Yeti Cycles Big Mountain Enduro presented by Shimano - 2016 Schedule

With the New Year almost upon us, the team at Big Mountain Enduro has released their 2016 schedule (with still more to come), with amazing venues and what may be the best season of racing yet here in the US, including a larger national point series.

BME will manage six core stops on the 2016 tour that will count towards the overall series rankings. With six stops on the tour, riders will be able to drop their two lowest scores and/or two unattended events, making it easier for North American riders to complete the popular series, and chase crucial points.


The BME season will kick off in Santa Fe, NM on May 21st and 22nd where two days of backcountry riding and long rocky descents await. Amongst this entirely new venue, BME will offer its standard world-class Enduro racing with an added festival component for the season opener, where thousands will be in attendance. Expect fun and entertainment for the entire family, along with the great trails and good vibes that BME events have become known for.

Following the New Mexico stop, BME will take the tour up to the Pacific Northwest on June 4th and 5th, showcasing another new venue for 2016. Both BME and the local administrations are currently finalizing the event details and logistics, thus will announce publicly in mid-January. Rest assured that this world-class event will offer up a truly unique experience and feature some of the best trail riding and loamy descents in the Pac NW. Knowing that BME has been working with the top Enduro riders on finding a new venue and trails to race on, we’re confident this event will become a rider-favorite and something fresh for the upcoming season.


Next on the tour will be the burly mountains in and around Keystone, CO, which will take place on July 9th and 10th. The fourth year running, this venue continues to be a fan-favorite. The BME team looks forward to evolving courses and keeping the event fresh and innovative for loyal followers and newcomers alike in attendance next year.

One of the rawest and rowdiest bike parks in the US, Keystone tests the skills and pushes the limits of even the world’s best Enduro riders, who will be gunning for the highly acclaimed victory spot, previously held by Yeti riders Jared Graves, Nate Hills and Joey Schusler for the past three years respectively.


Here’s what Mike Day, BME Operations Manager and Keystone local had to say about the event: “For the 2015 season, I had the opportunity to participate in the Keystone BME stop, while also managing operations. Considering this is a bike park stop, you forget you’ve ridden a chairlift to the top, while you’re descending nearly 3,000 vertical feet per stage. Super demanding, physical, and technical, this is my favorite stop on the tour and one you don’t want to miss!” So, who will be crowned king and queen at the burliest Enduro in the US come early July 2016?

For the second year running, Big Mountain Enduro will be hosting a prominent stop on the Enduro World Series (EWS). For 2016, this will take place in Aspen Snowmass, on July 30th and 31st. Here, you can expect the top riders in the world battling it out on Colorado’s legendary terrain, while major media and thousands in attendance celebrate EWS’ introductory event at this Rocky Mountain location. The renowned X-Games have been hosted in Aspen Snowmass since 2002 for a reason, continuing to gain worldwide notoriety with each passing year. BME and EWS hope to fill big shoes by bringing similar acclaim to this inaugural summer event in a mountainous paradise, and make this an annual mountain bike festival in the Roaring Fork Valley.


“We are grateful to host another stop of the EWS here in our backyard of Colorado in 2016 and look forward to continued partnerships with the top-notch teams over at EWS, Aspen Skiing Company and the Town of Snowmass,” stated Brandon Ontiveros of BME. “We’re confident that riders will be both surprised and stoked on the creativity and big descents we’re putting together, in addition to the festivities and entertainment that will surround this event.”

In speaking of courses, Ontiveros commented, “We’re already anticipating putting shovels into the ground come springtime in order to help build new trails, route new courses and make this one of the best Enduro events of the year-from the ground up. Riders can expect two very challenging days of racing, mixing true backcountry terrain and pedal transfers, combined with a little bit of lift-assisted vertical in order to maximize the big descents in the area.” BME plans to showcase at least 16,000 feet of descending over the two-day event, while keeping things as innovative, raw and natural as possible.


On August 20th and 21st, BME will partner with Enduro-X in Steamboat Springs, CO, which in its fourth year running, has built a solid reputation throughout Colorado. Steamboat Springs, known as Bike Town USA, boasts some of the most accessible and prime trail riding in the country. Riders can expect the first day to unfold on pristine backcountry singletrack, with the final day culminating on the finest gravity trails the Steamboat Bike Park has to offer. "I'm excited to expand the event and offer a second day of racing in the backcountry to provide a new trail experience for riders. The opportunity for the two-day event format on entirely new trails, and to partner with BME, is going to make for a great weekend of racing," says David Scully, Enduro-X race director.

The BME Finals, and crown jewel of the series, will take place in Crested Butte, CO on September 2nd – 4th. The team at BME said that this year’s 3-day event will be all (or mostly) backcountry oriented, without replicating any of the same stage segments as in years past. The race will entail the most vertical descending and combined singletrack of any Crested Butte BME event to date. Given that CB lies in a zone offering 750 miles of trails and some of the best scenery in the States, it doesn’t surprise us to see revised courses for the 2016 BME Finals.


Following last year’s well-publicized tragedy at the EWS Crested Butte stop, there lies a strong sense of meaning, as well as unfinished business for riders and sponsors alike. The local CB bike community and BME crew are looking forward to hosting this event more than ever before, ensuring a fun and successful experience for the global mountain bike community at large. #rideforwill #139

“We know that people have been eager to hear the 2016 schedule, however it was important to us to consider the master national and global Enduro calendars. Our goal is to put together balanced schedules that support the riders and industry, while trying not to conflict with other popular events and supporting up-and-coming athletes on limited budgets. It’s a balancing act that hopefully works well for most of our following, both old and new,” explained Ontiveros of BME.

The remaining Pacific NW venue tied to the Big Mountain Enduro series rankings will be announced no later than January 15th, 2016. The BME organization is currently finalizing respective permits, event logistics, and local partnerships, and intends to release the exciting news to the world come mid-January once all is confirmed.

Following the 2016 schedule announcement, BME will open online registration, starting Monday, January 18th at 8am MST. Make sure to mark this on your calendars, as most events sell out quickly. See BME website for registration details and general information. www.bigmountainenduro.com

BME 2016 Schedule:

BME 1
May 21st – 22nd
Santa Fe, NM

BME 2
June 4th & 5th
Pacific NW – Location TBD

BME 3
July 9th & 10th
Keystone, CO

BME 4
July 30th & 31st
Aspen Snowmass, CO - EWS

BME 5
August 20th & 21st
Steamboat Springs, CO – Enduro-X

BME 6
September 2nd - 4th
Crested Butte, CO – BME Finals

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MENTIONS: @BigMtnEnduro / @shimano / @yeticycles

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