The 6th annual Tara Llanes Classic was in full force this past weekend at Tahoe's Northstar Resort. Racers, sponsors and family came from across the globe to support Tara's awesome event - raising money and awareness to fight paralysis. The TLC (Tara Llanes Classic) is unlike any event I have been a part of, Tara along with the help of friends, family and long lasting sponsors personally organise the event with passion. Racing is relaxed, but when your friends are some of the industries best like Andrew Neethling and Jill Kintner, racers like to bring their A game!
Saturday kicked off with a long and hot XC race followed by the Shimano kids race - a staple at the TLC. That evening Tara, along with help from Pinkbike, put on an outdoor premiere of "Where the Trail Ends". Only the 2nd time the Red Bull film had been shown in North America. The audio visual setup at the base of NorthStar was one of the most impressive presentations I've seen before.
Sunday is the big race day with the Giant Super D. This year's track was more like a downhill with some tough pedals to keep you honest. The conditions were dry, dusty and fast. The fastest time of the day went to none other than Andrew Neething. The Industry Cup is always a blast to watch as teams from the industry battle it out over a variety of challenges. This year Sombrio was setup with their brand new modular pump-track and big rig - teams took turns trying to lay down a new fast time. Then they tried their luck with burlap sacks, water ballons and human wheel barrows in the hopes of raising Steve Mitchell's custom made "Industry Cup". It's easy to say everyone involved was having a great time raising money for a great cause, not to mention some of the raffle prizes that were handed out thanks to all the Sponsors.
Big Kudos go out to Tara for continuing to put on such a great event, and all the sponsors that help make it possible. To find out more about the event and how you can help please visit
www.tarallanesclassic.orgCheck out the videos to catch all the action! See you guys next year!