For local mountain bikers and spectators who prefer a 2 -minute race course to one that lasts 2 hours or longer, the Crumpit Woods will be the place to be on Day 3 of the Test of Metal weekend. Starting at noon on Sunday (June 19), riders will race down a black-diamond course in one-minute intervals for the ninth annual Rockstar DH presented by the Tantalus Bike Shop.
"All the fun is all the rock faces. That's why this course is done, that's why it's called the Rockstar because of the granite slabs and the steep rock and the vertical rock and mastering that," said Rockstar race director Dave Gillie.
The race was conceived as an addition to the Test of Metal weekend because local downhillers wanted to get involved in the popular event.
"It was meant as an invitational event for 麻豆社国产locals, to give the locals a chance to have some fun at something other than a cross-country race," said Cliff Miller, Test of Metal race director. "It just adds something to the weekend. It rounds it out nicely."
The Rockstar DH race starts at the top of "Cougar Ridge" with five different rock faces to roll down and then hooks into "Endo" finishing on "31 seconds."
A spectator area complete with a PA system and DJ will be set up halfway down the course at the final double rock face, where a radar gun will track the riders' speeds. In past years, riders have been clocked at speeds in the high 40s (km/h) down the rock faces.
Because of the speed reached by the racers on the vertical rock, Gillie asks that spectators leave their dogs at home.
"We've had a dog on course and someone doing 40 km an hour," he said. "Hitting a dog is not good for the dog or the rider."
Race hopefuls who want to sign up need to contact Tantalus before the day of the event to find out if they're eligible to compete and pay the $40 registration fee.
"It's just for locals because of the difficulty of the course," Gillie said. "We don't want someone who's never ridden granite rock to be on it and hurt themselves."
"It's more about ability than anything," he said. "There's some little 15-year-olds out there that can beat most of the old guys now but again, that's why they need to go into Tantalus to kind of get that approval."
Gillie said sign-up tends to happen late because the event is weather dependant. Last year, 38 riders participated and pro rider Shaums March took first place with an overall record time of 2:28.31, followed by Craig Bullen (2:36.41) andScott Halvorson (2:41.68).
"Basically it's an amateur race, there's no pro category," Gillie said. "The pros do show up, but it's more fun to race against them to see how you actually stack up."
Generally, the categories are men's, women's and youth, depending on who signs up.
"We let the women pick if they want to go first or last," Gillie said. "If we have a few juniors, we'd like to get them down the course first so they're not up top freaking out because it is quite nerve racking hearing the crowd roar as people go down the trail."
"There's a lot of goosebumps happening before."
Those hoping to catch the rock-face action on Sunday should plan for a 20-minute walk in and a big crowd - about 200 people showed up to watch last year's Rockstar race.
"People need to realize they can't just show up five minutes before and expect to make it," said Gillie.
Designated parking for the event will be located at Westway Avenue and Plateau Drive in Valleycliffe, with nearby pink, black and white signs leading spectators up the access route - up Summer's Eve and across Seven Stitches - to the main viewing area.
After the race, riders and extended family will meet back up at 5 p.m. in the Garibaldi room at the Howe Sound Brew Pub for dinner and prizes.
"There will be lots of nice bike stuff, some clothing, and then cash for the top racers," Gillie said. "The cash amounts completely depend on number of riders."
Gillie had some words of advice for riders entering the race for the first time.
"Just have fun and enjoy, because it's quite the unique situation," he said. "Most of us ride our trails alone and we're out there just hearing birds and that."
"To hear the scream and the music in the forest, it's something you only experience once a year at the Rockstar."
