It doesn't really surprise me anymore to see Asa Vermette's name near the top of a results sheet, though it certainly used to. I mean, the dude is 16 years old - the age when most of us are preoccupied with high school and getting our driving licenses. Unlike most of us, Asa got really fast at riding bikes, really early. The Colorado native lives in Durango, one of the mountain biking hotspots in the US, and seems to have really made the most of it, becoming one of the nation's top riders in both downhill and enduro. This year, he won his third junior downhill National Championship and also continued making his way into he pro category - which he's been mainly racing this year - and won the pro enduro National Championship ahead of Richie Rude. Actually, he's won the vast majority of events he's entered this year, which is no joke since they've been mostly pro events with serious competition. His most recent race was the US Open, where he placed second in the downhill, behind just Dakotah Norton and ahead of people with Minnaar, Breeden, and Goldstone in their names. This might be the first time you've heard of Asa, but we can be sure it won't be the last.
Who is Asa Vermette?
I’m a downhill mountain bike racer from Durango, Colorado, and still live in Durango.
How did you start mountain biking?
I’ve just grown up riding bikes with my parents!
Who are your sponsors?
Frameworks Racing, Enve wheels, Renen Clothing, BC Goggles, GoPro, Fox Bike, ODI Grips, 5Dev, 2nd Ave Sports.
What does it mean to you to have backing from sponsors?
It’s sweet to have sponsors supporting me - it helps so much, and all of my sponsors are great friends to me which is sick.
How did you choose to work with Frameworks?
After the 2022 US Open when I got 3rd place in pro, Neko just asked me to ride one of his bikes the next day and I loved it.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I am always riding my bikes - downhill to enduro to dirt jumping, I love it all! And am usually doing all of them every day.
What riding accomplishments are you most proud of?
This year I’m most proud of winning pro enduro National Championship, beating Aaron Gwin and Luca Shaw at the Downhill Southeast, and just recently getting 2nd place in the US Open in pro men!
How did it feel to win Nationals in such a stacked field?
It was crazy, I can’t really explain it, just stoked!
What does it do to your expectations for your future to have beaten the top riders you've beaten?
It feels really good just knowing that I have the speed to compete in the highest level.
What are your strengths?
Definitely the steeper tracks because I’m lighter than most the other pros I race against haha.
What are your weaknesses?
Probably sprints but at least I know I can get better at them because I can do some training.
What’s the best part of being a downhill and enduro racer?
It’s just so sweet to be able to do what I love for a job! And I love it.
Where is your favorite place to ride?
Probably my local town Durango, Colorado!
What has been your worst crash over the years?
Probably at Bootleg this year. I had a pretty good one but didn’t break anything and was able to race!
Who or what inspires you?
I don’t really know actually, I just love ripping my bikes down hills.
What do you enjoy doing away from mountain biking?
Dirt biking, I just recently got a Surron and those are sick. Haha just always on two wheels.
How do you want to be remembered?
Just as hopefully one of the best mountain bikers and a nice good dude haha.
What does the future hold for you?
Next year I’m racing all the World Cups and I’m sooo stoked for that! And just hopefully just more of that.
Asa, thanks for taking the time to let us get to know you! Follow along with Asa on Instagram at @asavermette, and at the races on top of the podiums.
Or maybe the GOAT is moving to Frameworks…
It also means Greg is old enough to be Asa’s dad and have still have an older sibling to play with
Then the school year starts, and you realize how many of the kids your kid is racing again are homeschooled or virtual school... so they just keep on traveling and racing while your kid returns to the "real world" of school with tons of homework and very limited time outside the school building to train and ride.
We wouldn't trade the experiences for anything, but it's definitely a crazy world as you move into the "serious" level. But... moto has been like that for a while from what I understand.
Moto has been like this for a really long time, you dont need money to have talent but to travel around and race and be able to afford to ride everyday and either homeschool or private school your child is very expensive.
There are a ton of families spending 30k a year to race amateur motocross not even counting buying bikes,parts, et.
This is overwhelmingly not true for everyone, but it is a reality for others.
However, for the most of us current and future day-jobbers, local racing still exists, and we can get our fix of competition on the weekends just fine.
I always joke that most likely scenario for making it "big" in mountain biking involves my kid couch surfing in my basement in the off season. If you're not doing it for the experience as a family, then you're nuts because the top tier of MTB athletes is a pretty paltry living.
The one thing that does amaze me is how many kids are home schooled/not schooled depending on your interpretation. Loads and loads seem to spend 3 days at tracks before the next race, which are what i'd normally say are school days... weird.
Elite level is obviously next level as you're spending money travelling Europe and potentially the world. But even in Youth/Junior the riders will be racing IXS cups, which are scattered throughout Europe, which really again is next level of expenditure.
Freaking love it! Kid is all time! Humble and genuine as it gets and that plus his skills… he’s going to take it all!! Future is as bright as it gets for him and so pumped to watch it happen!
Some real synergies there to build a brand around. It’s a great story now… imagine it in a few years if they had a plan around working together?
Pitch that we’ll and an angel investor might get psyched in Neko, FTW and Asa.
But the riding is lame so don't bother checking it out and definitely don't move here.
- I don’t really know actually, I just love ripping my bikes down hills.
Asa for President 2024