Race Report: NW Cup Finals - Stevens Pass

The summer has been a bit unpredictable in the Pacific Northwest this year, leaving riders wondering just what mother nature was up to. This sense of uncertainty was fueled by forest fires, super long dusty dry-spells, and rain that seemed just a little angry when it finally appeared. In spite of the turbulence, 2015 has been the biggest season for the NW Cup yet. The largest opening turnout, a new venue, and a full docket of seven stops all lead up to a promising series’ finale.


It may still technically be summer, but autumn is in full swing in the alpine. Crisp breezes and a riot of colors let us know that winter is out there, looming around the corner and preparing to put an end to park season. But that’s later, for now, the conditions are prime and the racing is fast.



With the favorable conditions came over 300 racers, making this the biggest finals turnout in the series history. A large influx of new faces, including mountain biking legend Shaums March, added to the weekend’s competition and merriment. To further the good times, Gravity Components and Team Robot hosted the Season ENDer SENDer BENDer party on Friday night. The party featured beers, brats, burgers, and a chance to tell Charlie Sponsel off during the Team Robot insult competition — all for a $5 suggested donation, with the money going to the NW Cup.


As usual, the format at Stevens sends Pro, Cat 1, and Cat 2 riders down Slingshot Wookie and P.B.R. A course that is perfect for the connoisseur who loves their trails fast, chunky, and covered in a dollop of granite before they exchange pleasantries over a serving of wall rides and smooth tabletops. For Cat 3, the course links together Lichen It and Luvin’ It for tight turns, bridges, and an excellent chaser of techy flow.


Following the major renovations to P.B.R. before round five, the trail crew has been hard at work smoothy and buffing Slingshot Wookie. Their efforts, combined with tacky dirt, allowed racers to push their limits and put down even faster times. Saturday’s seedings saw Josh Gibb put in the fastest time for Junior Men, followed by Damon Sedivy and Jason Eiswald. Britney White led the charge for Pro Women with Jaime Rees and Kjersti Christensen coming in next. Weston Potter was the fastest man down with a time of 2:53.48. Luke Strobel came in a couple seconds back and Charlie Sponsel came in third.


Leading up to the race, Luke Strobel was racing strong, having already tied up the overalls before the weekend began. Weston Potter won the last two consecutive races and clearly wanted to go for three. Charlie Sponsel, Sombrero Czar, was a strong contender as always. And Kent Billingsley was hungry after he took third at Silver Mountain.


By the next morning, the clouds had rolled in and the temperature was chilly. For a moment it looked like things might get rough, but luckily the sun started to peek in-and-out and things steadily improved throughout the day. With an hour of scheduled open practice racers rushed to perfect lines or a get in a warmup. By race time things were running smooth, although at least one set of broken ribs and an overlooked nest of yellow jackets on the Cat 3 course brought some adversity to the day.


Race results: Josh Gibb retained his lead for Junior Men, Bailey Villalovos bumped up two positions for second, and Austin Lancaster moved from seventh to third. Jason Eiswald put in a casual run, taking sixth and securing the overalls. Britney White, Jaime Rees, and Kjersti Christensen all held their positions for Pro Women. Weston Potter came in second and Luke Stroble in third, just .02 seconds ahead of Charlie Sponsel. Kent Billingsley laid down a fast run that moved him from sixth to first — earning his first Pro Win at the NW Cup this season and third in the overalls.

Full Results Here.

That’s a wrap. If you missed out on the NW Cup this year, don’t let it happen again in 2016. Come see just how good racing in the Pacific Northwest can be with a strong group of passionate racers and a dedicated band of organizers.

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MENTIONS: @ericashley / @csponsel / @bzmncrew / @olympicdirtsociety

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