The Search Team 2009

The Search Team is lucky enough to consist of two of the most passionate and dedicated riders out there, Paul Aston and James Mcknight.  Although still in their early twenties they have have both been on the road, riding and racing for many years accumulating results and experiences all over europe.  It was from knowing these guys and sharing their passion for riding that first ideas for The Search were planted...in fact they pretty much embody everything The Search tries to achieve: exploring new places and riding till you drop!

The team will use The Search to access the different riding venues we visit for training purposes, so if your lucky you may find yourself sharing the bus with these pinners!

If you want to see the guys in action check out their part in The Uprising (www.theuprisingfilm.com).

Team 20 Questions:

Paul Aston:

1. Name:     Paul James Aston
2. Name your mother calls you:    Paul
3. Name everybody else calls you:    Aston/ The mother fucking Astonator (tm)
4. Age:    23
5. Number of friends on Facebook:    369
6. Current sponsors:    Mtbskills.eu, Mavic, Scotby Cycles,Saab Salomon Avalanche Trophy, The Search
7. Dream sponsors:    Tetleys, McVities
8 .Biggest result:    67th, World Cup Schladming
9. Biggest crash:    I went down on the Pleney main line last year at full tilt in the DRY, not a pretty sight, skin seems to grip a lot better there than the tyres!
10. When, where and who with was your best days riding?    I don't know, there have been so so many to choose from. A couple that stand out are the first time me and Mcknight rode in Chamonix, we just took a random lift up then spent the next 2 hours descending incredible single track, like nothing we had ever imagined existed.  And last year in Chatel there were around 10 of us all good friends and similar speeds, doing 10Cross racing all day, it got pretty wild!
11.Who do you respect the most?:    Everybody who lives just to ride and nothing else.
12.What's the best thing you can cook?:     Cups of Tea, Does that count as cooking?
13.Favourite place?:    Morzine, France
14.Best thing about mountain bikes?    Missing heart beats
15.Worst thing about mountain bikes?    The never ending cleaning/ maintaining/ repairing.
16.You can swap places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
17.It's raining hard. First lift or another hour in bed?    First Lift
18.What word best describes your riding style?    Loose as Ken (3words)
19.What are your goals for the 2009 season?     I am aiming for top 10 in the Saab Salomon Avalanche Trophy, and i want to regain enough points to race World Cups again.
20.Is there anyone you want to say hello to, thank or insult on the record?    Thanks to my family and friends, and to the people who helped most with my riding career, Simon Paton, Clive Forth, Steve Parr, Simon Baggot and countless others that have helped me out over the years.

James Mcknight:

1.Name:     James Mcknight
2.Name your mother calls you:     Lad, son, Jimbo, James. Depends on mood and how much money I owe her.
3.Name everybody else calls you:     Jimbo or Europikey..
4.Age:    22
5.Number of friends on Facebook:     Close to 300,000
6.Current sponsors:    K9 Industries, Powell Fitness, howies, GUAK, The Search, SB-DH.com
7.Dream sponsors:    Redken
8.Biggest result:     When I'm racing and not injured, I count that as a result.
9.Biggest crash:     Any crash on the Pleney is always huge. Injury wise nailing the nerves in my arm or tearing my little finger off were pretty savage.
10.When, where and who with was your best days riding?     Fuck thats hard. Prob like Aston, Chamonix was rad or infact any time me and Aston have just been kicking out around the Alps, especially first couple of summers when we were pretty mad for it.
11.Who do you respect the most?:     My folks.
12.What's the best thing you can cook?:    Pasta is the best and the worst thing I can cook in the way that it is the only thing I can cook.
13.Favourite place?:     Alps, I hope I can afford to live there again soon..
14.Best thing about mountain bikes?     Variety, friends and downhill racing.
15.Worst thing about mountain bikes?     The cost!
16.You can swap places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?    Someone who works in an office, just to make sure I'm doing the right thing here..
17.It's raining hard. First lift or another hour in bed?     First lift! Although two summers ago it probably went the other way a little when It was raining every day for 6 weeks!
18.What word best describes your riding style?     Slow at the moment.
19.What are your goals for the 2009 season?     To get up to a decent speed, get some results I'm happy with, look towards next season really. Also to get my own business going(mcskills.com) so I can get contracts guiding and teaching. And also to get the K9 bike perfected and out on the market.
20.Is there anyone you want to say hello to, thank or insult on the record?     Thanks parents, Sean from Bertie Maffoons (first sponsor and the only way I could have ever got to races when I was growing up), Luis and Shinny from K9, Adam Powell, Mike Saunders from Switch-backs who is sound and has helped me no end, Si Dalton for his help and always kicking my arse into gear, Chris Jackson and his company morzinesessions.com and also along those lines, Jill from Riders Refuge who has housed and fed me and Aston on various occasions for no reason other than that she is a bloody nice person.