Mass Start Downhill Racing? Inaugural Pinnacle Bike Championship

Jul 15, 2014 at 16:25
by Tyler Maine  
After two years of planning and development, HQ Entities, Inc. announces the creation of its inaugural event for the Pinnacle Bike Championship. With a groundbreaking multi-rider format and revolutionary course design, Pinnacle is set to be the world’s most spectacular bike race.

The racing format consists of 10 riders competing head-to-head down the mountain, dropping 1,500 vertical feet in under three minutes. The first rider across the finish line wins! Riders will navigate a custom built track with ample passing room on natural, rough and steep terrain, launching gap jumps of up to 70 feet, plunging off 40 foot drops and reaching speeds of 60mph.

Competition in the Pinnacle Bike Championship is by invitation only, with 100 invites going out to the greatest riders on the planet. Fans will enjoy watching, as 100% of the track is on open slopes offering unprecedented viewing access for spectators and on TV. All of this combines to provide a never-before-seen spectacle showcasing what can be achieved on a bicycle when pushing the limits of the equipment and riders’ abilities.

Waterville Valley Resort

We wanted to create a spectacular race here in the USA that would entertain bike fans like nothing out there and showcase the talents of the riders in a head-to-head format," said Mark Rodgers, Pinnacle founder. "These world-class athletes are skilled bike handlers who, with the advanced technology of their equipment, have the ability to blow people away. With the world's best riders set to race, Pinnacle is an event no one will want to miss."

Waterville Valley Resort

Waterville Valley Resort

Waterville Valley Resort

This first-ever Pinnacle race will take place at Waterville Valley Resort, New Hampshire, USA on September 19-20, 2014. Waterville Valley is easily accessible from major cities with a combined population of 20+ million.

Waterville Valley Resort is very excited to be hosting the Pinnacle Bike Championship, one of the most elite downhill mountain bike races in the world,” said Chris Sununu, CEO of Waterville Valley Resort. “This event will be unlike anything many people have ever seen. It will be an incredible weekend of outdoor entertainment.

Tickets for the Pinnacle Bike Championship can be purchased at www.PinnacleChampionship.com starting on August 1, 2014.

For more information and to stay up-to-date on the latest news, visit our website and follow us on social media:

www.Facebook.com/PinnacleChampionship
www.Twitter.com/PinnacleChamps
www.Instagram.com/PinnacleChamps


Pinnacle


Waterville Valley Resort


Author Info:
brule avatar

Member since Mar 27, 2001
3,581 articles

125 Comments
  • 158 8
 Sounds like a nice way to die
  • 60 4
 10 dudes trying to hit a 70ft gap or 40ft drop at 60mph at the same time. death is inevitable.
  • 77 12
 Ever heard of motocross?
  • 70 13
 what is motocross?
  • 36 7
 "sounds like a nice way to die"

no way to die is nice.
this is invitational only.
meaning, if you think you're going to die competing in this race, you didnt get an invite.
  • 25 1
 What were those downhill biking games that came out on the original playstation? Downhill Domination? I'm getting a wave of nostalgia right now...
  • 10 6
 motocross is longer so the riders are saving themselves just a little. downhill is all out right on the limit. can you imagine a motocross race that ended at the end of one or two laps?
  • 18 2
 im assuming you never raced motocross.
  • 8 3
 You mean the real enduro?
  • 10 2
 motocross your all out all the time very physically demanding
  • 11 0
 It's still a 40min moto, so you're less "all-out" than a 2-4min descent.
I'm sure there would be way more injuries (not that there's not enough) if they reduced the time of motos.
Imagine 5 lap supercross races... Would be f*cking carnage
  • 10 19
flag Willie1 (Jul 16, 2014 at 13:42) (Below Threshold)
 MX racers are extremely fit athletes. They run 40min at a physical level most DHers never reach. Few DH riders train to the intensity of the top MX guys.
  • 8 1
 True, but that is only because this sport is so young and up til a few years ago, you could win by just relying on skill. I'm almost certain that guys like Atherton, Smith, Gwin, Hannah, Brosnan, etc. train just as hard as MX guys.
  • 5 4
 They're starting to, but they don't need the level of fitness that 40min at max heart rate requires. I've watched some training footage of MX guys with heart rate monitors, and 170-180bpm is sustained for an entire moto.
  • 4 3
 Here we go....another reason to develope a new wheel size...shock length. ..etc...etc...etc...
  • 4 0
 its a different type of fitness. how could you say a sprinter is more or less fit than a long distance specialists, or a swimmer verse a football player....
  • 2 6
flag Willie1 (Jul 17, 2014 at 7:00) (Below Threshold)
 Wrong. DHers are known for partying, beer drinking etc. you are suggesting power lifters vs. marathon runners. Not even close. I like DH, but it is still pretty grassroots.
  • 5 0
 The difference of fitness has no relation to this so calm the moto-boners, we know you're hard core. In a 40 min race there's the luxury of patience, in 3 min its all or nothing. That's the difference.
  • 1 0
 No one is wrong or right here it's just a sport most mtb guys are into the nature and being in the environment anyways. And something like the mega avalanche is something to compare to the full race kitted out moto guys
  • 3 2
 if you compare DH to enduro, enduro guys train harder, an enduro race lasts longer than a DH race, but that certainly doesnt mean you pace yourself in an enduro race either, not if you eat, sleep and ride to win, you've trained to go all out for a certain amount of time. That holds true for any sport, you train like you compete. and having run both motocross and bikes, you cant compare the two when it comes to training. you dont use half the leg muscles riding motocross compared to a full out DH run, but at the end of a 3 minute DH run my arms are ready to go again, after the end of a moto heat my brain says yes but my arms are saying nooo. and thats my rant for the month.
  • 1 1
 OMG, someone who actually has raced both moto and DH, and thinks both are great sports is neg propped by fanboys. Cool!

Being on someone's rear wheel pressuring for 2 or 3 laps to pass Is 6-8 minutes wide out. Wtf are you guys talking about? The bike is 240lbs, and has 50-60hp that you must control. You cannot compare the two in any way in terms of physical demand. Notice how a lot of the DHers bitch about having to pedal in a few spots? Tells you something.
  • 2 1
 I've raced both for about 3 yrs now and moto is way more physically demanding IMO
  • 1 0
 Like a heat race you mean?
  • 112 4
 Oh god please call it Hell Track.
  • 14 3
 i can't give you enough props
  • 6 4
 Agreed with fullbug. Not enough props can be given!!
  • 5 0
 Only if there is ass sliding for the spectators
  • 6 0
 For those of you who don't know who Cru jones is or how radical Bart 'the man' Taylor is ...

youtu.be/XUzUQygkUAk

I taped my first copy from the TV on to VHS, then years later turned the VHS into a DVD and now the internet blesses us all with rad racing Smile
  • 5 0
 damn, jungleT. there goes my lunch break. muchos gracias. mr hand was in that movie. haha
  • 2 0
 www.pinkbike.com/photo/10658934

Far right. Why yes, that is the Rad soundtrack in vinyl. Yes, good eyes, that is the original shrink wrap on it. No, it's not for sale.

I also have my rental copy from 86 that I made my mom religously rent every week. She subsequently just never took it back (this is when rentals were a buck and a VHS cost like $35).
  • 2 0
 Filmed right here in Calgary....I remember watching them film in Bowness Park with my son when he was 3 or 4.
  • 1 0
 nice toy room. you got any 20s in there, downhil?
  • 2 0
 Rad.. so many memories. lol
  • 2 0
 Downhill Domination ftw
  • 48 4
 Megavalanche just been and gone, one of the best events and this year the WORST conditions ever. And not a single mention on PB.. tut tut!! It pisses on this grass slope!
  • 8 2
 I was just thinking that. Surely it's on par with a lot of the biggest events out there?!
  • 6 2
 Did you guys not read the article? The race will not be just on the grass slope. 70 foot gaps, drops, etc.
  • 4 0
 WAIT WHAT.
  • 7 1
 Because the mega's not Enduro ...

Oh wait no , surely the mega is the most enduro event out there ?
  • 4 0
 The mega is the original enduro!
  • 2 0
 By the way if you guys want a helmet cam from that, here's the one from Thibault Ruffin (who got 2nd).
The first part of the race was on the glacier and with pretty much no visibility it was nuts!
vimeo.com/100754000
  • 40 2
 Seems incredibly close to a version of Red Bull Wide Open that will actually work?
  • 16 2
 Waterville has a history of putting on gnarly/somewhat reckless events so I'm sure this will happen. Or if it doesn't happen, it won't be because of WV management.
  • 3 1
 Sounds like BSX from back in the day, which isn't a bad thing by any means.
  • 2 1
 First off, I'm pump this is happening in my home state, but lets not get too excited. I think this is 70% marketing because WV doesn't own the land, the USDA Forest Service owns the land... WV leases the land and the USDA isn't always the most "progressive" organization.
  • 1 0
 ^ Is their whole resort on Forest land? If so, they've gotten away with some pretty wild events like the first couple junkyard jams. I hope there's not much resistance from The Man... this would be such a cool event.
  • 2 0
 ^^^^ from WV website.... The Mt Tecumseh Ski Area belonging to Waterville Valley Ski Resort is located entirely on the White Mountain National Forest. WVSR holds a Ski Area Term Special Use Permit issued by the USDA Forest Service. There is a Nonexclusive Use Clause in the Special Use Permit that reads as follows…

I have no knowledge on how they are setting up the course, but I'm sure erosion will be discussed (on and off ski trails), cutting new DH trails (they mention natural rough, which makes me think woods because their ski trails, while steep in areas, aren't too rough), gaps and drops (natural or built???), ect... In the winter they manipulate snow to get features, while they have to actually change the land in this case.

If the ex-govener/Chief of Staff's son can pull this off, I'll buy a ticket... But again, this is a politician who sits on the Executive Counsil for the State of NH... His statement about "unlike anything many people have ever seen", might apply to him... I've never seen Chris Sununu ripping Highlands.
  • 35 5
 I'm sure i've heard about something remarkably similar being cancelled just recently.........
  • 27 0
 I love the hyperbolic intro with talk of 70ft gaps and 40ft drops then some pictures of fields Smile
  • 2 6
flag Matt-W (Jul 16, 2014 at 10:43) (Below Threshold)
 Its because they think that if you go fast enough a molehill becomes a 70ft jump or a 40ft jump. Clearly, the author has no idea how to measure a drop or a jump.
  • 2 0
 Much like the distance markers at the hip at aston then Razz no way are they right ! the 40 ft mark is closer to 35 at the very most and the markers every 5 foot are not even the same distance apart !

Great jump though just ego inflating numbers Smile
  • 24 2
 I can't wait for the mass race specific helmets and clothing to come out!
  • 8 3
 Dont forget all of the other mass race specific equipment liek rims, bars, stems, cranks, brakes. Give it 2 years and you will be able to buy a mass race specific bike off the shelf, and everyone will convert from normal DH to this
  • 19 2
 And they will call this DHduro.
  • 10 2
 A guy who probably bought a $8,000 enduro bike negative propped you, don't worry I thought your comment was funny that's why your back at +1!
  • 3 1
 @yeti951SD: haha epic Big Grin
  • 7 0
 These guys pitched this idea to where I work and I got to hear what they (the production company) had to offer... They said there would be 30,000 spectators on race day, they wanted to charge $20 to spectate and said their crew could build the course in a week... I heard the same numbers of 70' gaps and 40' drops by the organizer... They also said this would be way better than the World Cup and would attract far more spectators... They also expected the resort to pay for just about everything and the production company to take all profits, with the exception of food and beverage sales... All I can say is good luck Waterville
  • 6 1
 I'll eat a tire if anyone actually hits 60mph on this course haha. It sounds like DH and 4X combined, could be awesome, but it ends up going really depends on the course and if anyone shows up (like stated by someone else, it is just a week before Rampage and just 2 weeks after the end of a long DH World Cup season).
  • 12 0
 Folding or wired?
  • 26 3
 Filet minion!
  • 2 0
 Triple ply kenda telonix tire. You can only use a spoon
  • 9 0
 Lots of pictures of grass.
  • 2 0
 I salute you, sir.
  • 1 1
 Someone pleas throw them a match...
  • 9 1
 Really hoping this isn't cancelled as well
  • 10 3
 "The first rider across the finish line wins!" You don't say. Is that how a race works? Derp.
  • 4 1
 Not sure Rampage will spoil the party too much - how many top flight DH racer compete at Rampage - 2 or 3 at the most?

Does sound a bit pie in the sky though - I'd love to see it, but to be a success they'll need some 'names' to draw the crowds / viewers.
  • 7 4
 no big names will be racing this. just suicidal riders wanting to make a viral video or get their name on the back of the paper
  • 3 0
 I could be on the back of the paper?!
  • 1 0
 Ya, no big names. Just the best in the world.
  • 8 3
 This seems extremely cool but dangerous for multiple riders to be hitting the same drops close together
  • 4 1
 This sounds awesome, it's about time someone figured out how to get mountain bike racing back on TV and in the mainstream of sports!
  • 6 1
 I don't understand why we would want to get mountain biking in the mainstream media.

It already was in the 90's and it didn't do the sport any good. There where Big corporate Sponsors From Volkswagen, Volvo, Rebook, Banks and Pharm-companies amongst many others sponsored the downhill world-cup and it was Broadcasted on Real TV. Can you remember too? Kamikaze DH live on Euro sport? Sounds awesome, doesn't it?

In fact no, because everything got so expensive a lot of small bike companies couldn't afford to be a part of that show anymore. On a daily bases small bike brands pulled the plug on their teams as they could not afford to present their brand any more in a good way. Of course those big sponsors lost interest after a while... It took a few years for the sport to shrink back to its self sustainable natural size.... Where it kinda is right now.

America, Please, for once leave stuff alone! I want to see racing and not a huge tv advertizement-optimized show with fireworks and and other BS all over it. Or do you want to see Justin Bieber on stage at half time of Gwins run?
  • 2 5
 Sorry Broski, I guess you have to be American to understand. You can bash us all you want, but if it wasn't for a bunch of American roadies in 1976 who wanted go fast on the dirt, you wouldn't know what a mountain bike is. America says you're welcome for you being able to ride a mountain bike.
  • 1 4
 Oh yea, I love the Beibs and would light a candle at that half time show!
  • 2 0
 i dont know if any of you have skied wv...but i have skied and raced skis there many times and some of the trails there can get you going f****** fast. im interested to see what they decide on for a course
  • 2 0
 This is basically just X-games ski/snowboard cross but on bikes, it would be super sick, but they'll have a hell of a time getting any riders if they don't put up at least 10 grand in prize money.
  • 6 0
 This looks awesome.
  • 4 1
 They better have their participant waivers rock solid and watertight! Brave putting an event like this on in the litigious USA Good work!
  • 4 0
 I don't see any big name riders going for this unlesss there is some serious prize money.
  • 3 2
 Might be cool, but really - why? Is this an attempt at broadening the racing aspect of mtb'ing?

I think what would help more would be putting more effort in to an already established genre, like DH (RedBull is doing a killer job). Adding a new race format every two years not only shows inconsistency, but demonstrates that the sport has no direction and is trendy.

Competition/Racing should cater to the athletes, not the spectators.
  • 1 0
 *might be fun to watch though, have to admit!*
  • 3 0
 You answered your question before you asked it. Why? - Because it will be cool.
  • 1 0
 so...who is going to ride it? a little late in the season to sign the big names
if they actually pull this off with even nearly close to the participation and spectator ship they estimate, it will be a "groundbreaking, never before seen spectacle"
  • 1 0
 It could work but it needs to be built on more of a downhill slope style course with huge freeway size berms to catch speed and 40 to 60 ft boaters anything bigger will definitely be super scary and motos are a lot more stable in the air than bicycles. It going to basically become boarder cross on wheels (boarder cross sucks IMO it never got great coverage and made snowboarders and skiers flail down the men and look sketchy, Looking outta control looks out of control! Not the best way to represent mtb to the world). Its also going to require tons of excavation and create tons of issues for ski resorts to manage erosion control and it does also cause issues for winter time grooming as well. I worked at resorts building snowboard parks for over a decade and in the states with forest service and strict rules about land management I'm going to say it going to be nearly impossible to build these courses unless its private owned land. Dh is fine the way it is but they need built better for specters to view and videographers to film the action. Less pedaling please! LOL
  • 4 1
 Love the idea. Not wanting to sound cynical though but what big names will turn up a week before rampage?
  • 4 1
 This will be a success even without all the big names. Anyone who can ride that track will be good enough to enjoy watching. No one outside mtb know the names anyways.
  • 5 1
 We could call it Ten-Cross...
  • 4 1
 could be sweet but it wont happen
  • 2 0
 am i reading comments from girls? dont be pussies. this shit sounds awesome
  • 2 0
 Why are they doing this on the same day that at least 100 local racers will want to be about an hour North at Attitash.
  • 4 1
 This better have a good live stream... That's not red bull
  • 2 0
 Don't worry ... it's not in Italy ... it will not be cancelled .... .... ...
  • 4 1
 Give me props just because I live in N.H.
  • 2 0
 A competition like this need some real price money for a change!
  • 1 0
 I'll definitely watch it. Be like this but on bikes www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qe3HBqFhTU
  • 1 0
 Should be awesome! Might actually be fun to watch. Head to head is great for entertaining the masses.
  • 2 1
 anyone DH WV - what's it like?- I was under the impression only the kiddie mtn (snow) is open for bikes.
  • 1 0
 No Dh on the main mountain. Only on Snows and its pretty lame. No one wastes there time there.
  • 1 0
 I thought as much - I actually went there back some 15 years ago and that's all it was - how can they be so enthused to put up a showcase race and not open the main mountain, which would have huge potential to be awesome.
  • 2 0
 Don't forget to buy insurance!
  • 2 0
 They, better live stream it!>>>>>>.ha
  • 3 1
 Same weekend as MAMMOTH KAMIKAZE GAMES.
  • 1 0
 is that first shot of the ski slopes where the track will be built? Where is this rough natural terrain you speak of?
  • 1 0
 Yes thats what i am talking about 10 down hillers at top speed thats bad f@ckin @ss.
  • 2 1
 Yes!!! We've been waiting for this!
  • 1 0
 Ok PB-how much were you paid to post this/put it on the front page?
  • 1 0
 What da f*ck is Chinese downhill?
  • 2 0
 Only 100 riders?
  • 4 2
 bad idea
  • 2 1
 This sounds awesome, can't wait.
  • 1 0
 dont forget we want to see it live!!!
  • 3 3
 Unfortunately mountain biking became cool. And this is the result...
  • 1 0
 Red Bull Wide Open?
  • 2 1
 Pile up !!!
  • 1 1
 Slayer %÷#+@*# Slayer \m/
  • 1 1
 OH MY GOD WATERVILLE VALLEY HOLY SHIT GOINGOINGOING
  • 3 3
 This will end with dead people.
  • 1 1
 to call it the future of bike racing.. is going a little too far!
  • 1 1
 Anything to make money.
  • 2 3
 A little rugby and MMA meets DH....I guess I'm in Smile
  • 2 2
 Wut?
  • 1 4
 Mass carnage !







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