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By Adam Lapierre
News staff writer
June 17, 2009
For
many who call Post Canyon their local playground, keeping the
area off the radar is a good thing.
For
others, a bit of exposure would be recognition for the years of
hard work and effort that has been put into making the area a
top-notch mountain biking destination.
Either
way, the momentum of the freeride movement in the forested hills
just a few miles west of Hood River has been growing immensely
over the last few years.
With the
help and cooperation of local agencies, landowners and an
organized group of riders and trail builders, a network of
well-organized and maintained trails has been created for users
of all ability levels to enjoy. In recent years only a few
grass-roots mountain biking competitions have been held in the
Post Canyon area, and for one reason or another no longstanding
events have been established to withstand the test of time and
showcase what is now know as some of the best biking terrain in
the Northwest.
Brandon
Ontiveros hopes to change that with the introduction of the Hood
River Super D: A first-annual, 3,000 vertical drop downhill race
on June 27, descending through the famously-diverse Post Canyon
terrain.
“The
Hood River Super D is ready to make its mark as one of the top
mountain bike events on the West Coast,” said Ontiveros, event
director. “I feel compelled to make this an annual event, and I
strive to bring successful partnerships and creative promotions
into the mix. I feel that I owe it to the local community,
myself and to the sport of mountain biking in hosting a
well-organized and fun grassroots event.”
For
riders who experienced the course at the 2008 Gorge Games, the
start and finish lines will be the same, but the 3,000-foot
vertical decent down the hill will be different.
The
course will start above the Binns Hill staging area and end at
the bottom of Post Canyon Road. Although officially a downhill
race, some mild climbing paired with technical downhill terrain
will make the event equally balanced between downhill and
cross-country, appealing to riders of both styles.
“That,
in a nutshell, is a Super D: a downhill cross-country mountain
bike race,” Ottiveros said. “With no favorable advantage for
either style of rider, it will be an exciting race to check
out.”
Registration for the race includes several male and female
categories, including professional, expert, masters, sport,
junior and beginner, meaning riders of all ability levels have
the chance to compete. The race is capped at 150 riders, so
anyone interested in racing is encouraged to sign up as soon as
possible (see below for details).
“Next
year we plan to fulfill the local demand for more mountain bike
events and possibly include a cross country, slope style and
downhill free ride event in conjunction with a Super D series,”
Ontiveros said. “My expectations are high and I’m excited for
opportunities that lie ahead within the mountain biking
industry.”
For more
information, maps, race details and to register, visit
www.breakaway-events.net. Registration is also available at
Discover Bicycles in Hood River, which is the title sponsor
under new ownership.
In
addition to several national brands, local sponsors for the race
include Full Sail Brewing, Pizzicato, Mountain View Cycles,
Gorge Delights, Dirty Fingers Bicycle Repair and Dakine. “A
special thanks goes out to all the sponsors, and to Hood River
County Forestry, Oregon State Parks and OBRA for supporting us
and making the event a reality,” Ontiveros said.
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