Video and Race Report: California Enduro Series Finals - Kamikaze Bike Games 2015
Words by Patrick D. Rosso
Slick pumice-laden dirt, elevation that left racers gasping, and plenty of bloody shins and broken bikes—it was just another day at the Mammoth Enduro, held September 26-27, 2015 at the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park.
The last stop of the California Enduro Series and part of the larger Kamikaze Games, the roughly 15-mile event in the eastern Sierras took racers, from pros to beginners, out of their comfort zone and hurled them down some of the most technical runs seen in the six-race series. Full-face helmets and kneepads weren’t required, but most racers opted to protect their mugs.
The terrain was diverse and intense: boulders, exposed scree fields, plenty of punchy mid-stage climbs, and one leg that saw close to five-miles of pure descent with wood features, sharp rock gardens, and wide open sprints. Luckily for the 600 riders that braved the alpine terrain, lifts shuttled them to elevations of 11,000 feet for practice and the race.
In Pro Men, Oakland, CA local Ryan Gardner, made quick work of the four stage course and took first with an overall time of 33:26.30. Tim Krentz wasn’t far behind in second, followed by young-gunner Teddy Hayden in third, Evan Geankoplis in fourth, and Tim Langdon in fifth.
“I felt really, really strong. I’ve been racing cyclo-cross lately and I think it has really brought my fitness around,” Gardner, 29, explained post-race. “Some of the runs were super long and you can definitely feel the fatigue set in.”
In Pro Women, Essence Barton of Thousand Oaks, CA, let off the brakes and fought her way to the top, finishing first with a time of 39:48.20. Amy Morrison was in hot pursuit, finishing second, followed by last year’s overall series winner Lauren Gregg in third, Nina Porcelli Fenn in fourth, and Brianne Spiersch in fifth.
“It was good. I felt confident on Stage 1 and I wanted to start strong and I feel like I did, but two, three and four were crazy after that,” said Essence, 23. “I had a few crashes and I was a little disappointed, but I didn’t want to touch the brakes anymore.”
Rabobank was also at the race with its KOM/QOM challenge- putting $100 up for grabs to the fastest Pro/Expert and Sport/Beginner riders on longest stage of the race, Stage 3, which made up close 40-percent of the overall race. Ryan Gardner, with a time of 12:40.20, and Essence Barton, with a time of 14:43.70, took the KOM/QOM for the Pro/Expert, while Matt Guntert, with a time of 13:26.68, and Amanda Propst, with a time of 16:14.71, won the KOM/QOM for the Sport/Beginner.
The weekend’s victories were awesome, but bitter sweet. Mammoth marked the conclusion to another radical California Enduro series, which featured races everywhere from the lush forests of Northern California to the granite of the Sierras.
Marco Osbone took the series win for the Pro Men with 188 of 200 possible points, followed by Evan Geankoplis, Ryan Gardner, Cory Sullivan, and Doug Thayer.
Amy Morrison took the series win for the Pro Women with 160 of 200 points, followed by Lauren Gregg, Brianne Spiersch, Jackie Swider, and Nina Porcelli Fenn.
MENTIONS: @MammothMountain, @calienduro
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wish i didnt flat stage 4.
As a broke-dick college kid racing on a team bike that I didn't pay for, I couldn't afford to replace it, and I was more or less stuck in WI/Chicago for a week until I could hitch a ride home with a teammate. I was racing to put food in my mouth, working for faster teammates who shared their winnings with me.
At the suggestion of one of my teammates, I rolled my bike up to the SRAM neutral service pit during one of the lower category races in the early afternoon. Asked them if there was any hope for my RD. They said, "Let us check it out. Come back in an hour." I did, and when I got back, they'd put a brand new SRAM Red RD on it, adjusted my shifting, and cleaned my drivetrain. I've been riding their products ever since.