Wolf Mountain Mayhem Results

The second race of the Utah Race Series, the Wolf Mountain Mayhem took place on June 21-22, 2008 at Wolf Mountain Resort, UT. Addie Stewart will take the series lead, as she was the only Pro Women to race the downhill (and she won the first event, the Bountiful Bomber). For more information about the Utah Race Series, visit www.go-ride.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Addie Stewart

Expert Women
1. Ana Rodriguez

Super D
Sport Women 19+
1. Ana Rodriguez
2. Claudia Jackson
3. Melanie Bullock

Deer Valley NMBS Results

Joanna Petterson claimed her first big win of the season by taking the Deer Valley, UT National Mountain Bike Series downhill race. She also won the Super D. Notably absent from the downhill was Melissa Buhl, who has dominated the series so far. That means that today's second-place finisher, Darian Harvey, should move into the leader's position for the series. Melissa won the dual slalom over Lisa Myklak, so Melissa will continue to lead the dual slalom/mountaincross series standings. The next race of the series will take place July 12, 2008 at Windham Mountain, NY.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Joanna Petterson
2. Darian Harvey
3. Lisa Myklak
4. Amy Laird
5. Leana Gerrard
6. Rachel Bauer
7. Addie Stewart
8. Michelle Rivera
9. Mariska Chuse

Expert Women 19-29
1. Jennifer Wolf
2. Ana Rodriguez
3. Brooke Shore

Expert women 30-39
1. Stacey Parker

Junior Sport Women
1. Sebray Gossett

Sport Women 19-29
1. Heidi Kanayan

Sport women 30-39
1.Kerry Howe

Beginner women 30-39
1. Carrie Compton

Dual Slalom
Pro Women
1 Melissa Buhl
2. Lisa Myklak
3. Leana Gerrard
4. Joanna Petterson
5. Jessica Vogt
6. Jackie Harmony
7. Leslie Slagle
8. Darian Harvey

Open Women
1. Essence Barton
2. Kayla Meadows
3. Rachel Bauer
4. Brittany Jackson

Super D
Pro Women
1. Joanna Peterson
2. Amy Laird
3. Connie Misket
4. Rachael Throop
5. Amanda Riley-Corey
6. Michelle Rivera
7. Kathy Sherwin
8. Mariska Chuse
9. Heather Ranoa

Open Women 19-29
1. Heidi Kanayan
2. Kate Chapman
3. Lynn Bush
4. Christine Hirst
5. Whitney Thompson
6. Philicia Marion

Open Women 30-39
1. Maria Pastore
2. Rachel Orth

Open Women 40+
1. Lynn Ware-Peek
2. Beverly Chaney

We found our results on www.cyclingnews.com.

3rd Annual Capital Cup Results

Last weekend the 3rd Annual Capital Cup races took place at Wisp Resort in McHenry, MD. This race was the fourth event on the 2008 USA Cycling National Gravity Calendar. Kristin Cousin barely edged out Hillary Elgert for the Pro downhill win.

Pro/Expert
1. Kristin Cousin
2. Hillary Elgert
3. Rae Gandolf

Sport/Beginner
1. Melissa Moran
2. Melissa Edwards
3. Robin Warren

Super D-mented

Even though I don't cover Super D very much on this Blog, I'm definitely a fan of worthy competitions. The fun, fast, and flowing Super D at Crested Butte, CO is what kick-started my downhill career long after I'd realized that cross country racing was not my calling. However, I'm not a fan of many Super Ds these days. Super D is supposed to be the sport for all riders of all levels on any bike. It should bring smiles to everyone's faces. It should not be a point-to-point short track race or a hill-climb time trial.

The high-paced and exciting Deer Valley, UT Super D has been known to bring people out of the woodwork. Downhillers can smash xc racers in the switchbacks, xc racers can out-pedal the downhillers in sections, and everyone can scare themselves by hauling booty. It's good clean fun.

But not for long. Here's an excerpt about the Deer Valley NMBS race from www.cyclingnews.com: "Two years ago they used the sport category downhill course at Deer Valley for Super D. That proved a bit too challenging for many of the Super D racers, particulary [sic] those who only had a hardtail bike to race on. Last year the course was changed to include more fire roads. Every race start is somewhat different, but generally includes a Le Mans (running) start. Race organizer Tom Spiegel, also the inventor of Super D, sometimes has racers lie on their backs for the start, or they have to push the bike for a distance before the real racing begins. This all is an attempt to spread the racers out a bit so there is less of a log jam when they hit the trails."

Hold up. They have people "lie on their backs"? I've heard of some ridiculous Super D start antics lately, but things are getting a bit out of hand. When Super D first emerged, people thought it was crazy to run 100 yards to their bikes. Then the runs got longer and/or steeper for no apparent reason. Then organizers had riders "lie on their backs"?

Why are we making the courses more tame and the starts more ludicrous? Is the level of bizarre start activity proportionately related to the vertical climbed in the course, or minutes spent pedaling down a flat dirt road into a headwind? If so, if Super D is really doomed to become the Super Dumb, Super Dorky cousin to real tough and grimy mountain bike racing, then I have some suggestions for Super D race organizers:
(Feel free to use any or all of these at any future race.)

Super D Mass Start Methods
A) Dizzy Lizzy
-Riders stand on the start line. When the whistle sounds, they must run to their bat and complete the appropriate number of rotations for their class as witnessed by a spotter. Racers then run to their bikes and commence riding. (Beginner = 5 rotations; Sport = 10 rotations; Expert = 15 rotations; Pro = 20 rotations)

B) Sack Race
-Riders place both feet in a burlap sack and hold the top of the sack at waist height, then position themselves on the start line. When the whistle sounds, riders must hop in their sacks to their bikes. Upon reaching one's bike, each rider must step out of the sack and fold it neatly in order to fit the sack into their jersey pocket or hydration pack. Riders must cross the finish line with their original burlap sack to receive an official time.

C) Bean Bag Toss
-Riders stand at the start line. When the whistle sounds, they must toss each of their bean bags into the target hole/bucket/teapot. Riders may not retrieve their bikes until each bean bag has been successfully tossed into the target. (Beginner = 2 bags; Sport = 3 bags; Expert/Pro = 4 bags)

July's Featured Rider: Darcy Turenne

Canada's Darcy Turenne is quickly pushing women's freeride mountain biking into the mainstream. In addition to frequent appearances in cycling mags, Darcy has also been featured in Men's Journal and in an upcoming Rolling Stone issue. A former member of the Canadian National Downhill team, when Darcy left racing for freeriding she never looked back. She currently hosts "The Ride Guide" TV show and has a university degree in environmental studies, so she can properly identify the soil and trees she sails through. --FF

Name: Darcy Turenne
Home: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada--plus airports and couches everywhere!
Age: 24
Favorite type of riding: Fast, flowy, jumpy singletrack
Sponsors: Norco Performance Bikes, Oakley, Gravity/FSA, Dakine, Shimano, Etnies, WTB, Skullcandy
Website: hellodarcy.com

The more I ride, the more I fall in love with it. The freedom and sense of challenge that I feel when I ride is endless and it puts me 100% in the moment. As soon as I jump on my bike I feel in my element and any residual stress I had during the day is gone. That terrible blind date I just had? POOF! Out of my head when I ride!

When I first started "freeriding," it was all about the tricks for me. The only bike I had was a huge downhill bike and I was determined to learn a suicide no-hander. To me, that was the epitome of freeriding! It’s hard to write that now and not laugh.

After I learned the trick and did it a few times, I realized it wasn't as cool as I had imagined. Sure, it got a few “oohs” and “aahs,” but it wasn't actually all that fun to do! Around the same time, my ex-boyfriend had given me a BMX bike. On the first ride I was like, "Why would I want this thing?" I was in my teenage rebellion phase. It hit a littler later for me than most.

He convinced me that BMXing was fun, good for the ol' skills, and that I should try it out. To avoid being in the way, we'd hit the skatepark at 10pm at night after the lights went out. I'd pump around in full gloves, scarves, and down jackets to get the feeling for the bike. After a while, I started venturing out on the BMX in the daylight and soon started to really enjoy it. On a BMX, your mistakes aren’t brushed under the rug like on a big squishy mountain bike. BMX bikes let you know they’re there—like a noisy roommate on a Saturday night. After rough landing after rough landing, I began to realize that being smooth and light on a bike is what separates a good biker from a mediocre one.

There are tricks I've learned, and ones I want to learn, but I don't care about them nearly as much as as I care about my ability to moto-whip and ride with style and confidence. Now all that matters to me when I ride my bike is style and flow. It's a lesson I learned over time and one that I'm going to stick with. I think style is the hardest thing to learn on a bike because it really has to be developed over time and it comes within. I've put a lot of work into mine and that is what I'm the most proud of when I ride.

Because Women Deserve to Compete Too

I'd be remiss if I didn't post this important announcement, which I found on PinkBike.com today. Below you'll find a press release for the First Annual Mustache Cup. And of course, there's a women's category...

Ladies (yes ladies) and Gentlemen, start your facial hair! The fellas at the SolVista Bike Park, CO are throwing down a right, proper mustache growing contest, to be held at the Sol Survivor Mountain States Cup race, August 1-3. That's about six weeks to get that upper lip coiffed to perfection.

Everyone is eligible for participation in the 1st Annual Mustache Cup. There will be a podium and prizes for the top 'staches in each of three categories: Men 17+, Junior Men 16 & Under, and Women.

Registration, display, judging, and the whole sha-bang-a-bang will be held at the Dual Slalom Awards Ceremony at the Sol Survivor, Aug 1-3.

Judging criteria is still being worked out, but a combination of staff judging and crowd participation will make sure the most-deserving hairy lip gets the gold. Please feel free to steal the cr@p out of the poster image and circulate it to as many 'Stashers as you see fit. This awesome contest and poster are the brain-child of hyper-talented graphic artist Evan Chute. Give him your praise, your business...and your razors. Visit www.bikesolvista.com and www.racemsc.com for information on the venues and races.

CCCX Series Final Results and Standings

The last CCCX downhill event of the 2008 series took place on Sunday at Toro Park, CA. Sondra Williamson won the series for the Pro Women.

Race #8 Results
Expert Women
1. MaryAnne Hunter
2. Rosie Bernhard

Sport Women
1. Deborah Vitale
2. Roxanne Canent

Jr. Girls 18 & Under
1. Alyssa Hansen

Final Series Standings
Pro Women
1. Sondra Williamson
2. Chrissie Pinney
3. Fionn Griffiths
4. Joanna Petterson

Expert Women
1. Kelly Moore
2. AnneMarie Hennes
3. Rosie Bernhard
4. MaryAnne Hunter
5. Jamie Stamps
6. Lainey Aldridge
7. Sarah Land
8. Rachael Lambert

Sport Women
1. Deborah Vitale
2. Roxanne Canent
3. Ashley Hernandez
4. Eryn Hughes
5. Sara Jarrell
6. Rachael Lambert
7. Leigh Etheridge
8. Rebekah Gibson

Beginner Women
1. Roxanne Canent
2. Lauren Brown
3. Jill Henrich
4. Ayshe Tuncer
5. DeDe Cowden
6. Sarah Black

Jr. Girls 18 & Under
1. Morgan Compton
2. Alyssa Hansen

We found our results at http://www.cccx.org/.

Going Downhill Fast: Gas Prices and Riding Big Bikes

As downhillers and freeriders, we're met with a problem that many other cyclists don't have to face. In general, we need to drive to ride. Unless we live at the base of Whistler, or happen to have some freeride trails in our backyards, it's inevitable that the big bike has to go on (or in) the car in order to ride downhill. With gas prices reaching an national average of $4.10 this week, it's becoming tougher to justify the drive. Or at least, it is for me.

Don't get me wrong, I still want to ride my downhill bike, but I'm reconsidering my priorities. At the beginning of the season, I had big plans to travel all summer and race as much as possible. After driving on fumes to get back to NorCal from Angel Fire, NM, I had to re-evaluate my plan.

At that point, gas was just below $4.00 per gallon nationally, but closer to $4.39 around California. (Now it's hard to find anything under $4.57.) Using a gas calculator on MapQuest, I estimated the cash I'd need for gas if I paid that $4.00 average for the 1,530-mile round-trip drive from Marin to Park City for the Deer Valley, UT NMBS races later this week. My Subaru Outback Sport gets about 25mpg with the bike inside and a full load. The cost would be about $245.00. That may not sound so bad, especially if I were able to find a road trip partner, but in reality, the gas cost would be closer to $300.00 due to the increased prices and the fact that most of the drive goes through the middle-of-nowhere-Nevada, where it's definitely going to be really expensive to fill up.

So, I made the executive decision that I simply couldn't spend the cash to make the trip (especially because I'd like to buy some more sweet clothes for Freeride Foundation). Since I still have to drive to ride the bike I love, I'm more focused on riding more locally and I'm paying a bit more attention to how I drive. I've been thinking about ways to reduce the amount of gas I buy on a weekly basis so I can afford some more road trips later in the summer.

Here are a list of things I've been working on personally. Do you have some ideas too? Definitely feel free to comment!

-Put the bike in the car.
It's kind of a PITA to take the front and rear wheels off my downhill bike, but I know I get far better gas mileage when the bike is IN the car as opposed to ON the car. Of course, I have a small car, so if yours is bigger, you might not have to spend the time with the wrench. I'm sure using a rear rack must be more efficient than a roof rack too.

-Ride to rides.
This option doesn't apply to most downhill outings, but when I'm on my cross country bike, I'm refusing to drive to rides that are less than 10 miles away. This weekend in Downieville, I parked in town and road up to Sierra City to ride the cross country course. It was actually pretty tough, but I saved 24 miles of driving (round-trip), which is essentially a gallon of gas, which is about $4.60 up there. And, I hopefully got a little fitter too.

-Save speed for the trails.
I have a lead foot. Every year I get a fat ticket for hauling across a highway in the desert. Every year it's a different highway. We get better gas mileage when we drive more slowly. In the past, I've just cared about getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible so I can ride. Now, I'm trying to keep things under control. I'm trying not to drive faster than 75 ever, and not more than 70 in a 65 zone. I'm sure that's not very exciting for most of you, but it's actually really hard for me. I have noticed that I do get more miles per gallon this way, and surprisingly, I'm not totally stressed out when I roll into the parking lot.

-Choose your battles.
Make it worthwhile to drive to your rides. If you're going to the mountains, camp and get two days of riding out of it. Or, ride all day to make the trip worthwhile. When I was skiing all the time, I'd drive a total of 80 minutes to ski for 2-3 hours. That's nearly as much driving as playing. Now, if I'm going to drive 80 minutes, I'd better get at least 5 hours of quality fun out of it.

-Carpool
I'm sure this seems like a no-brainer for most people. Like with the ski thing, though, I'm a bit of a brat. I like to ride when I want to ride, where I want to ride, and leave when I choose. I'm trying to get better at carpooling, and ultimately, it makes takes care of the "Choose your battles" option. Carpooling reduces everyone's cost and it's way more fun to drive and ride with your friends. Duh.

Crested Butte Wildflower Rush Results

Colorado's Rachel Bauer moved into the first-place position in the Mountain States Cup gravity series by winning the Crested Butte, CO Wildflower Rush downhill race today. This season is Rachel's first as a pro, and it's shaping up quite nicely. The classic CB course had a few new features this year, lowering race times dramatically. The most surprising thing, though, is that there are no sport women's results for this race.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Rachel Bauer
2. Jacqueline Harmony
3. Darian Harvey
4. Sarah Elworthy

Expert Women
1. Christen Boyer
2. Robyn Embrey
3. Soraya Khalje
4. Janae Pritchett
5. Jamie Reams
6. Andrea Olsen
7. Jennifer Johnson
8. Jennifer Bunch

Beginner/Jr. Women
1. Katy Monger
2. Jamie Edgecomb
3. Amber Price
4. Kristin Buell
5. Evelyn Calhoun
6. Sara Parke

We found our results on www.racemsc.com.

Melissa Buhl Wins 4X World Championship

Yeah, Melissa! She made sure the USA kept the rainbow mountaincross jersey by besting Anneke Beerten, the number one qualifier, and former World Champ Jana Horakova. Apparently Anneke and Romana Labounkova made some contact and Melissa was able to leave them behind. Earlier today, Melissa took 10th in downhill, and she was the only woman in the Big Final to race both events.

Big Final
1. Melissa Buhl (United States Of America)
2. Jana Horakova (Czech Republic)
3. Romana Labounkova (Czech Republic)
4. Anneke Beerten (Netherlands)
Small Final
5. Caroline Buchanan (Australia)
6. Lucia Oetjen (Switzerland)
7. Anita Molcik (Austria)
8. Mio Suemasa (Japan)
1/4 Finals
9. Sabrina Jonnier (France)
10. Fionn Griffiths (Great Britain)
11. Céline Gros (France)
12. Joanna Petterson (South Africa)
13. Sarsha Huntington (Australia)
14. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth (Austria)
15. Diana Marggraff (Ecuador)
16. Eva Castro Fernandez (Spain)
Qualifications
17. Steffi Marth (Germany)
18. Angelika Hohenwarter (Austria)
19. Elisa Canepa (Italy)
20. Neven Steinmetz (United States Of America)
21. Rachel Seydoux (Switzerland)
22. Jessica Vogt (United States Of America)

Rachel Atherton Is the New Downhill World Champion

Rachel Atherton broke Sabrina Jonnier's streak as the downhill World Champion today. Rachel was the only girl to break 4 minutes on the course, and she bested Sabrina, who took second, by about 12 seconds. Kathy Pruitt was the top-placing North American in 7th.

1. Rachel Atherton (Great Britain) 3.49.92 (54.02 km/h)
2. Sabrina Jonnier (France) 4.01.91
3. Emmeline Ragot (France) 4.07.03
4. Floriane Pugin (France) 4.10.25
5. Mio Suemasa (Japan) 4.11.68
6. Tracy Moseley (Great Britain) 4.12.30
7. Kathleen Pruitt (United States Of America) 4.19.66
8. Fionn Griffiths (Great Britain) 4.20.10
9. Scarlett Hagen (New Zealand) 4.20.14
10. Melissa Buhl (United States Of America) 4.20.38
11. Petra Bernhard (Austria) 4.34.31
12. Micayla Gatto (Canada) 4.36.08
13. Helene Valer Fruhwirth (Austria) 4.37.04
14. Claire Buchar (Canada) 4.37.42
15. Danice Uyesugi (Canada) 4.37.71
16. Amy Laird (New Zealand) 4.44.44
17. Diana Marggraff (Ecuador) 4.45.40
18. Elisa Canepa (Italy) 4.49.52
19. Victoria Hernandez Molinas (Spain) 4.51.39
20. Kim Huard (Canada) 4.51.74
21. Katarina Tothova (Czech Republic) 5.58.91
22. Katarina Pialova (Slovakia) 6.07.15
23. Céline Gros (France) 6.16.49
24. Helena Boskova (Slovakia) 7.11.25

Anais Pajot Wins the Junior Women's Downhill World Champion Jersey

France took the top three places in the 2008 Junior Women's Downhill World Championships. Anais Pajot won the jersey by about 6 seconds over fellow countrywoman Myriam Nicole.

1. Anais Pajot (France)
2. Myriam Nicole (France)
3. Mélanie Pugin (France)
4. Miranda Miller (Canada)
5. Caroline Buchanan (Australia)
6. Aurea Agostinho (Portugal)
7. Diana Lorena Dromundo (Mexico)
8. Leoni-Caro. Dickerhoff (Germany)

4X Qualifiers at the World Championships

Racers took their mountain qualifying runs last night at Val di Sole, Italy. The finals are tonight. Anneke Beerten, who is favored to win the stripes qualified with the fastest time. The USA's Melissa Buhl also put in a strong run, qualifying third.

1. Anneke Beerten (Netherlands)
2. Jana Horakova (Czech Republic)
3. Melissa Buhl (United States Of America)
4. Romana Labounkova (Czech Republic)
5. Anita Molcik (Austria)
6. Sabrina Jonnier (France)
7. Mio Suemasa (Japan)
8. Caroline Buchanan (Australia)
9. Fionn Griffiths (Great Britain)
10. Céline Gros (France)
11. Lucia Oetjen (Switzerland)
12. Sarsha Huntington (Australia)
13. Joanna Petterson (South Africa)
14. Helene Valer Fruhwirth (Austria)
15. Diana Marggraff (Ecuador)
16. Eva Castro Fernandez (Spain)
17. Steffi Marth (Germany)
18. Angelika Hohenwarter (Austria)
19. Elisa Canepa (Italy)
20. Neven Steinmetz (United States Of America)
21. Rachel Seydoux (Switzerland)
22. Jessica Vogt (United States Of America)

Junior Women's Seeding at the World Championships

The junior women also took their downhill seeding runs at Val di Sole, Italy yesterday. France is dominating so far, taking 3 out of the top 4 spots. These girls will also take their final runs on Saturday.

1. Anais Pajot (France)
2. Mélanie Pugin (France)
3. Caroline Buchanan (Australia)
4. Myriam Nicole (France)
5. Diana Lorena Dromundo (Mexico)
6 .Aurea Agostinho (Portugal)
7. Miranda Miller (Canada)
8. Leoni-Caro. Dickerhoff (Germany)

Downhill World Championships Seeding Results

Apparently things are drying out in Val di Sole, Italy at the World Championship venue. Rachel Atherton, who's coming off a win at the Fort William, Scotland World Cup set a blazing pace for the women. She finished 11 seconds ahead of second place rider Emmeline Ragot. Sabrina Jonnier, the reigning World Champion was third. The girls race for the stripes on Saturday.

1. Rachel Atherton GBR 4:05.72
2. Emmeline Ragot FRA 4:16.14
3. Sabrina Jonnier FRA 4:22.16
4. Floriane Pugin FRA
5. Scarlet Hagen NZL
6. Tracy Moseley GBR
7. Celine Gros FRA
8. Petra Bernhard AUT
9. Emilie Siegenthaler SUI
10. Kathy Pruitt USA
11. Claire Buchar CAN
12. Fionn Griffiths GBR
13. Diana Margraff ECU
14. Amy Laird NZL
15. Helene Fruhwirth AUT
16. Elisa Canepa ITA
17. Miriam Ruchti SUI
18. Mio Suemasa JPN
19. Danice Uyesugi CAN
20. Melissa Buhl USA
21. Micayla Gatto CAN
22. Victoria Hernandez Molinas ESP
23. Katarina Tothova CZE
24. Katarina Piolova SVK
25. Kim Haurd CAN
26. Helena Boskova SVK

Stephanie Nychka Wins Boneyard Air Affair

Canada's queen of slopestyle, Stephanie Nychka, took the win in the Open Women's category at the Whistler Boneyard Air Affair contest last weekend. She was the only woman competing, but with consistent 11+ scores on both of her runs, she bested many of the boys out there. Watch for Stephanie to put on a show at this year's WomenzWorx too!

Ashland 12-Mile Super D Results

So, it's kind of a downhill/freeridey-type thing, but it's really pedaly too. The Ashland, OR 12-Mile Super-D is quickly becoming one of those races like Downieville--you have to go race it at some point in your career. Starting at the top of Mt. Ashland and ending in downtown, this race is the longest Super-D in the country. Abby Hippely showed she still has some cross country fitness to go with her downhill skills and schooled the women's field by more than three minutes.

Pro Women
1. Abigail Hippely
2. Lea Julson
3. Kristin Kovalik
4. Dani Dance

Expert Women
1. Lindsey Voreis
2. Nicole Strong
3. Emma Worldpeace
4. Natalie Gentry
5. Becca Margulies

Sport Women
1. Therese Conner
2. Melodie Buell
3. Alex Vanderhoff
4. Marie Klemmer
5. Amber Broch
6. Leslie Simpson
7. Michelle Benson
8. Sue Roussel

Northstar-at-Tahoe DH #1 Results

The first race of the Northstar, CA season took place on Sunday. Tasa Herndon used her local knowledge to take the pro win without a warmup run. She has Northstar dialed.

Pro Women
1. Tasa Herndon
2. Sebray Gossett
3. Kelly Moore

Women 30+
1. Kathryn Martin
2. Colleen Carnathan

Women 29 and Under
1. Gretchen Sylvestre
2. Robyn Embrey
3. Danielle Griffo
4. Johanna Fogolin

In the Unlikely Event that I Ever Form a Band...

...Or in the event that I am able to choose a name for an already-existing band, I will name it Zip-Tie Trauma. That is all.

Cool Pinkbike.com Article

So, we're on this hooray-for-Canada kick, right? While we're at it, Pinkbike.com posted a cool article about Nicky and her new bike. While the article is pumped full of product call-outs (she's wearing a Sombrio Lofter jersey, BTW) and is partially an advertisement for Kamloops Bike Camp, the whole idea of the article is cool. It's about an average girl who likes to ride her bike and wants to gain more confidence. How often do you see a piece like that in mainstream cycling media? Not very often. Pinkbike.com definitely does a better-than-average job of covering women's downhill and freeride culture, and we appreciate that.

Canadian World Championships Team Announced

The Claire Buchar heads the Canadian World Championships Team, which was announced June 5, 2008. Canada is sending just downhillers, and no mountaincross contenders. The World Championships take place in Val di Sole, Italy on June 17-22, 2008.

Downhill
Claire Buchar
Micayla Gatto
Danice Uyesugi
Kim Huard
Marie-Eve Marcotte

Junior Women Downhill
Miranda Miller

CCCX #7 Downhill Results

The CCCX series is nearing a close. The seventh race in the 8-race series was held last weekend at Toro Park, CA. The final race of the series will take place there on Sunday, June 22.

Expert Women
1. Jamie Stamps

Sport Women
1. Deborah Vitale
2. Roxanne Canent

Beginner Women
1. Ayshe Tuncer
2. Jill Henrich
3. DeDe Cowden

Jr. Girls 18 & Under
1. Alyssa Hansen

To learn more about this series, visit www.cccx.org.

California Golden State Downhill #3 Results

The third race in the California Golden State Downhill Series took place June 1, 2008 at Fontana, CA. The fourth and final race of the series takes place September 13-14, 2008 at Woodward West, CA.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Michelle Rivera

Expert Women 34 & Under
1. Jennifer Wolf
2. Francine Johnson
3. Martha Saldana

Expert Women 35+
1. Nancy Harris
2. Laura Drexler

Beginner Women 35+
1. Erica Phillips
2. Lisa Guzman

Mountaincross
Pro Women
1. Martha Saldana

Expert Women
1. Britanny Jackson

Beginner Women
1. Julia Zavala

We found our results on www.southridgeusa.com.

The Way Bobby Sees It: Laugh a Little

I’ve watched The Way Bobby Sees It, a documentary about Bobby McMullen’s preparations for the 2007 Downieville Classic downhill race, about eight times now and I have never been able to make it through the film without needing a Kleenex. The last time I saw it—with a group of guys from the cycling industry—Bobby was there and he was baffled, “Nobody ever laughs at the funny parts.” That’s because the movie’s so intense that the funny parts are the few times when you get a chance to take a breath.

Bobby McMullen is one of cycling’s most publicized disabled athletes. Not only is he an extremely talented rider, but he’s also a smart and hilarious guy whose day job is motivational speaking. Although Bobby is blind (20/1200 in his good eye), has received two double organ transplants, and has encountered more severe injuries from riding and skiing than most of us can comprehend, he literally lives to ride his bike. Bobby is a former Paralympian on the US Disabled Ski Team and races his downhill bike more often than many World Cup riders.

The opening scene sets viewer on edge, with Bobby’s guide calling out commands in a way that sounds desperate. The screen is black and the voices are loud and hurried. The irony is that these sounds are actually somewhat comforting to Bobby—the louder, more accurate, and more frequent the commands, the greater Bobby’s chances of staying upright. Then the mood changes a bit as Bobby reads his full-page spread Santa Cruz bikes ad. He’s wearing glasses that look to be more than an inch thick, and he nearly touches his face to the pages to read the text.

Filmmakers Wendy Todd and Jason Watkins do a phenomenal job of weaving Bobby’s personal story with gripping action shots from a Bobby’s helmet cam and a following camera. They also implement special effects to give us a sense of what Bobby may or may not be seeing as he rides. The Way Bobby Sees It is the second documentary from Wendy and Jason’s Poison Oak Productions. Their first film, Singletrack MINDS, examined the mountain bike culture of Marin County.

However, The Way Bobby Sees It puts these two into a completely new environment. Even though they are the filmmakers, they become a huge part of Bobby’s story when he asks them to guide him down the Downieville downhill course on one of his practice days. The scenes where Bobby rides with his new guides drive home the extent to which Bobby has to trust and completely rely on the accurate commands from his guide. Whether you’ve ridden the Downieville course hundreds of times, or whether you’ve never seen it before, these scenes make it obvious that Bobby and his guide have to do things right or someone (usually Bobby) is going down hard.

And there are funny parts. Bobby is a joker, and that aspect of his personality is not lost in the film. It’s just hard for most of us to grasp that after learning about a person going through dialysis, taking hundreds of pills a week, and dealing with a life of dependency on others, that it’s OK to laugh with or at him. In the end, though, all Bobby wants to do is have fun. That’s why he rides his bike.

The Way Bobby Sees It has been accepted to several film festivals throughout the US. To see how the film is doing, or to check out a screening, visit http://www.poisonoakproductions.com/.

Now you can buy your own copy from Freeride Foundation! Click here to get your hands on one!

Tracy Moseley Wins at Ft. William

Tracy Moseley took home her first World Cup win of the season at the Ft. William, Scotland downhill race today. She was the fastest qualifier by 5 seconds over Sabrina, and kept that momentum into her final run. Rachel took a fall and hurt her shoulder in her qualifier, but pulled together a third-place run in the final. Mio Suemasa and Melissa Buhl also had strong races in the rainy Scottish weather.

1. Tracy Moseley (GBR)
2. Sabrina Jonnier (FRA)
3. Rachel Atherton (GBR)
4. Mio Suemasa (JPN)
5. Melissa Buhl (USA)
6. Céline Gros (FRA)
7. Myriam Nicole (FRA)
8. Fionn Griffiths (GBR)
9. Anita Molcik (AUT)
10. Kathleen Pruitt (USA)
11. Claire Buchar (CAN)
12. Emilie Siegenthaler (SWI)
13. Miriam Ruchti (SWI)
14. Joanna Petterson (RSA)
15. Micayla Gatto (CAN)
16. Diana Marggraff (ECU)
17. Katy Curd (GBR)
18. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth (AUT)
19. Emmeline Ragot (FRA)
20. Elisa Canepa (ITA)
21. Floriane Pugin (FRA)

USA Cycling Annouces Nominees for the 2008 World Championships

While our server issues are being resolved, I've had a lot of time to surf the web and find intriguing things to Blog. Here's a good one. Today USA Cycling announced the nominees for the World Championships that will take place next month in Val di Sole, Italy. There are only two women downhillers on the list, which is a bit surprising. Hopefully, this is just the list of riders who were nominated and not the final list of athletes who will be attending. It's a bit confusing because in the instructions for applying for the Worlds team on USAC's website, it says that today's date is the "Confirmation to Participate" and that the "Announcement of the Team" happens June 9, 2008. The write-up on USA Cycling's site doesn't imply that more riders will be named, though. As the top US rider in both mountaincross and downhill, Melissa Buhl will represent in both disciplines. Kathy Pruitt, who has been committed to the World Cup circuit this year will be the second downhiller, while mountaincross extraordinaire Neven Steinmetz will join Melissa in that discipline.

I understand that results and petitions rule the selection process, and the ability to pay one's own way determines whether or not a petition is submitted in the first place, but can we really only send two girls to Worlds? And that's two girls per discipline, which totals just three people. I hope that consideration was given to riders like Darian Harvey, Lisa Myklak, Abby Hippely, and Jackie Harmony, and that on June 9, we'll see a few more names on the list.

Elite Women’s Downhill
Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.)
Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif.)

Elite Women’s 4-Cross
Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.)
Neven Steinmetz (Boulder. Colo.)
Jessica Vogt (Boulder, Colo.)*
*Declined her nomination

To read the whole USAC article, click here.

Ft. William World Cup 4X Results

2004 4X World Champion Jana Horakova took her first World Cup win of the season at Ft. William, Scotland today. Anneke Beerten, the winner of the season's first two races, recovered from a flat in qualifying, which put her in one of the lowest seeding spots, to make the final and take 3rd. Melissa Buhl, who won the qualifier, apparently had trouble out of the gate and finished fourth.

1. Jana Horakova (CZE)
2. Rachel Seydoux (SUI)
3. Anneke Beerten (NED)
4. Melissa Buhl (USA)
5. Romana Labounkova (CZE)
6. Mio Suemasa (JPN)
7. Anita Molcik (AUT)
8. Sarsha Huntington (AUS)
9. Fionn Griffiths (GBR)
10. Joanna Petterson (RSA)
11. Steffi Marth (GER)
12. Eva Castro Fernandez (ESP)
13. Angelika Hohenwarter (AUT)
14. Diana Marggraff (ECU)
15. Elisa Canepa (ITA)
16. Charlie Phillips (GBR)

Melissa Buhl Qualifies First in 4X at Ft. William World Cup

Melissa Buhl earned the top qualifying spot at the Ft. William, Scotland World Cup 4X yesterday. The finals are tonight. Apparently Anneke Beerten flatted near the top of the course during her qualifying run, so the finals should be pretty exciting. Good job, Buhly, and good luck tonight!

1. Melissa Buhl (USA)
2. Mio Suemasa (JPN)
3. Fionn Griffiths (GBR)
4. Jana Horakova (CZE)
5. Romana Labounkova (CZE)
6. Rachel Seydoux (SUI)
7. Anita Molcik (AUT)
8. Sarsha Huntington (AUS)
9. Jonanna Petterson (RSA)
10. Steffi Marth (GER)
11. Angelika Hoenwarter (AUT)
12. Diana Marggraff (ECU)
13. Eva Fernandez Castro (ESP)
14. Anneke Beerten (NED)
15. Elisa Canepa (ITA)
16. Charlie Phillips (GBR)

Registration Is Open for Crankworx Colorado

Registration is now open for Crankworx Colorado, which takes place at Winter Park Resort on July 31-August 3. There are Pro and Amateur categories for women in the Downhill, Super Downhill, All Mountain Downhill, and Dual Slalom races. Get signed up for one, any combination, or all of these events before it's too late!

Buy a Summer Tahoe Card, Get a $20 Freeride Foundation Gift Certificate

We've teamed up with SnowBomb to create a sweet deal for Summer Tahoe Card buyers. When you buy a Summer Tahoe Card for $24.99, you get a $20 Gift Certificate to Freeride Foundation. It covers product, shipping, and applicable tax. Any value that you don't use on your first purchase stays in your account until you choose to use it. Also, once you log on and enter your Gift Certificate code, you can email any amount of your Gift Certificate to a friend.

Of course, you get more than just the $20, you get a free lift ticket to Northstar-at-Tahoe, and also one to Kirkwood, plus a lot of other awesome stuff. Even if you don't live in the Tahoe area, if you think you'll ever pass through and spend a day at on of those mountains this summer, you save yourself tons of cash by grabbing one of these cards. Visit www.SnowBomb.com to see all the radness you can get for $24.99. Nice infomercial, eh?

Bountiful Bomber Results

The first race of the Utah Downhill Series took place in Bountiful, UT this weekend. Coming off of a strong finish at Angel Fire, NM, Addie Stewart took the win for the pro women. The next race of the series will be held at Wolf Mountain, UT on June 21-22.

Pro Women
1. Addie Stewart
2. Connie Misket
3. Kimber Gabryszak
4. Aponi Hancock

Expert Women
1. Stacey Parker

Sport Women
1. Liana Gregory

Boneyard Air Affair Slopestyle Has a Women's Category

I just read an exciting post on Pinkbike.com. Whistler Mountain Bike Park is hosting the first Boneyard Air Affair slopestyle contest on June 14-15, and there's a women's category.
Lots of slopestyle comps don't split up classes or designate men's and women's rankings. The other cool thing about this contest is that judges will assess your riding at Saturday's practice and let you know whether or not they think you're ready to compete.
While it may be a bummer to get booted, you'll actually have the opportunity to get your entry fee refunded. That means that no one has a thing to lose by entering the contest. You'll get lots of experience on Saturday and a chance to show off those skills on Sunday. Get on it, ladies!

Gravity East #2 Results

The second race of the Gravity East Series took place at Mt. Snow, VT this weekend. It seems like springtime weather has been plaguing everyone lately. A rainy Saturday made for slippery conditions for racing on Sunday. Dawn Bourque didn't let a little mud bother her, though, as she took the win for the pro women.

Pro Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Lauren Petersen

Expert Women
1. Vicki Koch
2. Charlene Smith
3. Kathleen Herde

Sport Women
1. Kristine Koch
2. Lauren Daney
3. Kasey Sibrinsz

Beginner Women
1. Amanda Doughty
2. Marielle Lueker

World Cup #2 Downhill Results

Rachel Atherton posted a blazing qualifying time--besting second-place qualifier Sabrina Jonnier by about 14 seconds. Rachel maintained her momentum and took her first World Cup win of the season at Vallnord, Andorra this weekend. In earlier interviews, she claimed that the track reminded her a lot of where she rides at home. I guess the mucky weather and familiar-feeling terrain really paid off for her!

Pro Women
1. Rachel Atherton (GBR)
2. Sabrina Jonnier (FRA)
3. Floriane Pugin (FRA)
4. Tracy Moseley (GBR)
5. Emmeline Ragot (FRA)
6. Fionn Griffiths (GBr)
7. Gros Céline (FRA)
8. Emilie Siegenthaler (SWI)
9. Melissa Buhl (USA)
10. Diana Marggraff (ECU)
11. Claire Buchar (CAN)
12. Micayla Gatto (CAN)
13. Melanie Pugin (FRA)
14. Petra Bernhard (AUT)
15. Mio Suemasa (JPN)
16. Myriam Nicole (FRA)
17. Anais Pajot (FRA)
18. Kathleen Pruitt (USA)
19. Helene Valer Fruhwirth (AUT)
20. Molinas Hernandez (SPA)
21. Katy Curd (GBR)

World Cup #2 4x Results

Anneke Beerten took her second World Cup mountaincross win in as many races at Vallnord, Andorra this weekend. It was an MS-Intense sweep, as her teammate Mio Suemasa took second. It looks like Rachel Atherton has won the downhill race, and we'll get those results posted soon!

1. Anneke Beerten (Ned) MS-Intense Factory-Racing
2. Mio Suemasa (Jpn) MS-Intense Factory-Racing
3. Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team
4. Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yeti/Hotec/Rsp
5. Diana Marggraff (Ecu)
6. Katarina Tothova (Cze)
7. Angelika Hohenwarter (Aut)
8. Melissa Buhl (USA)
9. Joanna Petterson (RSA)
10, Kathleen Pruitt (USA)
11. Rachel Seydoux (Swi)
12. Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse
13 Eva Castro Fernandez (Spa)
14. Neven Steinmetz (USA)

We found our results at www.cyclingnews.com.