Skillz!

Your post makes me think that some of the best riders I know came up, as I did, in the pre-suspension MTB era, when having the technical expertise to negotiate rough trails was essential; shocks really took some of that demand away, as did the trail 'domestication' that came with land access issues and increased ridership. Trails used to be rougher, and I wonder if it didn't teach us some things about how to ride. And as old dudes now with like 25-35 years of riding under our belts, some execute those skills like 2nd nature, just effortlessly; the Masters are some of the fastest guys to chase!