Dirt

Aussie Mick Hannah claimed slalom and downhill wins in his first season as part of the NORBA series in 2001, and also finished third in his first downhill World Cup race at Grouse Mountain in the same year. Since then, he has picked up podium finishes around the world, including a downhill World Cup win in Vigo, Spain in 2006.

His best year to date has probably been 2009, when he claimed a fifth-place overall downhill World Cup finish, as well as taking third place at the World Championships. In 2013, he claimed the World Championships runners-up spot, and also won his third Australian national downhill title and finished second in both the Canadian Open DH and the Fox Air DH at Crankworx Whistler.

Born in the north Queensland town of Cairns, Mick grew up riding BMXs with his three brothers and sisters (including younger sister Tracey who finished third overall in the 2007 women’s World Cup downhill series), and he won three Australian national BMX titles before first seriously riding a mountain bike. His first major mountain bike result came at the age of 16, when he finished second at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Spain.

Now based mostly in Buena Vista, Colorado and racing for the Hutchinson United Ride team, ‘Sick’ Mick still enjoys the challenge of finding the limit and riding on it all season. A clip released on ridecairns.com in early 2014, which showed Mick trying out the new Smithfield World Cup course, showed that he is still up for the challenge.