About Chris Florin Chris Florin, of Grant, FL, is 25 years old and currently ranked the No. 4 rider in the sport known as Observed Motorcycle Trials. Chris started competing in 1991 at the age of 10 as a member of the Florida Trials Association. His father, Barry Florin, was a competitor in the 1970s and was responsible for Chris's involvement in the sport. His mother, Jean Florin, has also been influential as a competitive rider and has devoted many years as an officer in the FTA since in 1990's. In 1997, Chris competed in his first national event and by 2001 he had turned pro. He has been selected as a member of the Trial Des Nations team, a prestigious international Observed Trials event in which the top four riders in the United States are invited to participate in this World Event. The TDN is held yearly, and this year will be Chris's fifth time participating. He has also competed in the infamous "Scottish Six Days", a grueling, weeklong competition featuring six straight days of riding in Scotland's most challenging terrain. Chris spends a good deal of the time on the road, competing and training from one end of the country to the other. When asked why he likes this sport, Chris replies that he appreciates the challenge. Unlike motocross, where you're racing against other riders, in observed trials, you can be your own best friend or your worst enemy. Riders have to maneuver and respond to the terrain as it comes, and speed is not so much a factor as balance and coordination.