By Brice Minnigh
On a weekend when mountain bikers were to be celebrating our sport at the Dam Cold Downhill race in Bootleg Canyon, Nevada, many will instead be attending a memorial service for that race’s spirited organizer.
Dave “Crash” Collins, who had devoted much of his energy to promoting races on Bootleg Canyon’s downhill trails, passed on January 8 following an intense battle with cancer. His passing came just 10 days short of his 48th birthday.
Mere weeks before being diagnosed with terminal cancer in late November 2009, Collins had announced his ambitious plans for the Dam Cold Downhill, a new pro-am that promised a $20,000 prize purse. The race, which was scheduled for January 16-17, was designed to give local racers a rare opportunity to compete against some of the world’s fastest pros.