans were able to race, so they were almost one step ahead in that sense. Same with the Kiwi’s and Aussies, because they were racing all winter – that’s their season, right. I think it may have put us Canadians back a little bit. Definitely not Jackson [Goldstone], he was on a different pace this trip, which is awesome for him.

Where are you working?  

I just started working for a friend that runs a waste management business. They needed some of their bins moves, so I’m lugging their garbage bins around the sho yard.

I’m also a pizza chef at a restaurant here. I don’t work too much, but it’s enough.

Before Squamish, you were living in Calgary and travelling to Whistler for summer camps. You met Steve Smith at one of those. That was when you were, what, 11? Is that something that had an impact on you?

Oh yeah, totally. Meeting Stevie and all those guys that were able to coach us at summer gravity camps there was, at the time, so amazing. It was so eye opening. Seeing all these guys and how good they were, I just thought “Man I want to be like that when I’m older.”

I think those camps were game changing for me, and my family. Like, this is awesome, we gotta do this. So he’s always been one of my influences.

Now you’re coaching as well?

Not at the moment, just because they’re not as busy right now. But in the fall I probably will again, and then in the spring. I actually really enjoy coaching.

It’s really fun to coach kids, and see what’s coming in the future for the sport.