Downieville ‘08

July 14th, 2008 | Written by The Rev | Topic: Sermons

Greetings Brothers and Sisters. For better or for worse I am back in the world of cell phone reception and interweb connection.

Not many things these days live up to they hype. I have heard the stories, read the exploits of Mark Weir and engaged in some lively discussions online with those who have lived it. Still, I had my doubts. I shouldn’t have. Back in the day the NORBA Series was a big traveling circus. The courses were epic, everyone raced XC and DH on the same bike, and there was an atmoshpere of brotherhood that really had to be experienced. Downieville is trying to recreate that. I would say they have succeded in a big way. Ross Schnell and Rachel Lloyd got the wins in the XC and deserve every bit of respect that comes with that title.

If you like doing lots of laps at a ski resort then the Downieville course is not for you. The XC is about as good a test of MTB skill as you are likely to come across. Long climbs? check. Fast fire roads? check. Ripping downhill? check. You get the idea. In the 2:29 it took me I can honestly say I don’t remember ever being so blown after such a short race. Total devastation.

As good as the race was the post race was even better. A free plate of lasagna was waitng for every racer, free pint of New Belgium beer (w/ glass!) and a cool river to soak in. The big air jump into the river was a total blast to watch. (pics here). We left so we could ride in Tahoe the next day so we missed the evening festivities.

Downieville is basically the exact opposite of what the NMBS series has become. The entire event is about participation and appreciating the racers rather then the exploitation and gouging of the NMBS.

Oh yeah, there is a race going on over in France. More on that tomorrow.

Sermons |