Oregon Enduro 1 - Hood River Race Report
The much-anticipated first race of the 2013 Oregon Enduro Series in picturesque Hood River, Oregon, saw Josh Carlson (AUS) and Rosara Joseph (NZ) come out victorious in the Pro classes. The Hood River segment of the series consists of seven stages over two days of racing. With about 340 entered it was sure to be a challenge for the promoters. It's been wet in the Pacific Northwest and rain was spitting off and on most of the weekend but the course conditions were great. Still, the dirt here can be deceptive, going from tacky to slippery in a matter of minutes and making judging speed critical for success.
While the racing was fast and furious, the story of the race was again the timing. With the acquisition of a new 'chip' timing system there were high-hopes of having a more efficient system for compiling 300+ racer's times on seven stages over two days. There are definitely some bugs to fix. Problems compiling data led to many delays which placed the Pro podium at 9pm Sunday night.
The next race in the series is in Bend, Oregon, the weekend of June 8th-9th. We'll have a follow-up report for you then.
For more information including results check out the Oregon Enduro web site
While the racing was fast and furious, the story of the race was again the timing. With the acquisition of a new 'chip' timing system there were high-hopes of having a more efficient system for compiling 300+ racer's times on seven stages over two days. There are definitely some bugs to fix. Problems compiling data led to many delays which placed the Pro podium at 9pm Sunday night.
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 A view of Mt Hood with Hood River in the foreground. |
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| Josh Carlson came back from Italy last week with one thing on his mind; keeping the #1 plate. |
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| Junior, winner of 'pet of the race' for this event. |
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| Blasting through rain forest-like atmosphere with a clear trail ahead, what could be better? |
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| Devon Lyons is the promoter for the OR Enduro series. I know he'd much rather be racing instead of dealing with logistics. |
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| Fox was out on the trails for days before the event testing, filming and photographing the 2014 line. |
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| An unknown rider takes the ladder drop decision-maker. This is more of a tuck than a huck, especially when racing. |
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| Carolynn Romaine has been roaming around the West, riding the best trails and chasing optimal riding weather conditions. She is soon to call Bend, OR her new hometown. |
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| Nathan Riddle tucked on Sunday's final stage |
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| Kona's Matthew Slaven ... you've been Instagrammed. |
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| NW Shimano rep Nick Gibson is no stranger to the trails of Hood River and their changing conditions. |
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| Bend Oregon's John Frey blasting in the rock garden that was utilized for stage 2 on Saturday and stage 1 Sunday. |
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| Kelli Emmett with 2nd place overall to Rosara Joseph. I'm pretty sure that the only person to beat Kelli at an OR Enduro Series race is Rosara. |
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| The Post Canyon trail network terrain is a diverse and dynamic. A section can be tacky one minute and slippery as greased owl poop the next. |
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| Alex Petitdemange made the trip from Moab, UT to try out some NW slick rock. |
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| There was a lot of checking and double checking results this weekend with the new chip timing system appearing to need some tweaking. |
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| Josh Carlson reminds me of old school BMX legend Stu Thomsen; Tough, determined, gritty, a champion. |
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| Cat 2 racer Thom Weeks (214) gets chased down by Oregon Enduro videographer Tom Teller out of the start. Check out his videos on the OR Enduro page: www.pinkbike.com/u/OregonEnduro |
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| Don't bet against this "Dude" in a game of golf...Wick Wickster from Kore USA. |
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| Sometimes the smallest victories are the best. Like not going over the bars at full speed in the rockiest section where most of the photographers and video crews are hanging out. Aaron Grutzmacher all the way from Jackson, WY. |
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| Joe Lawwill rep'n Shimano and enjoying another weekend in the Pacific Northwest. |
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| Carl Decker; foot up, foot out, stylin' |
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| Transition's Lars Sternberg is always strong at the Hood River race. Another top-10 finish this weekend. |
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| Kona's Ryan Gardner, from Goleta, CA. |
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| Nate Furbee on stage 2 |
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| There was no shortage of media at this event from renowned photographers Colin Meagher, Jake Orness and Cory Tepper to large production video crews. Giant's Adam Craig (2nd place pro men) conducts a post-race interview |
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| Danny Frey from Squamish, BC rode this section like a local, jumping into the rock section at race speed. |
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| Local bike shop Dirty Fingers Bicycles had party Saturday night with a prom theme. The slogan was "A Night You'll Never Remember" |
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| Rachel Throop from Laguna Beach, CA |
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| Scott Papola on one of the drop sections. |
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| Katrina Strand from Whistler, BC during one of Saturday's stages. |
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| Where were you at 1:30am Sunday morning? The staff at the OR Enduro was still working on correcting times from Saturday. The new chip timing system got a good workout at this event. |
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| Paul LaCava is one of Oregon's most well-rounded cyclists. From dirt jumps to skate parks to cross country, short track, cyclocross and enduro, there isn't much that Paul is afraid of. He recently not only completed, but placed 3rd overall in the Trans Iowa race. A 340 mile long gravel road race that must be completed in 34 hours or less. |
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| Another shot of Oregon Enduro Videographer Tom Teller (right) chasing down a competitor for some footage. |
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| Giant's Josh Carlson continues his North American domination in enduro. |
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| A rider takes the ladder drop decision-maker. |
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| I'm a sucker for fast, foot out cornering. What can I say? |
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| Pro Women's Podium for race 1 of the Oregon Enduro Series with Rosara Joseph taking the win. |
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| Men's Pro Podium |
The next race in the series is in Bend, Oregon, the weekend of June 8th-9th. We'll have a follow-up report for you then.
For more information including results check out the Oregon Enduro web site
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BTW, the guys at Dirty Finger Bike Shop are rad. They once hooked me up with some pedals off their own ride when I had gotten to the trailhead without mine. Long story, don't ask.