Course Preview: Canadian DH Nationals - Panorama BC

Check out the course preview video!


It is only a matter of days before Canada’s very best downhill talent arrives at Panorama Mountain Village. BC native and current world rank #2, Steve Smith, has confirmed to race on Sunday. Many of Canada’s and the World’s best are slated to challenge the Insanity Course on July 13th and 14th. The pressure to deliver a world class caliber course has been weighing heavy on the trail crew’s collective shoulders since we heard the announcement that Devinci Global Racing’s, Steve Smith, would be racing here. My crew has been working long hours on their own to time to insure that the course truly brings the goods.


Insanity and Quadzilla have been closed since the park opened and will remain closed until after the race, allowing us to put laser focus on the nuances of the track and preserve it for the competitors. Throughout the entirety of the track enhancements have been made to berms and sightlines with up to 100 trees being removed along the 1250 meter vertical drop. Let’s take a quick section by section tour of some the notable upgrades to this year’s track.

Out of the start house, the first major change to the course comes at you fast with 2 flowy drops aptly dubbed, “Double Drop”. Racers then swing through a freshly opened up wooded section before sending it over “Hot Hip” – a newly constructed long floater that transitions on to a steep landing where the speed comes up fast. You then bounce through the “Fort” and get on the gas on “Hay Fever Highway”.

Trail Crew Member, Owen Peters, tests out Double Drop.

Stephan and Rich make sure that Hot Hip is race ready.

The personality of the course abruptly changes as it descends two super tech steeps that will be familiar to competitors that have raced at Panorama in the past. The “Plunge” and “Dollar Sign” have been subjected to some strategic tree removal to improve safety, flow, and sight lines but otherwise, their natural, burly character has been left intact.
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“OT Side Hill” has been widened before entering the “Rock Garden’. Thousands of pounds of rocks have been moved by hand and meticulously placed, greatly improving this venerable section of the course. Blasting out of the rocks, racers then must negotiate the super rooty section of “Fangorn Forest” before encountering “Stephan’s” – a newly built wood drop that swoops into a freshly sculpted catch berm. This section is unbelievably sweet to ride.

Fresh new rocks in the first section of Rock Garden.

Stephan’s into a fresh new berm.

After carrying the creek the course goes through a new reroute of loamy organic rollers where the competitors can ride in their own lines.

One of the most notable changes to the course is the “Full Floater”. A once narrow goat path leading to a rutted creek crossing has been transformed into a steep right hand berm leading to large wood ramp that will send riders 30 to 50 feet over the creek. On the other side of the creek a large landing area has been prepared through the removal of more than 20 trees and their stumps. This will be awesome place for spectators to take in the action.

Stephan begins to bring his vision to reality at “Full Floater”.

Full Floater - The finished product – the entrance berm, the ramp, and the opened up landing area.

Steph takes his first test flight while Rich takes the best seat in the house.

After landing the Full Floater the course hits the nitro and is superfast and technical all the way through to the finish line.

Race day times are predicted to be around the 3 minute mark - making the descent incredibly fast. The Insanity Course should live up to its name with incredibly varied sections challenging the riders as it snakes it ways down the mountain side. Riders of different skills sets will be able to find their moments to capitalize on what they do best.

One of the major benefits to all this trail work is that once the circus leaves town the tent will be open for everyone to play in.

With clear skies and temps in the low 20’s it is shaping up to be an awesome weekend of racing.

Here is the course map.


Find out more about the race and register here: www.panoramaresort.com/BikeRaces

Images courtesy of Mason Pridham