RI mountain biker who died during race remembered for talent; larger than life smile

JOHNSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — An expert mountain biker from Richmond Rhode Island is being remembered as an adrenaline junkie with a larger than life smile.

His own life came to an end during a race nearly a week ago.

34-year-old Scott Huntley grew up in the Chariho district.

Those who love him, including his girlfriend, Kristina Grande, said he always put passion into everything he loved.

“He competed with dirt bikes in high school, he worked, worked as a garbage man, on a lobster boat and did landscaping,” Grande said.

“I called him DD because he would smile so big his cheeks would turn into two, sometimes three dimples. He loved working with children of all different ages, he just really wanted to give back.”

About four years ago, Grande said Huntley became interested in mountain biking.

“He got into ‘downhill’ about four years ago around COVID he said he used his COVID money to get the bike,” said Grande.

“Downhill is when you take a chairlift or gondola up to the top of the mountain. Some people ride their bike to the top of the mountain. That was him he actually enjoyed riding his bike to the top of the mountain. So you ride your bike to the top of the mountain, and then, if you can imagine skiing or snowboarding down, it’s kind of like that except it’s extremely tight trails with trees on either side.”

The sport is dangerous and with it comes a high possibility of injury.

“You don’t tell people to be safe, you tell people to be smart because it’s just not a safe sport whatsoever,” she said.

In the past Grande, who became an exceptional ‘elite’ competitor, had his fair share of injuries in the past with a broken collar bone and wrist.

His friends put together a montage of videos on social media that showed many of his falls, but he always got back up.

On Sunday, that didn’t happen.

The expert mountain biker was competing in a national championship in North Carolina.

He struck a tree during a downhill race at the 2024 Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships at Ride Rock Creek in Zirconia.

“When we found out he fell we were like, ‘Oh, ok. Scott will get back up, he always gets back up,” said Grande.

First responders provided treatment to Huntley.

He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

“This is probably the most painful thing I’ve ever gone through in my life,” said Grande.

“Scott always made me feel loved and supported, and it’s like I still have him here making sure I’m loved and supported even though it’s not by him it’s by everyone who loved him,” she said.

Huntley’s plate number was 401 to represent his home state of Rhode Island.

“His racing community has stepped up in a big way. They’ve put together a fundraiser to raise money to bring him back to Rhode Island as well as doing another memorial service here for people who were close to him here,” said Grande.

“He was really happy, he really died doing what he loved and being loved and feeling like he was a part of something,” Grande said.

Race organizer ‘Eastern States Cup’ said Huntley’s 401 plate number would be retired as a tribute to “one of the best to ever do it.”

A memorial downhill ride wrapped up Saturday afternoon during this weekend’s races in Mount Snow, Vermont.