Well - the snow maybe just around the corner, but for most island
riders, the warm sunshiny days leave riders longing for more vertical.
The lifts have stopped turning and it's time now to reflect on the
summer past and look forward to bigger and better things in 2007.
A late and deep snowfall this spring left most of the trails buried
under close to 15 feet of snow, but with the careful work of a few
groomers, a busy trail crew and some great spring heat, the biking
returned in early July. Early signs showed some carnage left from the
winter past as popular stunts like the tripple totter and other
boardwalks were left crushed. Stockpiles of wood quickly came to the
rescue and the trails were brought up to repair by the end of July.
Local Dodge City Cycles Racer at BC Cup
Late July saw the visit of the Canada Cup series, the highest level
race held so far on Vancouver Island. Racers and crowds came from all
over to compete, with some top riders such as Courtenay's own Kiara
Bisaro (1st) and Geoff Kabush (2nd) on the XC Side while top local DH
racers Adrienne Miller (1st) and Brent Anderson ( 4th) showed well on
the national stage.
August was graced with a 3rd annual return of Norco Performance Bikes
VPS Fest Tour and the masses of riders joining in for free riding, free
tech support and over $5000 in prizes. An island rider favorite, this
weekend is without a doubt the busiest weekend of the summer, and as
usual the vibe and weather were fantastic.
Throughout August, the Thursday Night Downhill series sponsored by
Dodge City Cycles proved to be an instant success joining fun racing,
varied courses, and post race beverages. Many first time racers joined
in and are looking forward to checking out more to come next year.
Darren Berecloth Flying High
Just prior to kids returning to the daily grindstone of school, island
freerider Darren Berecloth brought a number of his slopestyle friends
out for the Bearclaw Invitational Slopestyle Event with the likes of
Cam McCaul, Eric Porter, Jordie Lunn and more showing their all on the
massive course! This crowd favorite capped off a Labour Day Weekend to
beat all weekends. From the bar spins and tail whips to 360's and a 720
backflip or whatever it was called, photographers, videographers and
riders will have a full winter season checking the footage.
September brought shorter hours and fewer lineups, and for most the
early end of the season was a bit disappointing with great weather for
the forseeable future. Many riders will hope for review to find that a
few more weekends of riding are just what the doctor ordered in future
years!
For now its back to shuttles, hiking and headlamp rides. Snow is just
around the corner, and many riders will be dreaming of next summer and
the return of the whir of the chairlift cables.