Downhill Champ on the Rise - Tuhotoariki Pene
April 28
Tuhotoariki is our newest and youngest earSHOTS athlete at 20 years old, he has already been racing for 17 years. Starting out on the BMX track as young as 3, he got into downhill racing at 7, when his Dad used to drive the shuttle bus in Rotorua. With endless shuttle runs on the downhill and jumps track he soon got pretty good on the big bike.
Winning the NZ National DH series this year has shown pace and form that Tuhoto hopes will continue over to Europe, where he has previously had a splattering of podium finishes on the World Cup circuit, including 1st at Val Di Sol, Italy in 2019.
Currently recovering from a broken wrist, Tuhotoariki is using earSHOTS bluetooth headphones on his recovery rides and at the gym. The self changing case means earSHOTS bluetooth headphones can be ready on the go, with the long batter life rarely needing to be plugged in to re-charge. He turns up the tunes for the climbs, then switches off to focus on the downs, while earSHOTS magnetic ear clip technology means they stay in place even over the gnarliest downhill runs.
Getting the ride/life balance is key to Tuhoto’s success and he is fortunate to combine both, working for Rotorua Trails trust, growing and maintaining Rotorua’s epic trail network, so make sure you say “Thanks” next time you see him out in the forest.
Follow his progress @tuhoto_araiki on Instagram