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Cascadia Dirt Cup Series Finale: Chuckanut Enduro

Oct 23, 2013
by Trey Wilson  
The sold out Cascadia Dirt Cup (CDC) Series Finale culminated just outside Bellingham, Washington on Chuckanut Mountain this past weekend. Bellingham has a vibrant mountain bike community led by WHIMPS Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC). WMBC is a federal non-profit, 501(c)3, organization. They work with many diverse groups such as land managers, elected officials and educational institutions to promote continued and expanded access for mountain biking and cycling in the surrounding Bellingham area. Every year the WMBC coordinates hundreds of volunteers amounting to thousands of volunteer hours for the area trails and with their support the CDC was able to finish out the series on a grand scale.

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A peek-a-boo view of Mt. Baker from the top of Chuckanut Mountain.

After Saturday practice, everyone moved to downtown Bellingham to attend the WMBC's 3rd Annual Shoot the Trails Photo and Video Contest. This is a huge fundraiser event that has grown exponentially over the last 3 years and has its venue busting at the seams. Winning videos and photos can be seen here.

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Over 400 attendees take in the Shoot the Trails experience at the bulging Depot Market Square venue.

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With an army of volunteers and generous sponsors supplying a huge loot for the raffle the WMBC raised $17,000.

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Surprisingly, no one was hung over from Shoot the Trails and everyone showed up for the riders meeting the next morning. (add sarcasm)

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The course was a easily the most demanding for the series with 5000ft of climbing and descending over 21 miles. Carl Ledbetter ripping down stage 1 in the Veteran 50+ category. Unfortunately, his day would end short with a mechanical.

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The sun made a dramatic appearance as Carolyn Hope charges through the light.

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Transition's Darrin Seeds strong showing today moved him up a spot to 3rd for the series overall in the Pro field.

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The course was the usual NW technical affair with lots of gnarly root sections and greasy off camber rock sections.

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Stephen Dempsey of Freehub Magazine negotiates a root garden.

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This is one of the greasy rock crossings that leads into a root drop.

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Seth Burke makes easy work of this root section.

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You can never go wrong with a black kit and black bike.

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Consistency proved to be the winning formula for Diamondback's Charlie Sponsel as he took the series overall in the pro category.

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The CDC thought they had all the race categories covered when they added a hardtail division mid-series but apparently not. Mark Miller on his way to a podium finish in Beginner Men.

Check out the Chuckanut Results and Series Results.

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The inaugural year of CDC was a huge success raising $15,000 for our beneficiaries. With a lot of momentum and knowledge gained, work has already began on 2014. A huge thanks to the hundreds of volunteers that made the series happen. It simply couldn't be done without you.

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Lastly, a big thanks to our presenting and supporting sponsors. Your commitment and generosity to the CDC leaves us without words.

See you in 2014!

Author Info:
basecampnorthwest avatar

Member since Aug 19, 2011
14 articles

25 Comments
  • 11 0
 Where are all the pictures of Logan beating everyone on a carbon xc race hardtail?
  • 1 0
 Sorry... Logan proved to be way to fast for the photographers to catch. Huge props to Logan for his solid victory in his first Enduro. Hope to see more of him in 2014.
  • 1 0
 Logan slayed it...based on how big his smile was during the various times I saw him, I bet he'll do more Enduro in the future! A small mechanical by Lars on the Upper Ridge was all it took for him to drop back, that's how close the racing was (and, as mentioned, Logan was on a frickin' xc hardtail)!
  • 4 0
 HA if some guy won on a hardtail, it makes everyone else look like weenies with 160 full suspensions hahah except for the Uni, that guy killed it
  • 1 0
 Mark Miller - slaying the roots on Double Black! I witnessed him riding this exact section. www.craphotos.com/MountainBiking/2013-Cascadia-Dirt-Cup-Enduro/Chuckanut-Enduro/Bibs-401/i-fF4zSk5
  • 3 0
 No joke. It is super cool that he won this event. Amazing actually. I contacted Pinkbike to pitch the idea of interviewing him. I thought people would find it interesting, especially the fact that he was on a hardtail. But no interest. Ironically, winning an enduro race on a XC hardtail, is just not that enduro.
  • 1 0
 I still am puzzled by Logan's times. It would be very interesting to see what he could do on a propper Enduro bike?(really didnt want to use the E word, but had too)
  • 2 4
 If some guy won on a hardtail doesn't it make the trails look a little weenie-ish? Props to him though, and seems like a great race series.
  • 4 0
 Protour- I agree. If i had not ridden there myself I would completely write this race off as "weenie-ish", if I found out a hardtail one it. However, the trails weren't that tame, and for a Lower 48 race, probably as gnarly as an Enduro race can get. Ive ridden decades in BC, WA, and OR, this wasnt crazy gnarly death gap DH terrain, but enough to make you think, (at least 3 of the 4 stages). I dont want to sound like some guy in Michigan, claiming an all time gnarliest Enduro race ever, but the terrain was pretty darn legit. Not tomention, the top riders that Logan beat, are nothing to sneeze at. I guess you just had to be there.
  • 2 0
 +1, those trails were no joke. Lots of steep technical terrain to navigate.
  • 1 0
 The trails are tech for the most part. First stage was the exception. Not tech, lots of pedaling, as much or more than any stage in the series I would say. I think Logan started off with a good lead from this stage. Second stage was super tech and rooty, but slow tech, not high speed charging. Third, was also tech, but again not super high speed charging for the most part. Fourth was rough, steep and much faster riding. (This squence is the expert / pro sequence.) Terrain was legit for sure, but not charging, point and shoot type riding except for the last stage.
  • 1 0
 Yeah, if there is even one extended pedaling section in any stage it can create a gap that is hard to make up, especially at a local race. At an ews race the top guys are all so fit it doesn't matter as much maybe. But it's cool for a hardtail to win, especially if there was still plenty of technical stuff. A DH bike won an enduro race at Whistler, it's good to see all types of bikes and wheel sizes out there competing.
  • 2 0
 IMHO, Shoot the Trail needs it's own headline on the Pinkbike home page. Looking at the Enduro headline, no one would even know about the fundraiser. Still, kudos to all of the riders who went out and did the Enduro race. Sounds like a great time!
  • 3 0
 Such a great couple of days! Major thanks to all those who helped put everything together. We've got it SO good here in Bellingham!
  • 2 0
 Sssshhhh! Chuckanut has been hidin riding spot for sometime. That was a fun weekend!
  • 1 0
 Really a fun weekend- both at Shoot the Trails and at the Chuckanut Enduro. Great write up and photos! Thanks to all the organizers. Here are a couple more photos from the race:

www.pinkbike.com/u/ericmickelson/album/Chuckanut-Enduro
  • 2 0
 thats fucking rad - guy on a uni doing enduro - major props
  • 1 0
 Yea he must be a Cat 1 racer
  • 3 0
 Is it a 27.5? :/
  • 1 0
 Its a 29er with super wide rims
  • 1 0
 Carl Ledbetter out there! Wow. He's a big shot in the design group at Microsoft.
  • 1 0
 Darren Seeds was not color coordinated.....but still looked cool
  • 1 0
 Sorry, Darrin^^







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