Sandpoint, Idaho - The Pacific Northwest greeted Haro Bicycles with the podium, strong rides and a wee bit of Mother Nature’s wrath over a weekend of racing. Cody Warren once again showed his potential by riding himself into two podium spots at round four of the NORBA National Series.

The Whistler Blackcomb Mountain Bike Park will be welcoming Kona Clump Rider, John Cowan, to the new Kona Jump Farm this weekend to strut his stuff. As the visionary behind the Kona Jump Farm, Cowan used his unparalleled skills to create one of the coolest and most unique jump parks in North America-and even the world! John will be doing a dirt jump demonstration and will then be on hand to give you tips on how to improve your dirt jump skills. Here are the details:

The events team at Sun Peaks Resort is pleased to announce an event in the bike park, that is free, fun and open to all levels of Riders. On Saturday July 30th the first ever Bike Park Hi-Roller event is set to take place. Who needs poker, when you can roll and win!

Just got an e-mail from Steve at Vibe Racing letting me know that they just posted a new Wheels Of Fortune 2 Teaser. The release has been postponed to this winter because a new production team (Beastmaster2000) decided to team up with the Vibe Downhill Race team and help until the release.

Check it out: Right Click - Save As

"Katmandu Bike shop along with our friends from Summit Ski, Rocky Mountain, Oakley, SRAM, Dainese and Orange Bikes, would like to invite everyone in the WORLD, on August 5th, to the:

25th Anniversary“80’s” Party at Garfinkels in Whistler!

What a way to bring in our first year with Red Bull on board, but to have the best conditions ever and another new course record!! Saturday's 5K race was a little slick from the previous day's rain, but was it ever good for Sunday. Thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors that made it happen, thanks to all the racers for showing up and putting on a show for all the spectators. See you all next year!!

Three weeks ago, during Angel Fire’s World Cup, SRAM held their World Cup level fork product launch: SID World Cup 2006, REBA World Cup 2006 and BoXXer WC 2006.

This trip went into planning mode months ago, when we first learned there would be more then one North American World Cup event. Plane tickets were booked, changed and re-booked, [L=http://www.angelfireresort.com/plan_lodging_hotel.html]hotel’s arranged[/L] and rental vehicle in order. Instead of flying directly to New Mexico from Vancouver, I felt the need to take the indirect route from Chilliwack to Calgary and then fly to N.M. Since I hadn’t been on a bus since elementary school, I figured “what the hell, I’ll take the Greyhound to Revelstoke”.

AUGUST 3 – 7 IN WHISTLER

Festival Cranks up the Action for the Second Year in a Row

The two week countdown is on for the second annual Crankworx Freeride Mountain Bike Festival taking place in Whistler, August 3-7. Crankworx blends extreme freeride mountain biking competitions, fun family races, music and entertainment; and will showcase Whistler as the place to play and ride this summer.

A great weekend of exciting biking events and competitions for all levels will be held July 30 - August 1, 2005 at Frontier Lodge near Nordegg, Alberta. All are invited, whether beginner or advanced, to attend the 15th Annual Frontier Fat Tire Festival. Frontier Lodge boasts some of the best downhill, trials, slalom, cross country and north shore courses in Alberta. Thousands of dollars worth of biking gear, clothing, cash and other prizes are to be won at the various events and competitions. Families are encouraged to attend also as there will be guided rides and fun events for all ages and ability levels.

Hey Everyone. Come and check out the new Drop In - International season 1site. Ya I know, Season 3 of Drop In is still airing all over the world but you can still see that site too. The new series (Drop In New Zealand) is shaping up to be out of control and we needed to launch the new site early to let you know about some of the developments as they happen. Go to the New Zealand site and see what all the fuss is about.

This weekend and by the narrowest of margins Danny Hart missed out on Sunday the 24th of July from being the only UK rider to ever triple up in all MTB disciplines at National Championship level.

New era in history of Red Resort as summer operations begin

ROSSLAND, BC – As Canada Day weekend celebrations wind up, another type of party is underway – the team at Red Resort’s Summer at Red program are finding time to deem the first weekend of operation a success. Commencing on July 1, the Silverlodge chairlift on Granite Mountain at Red Resort, started turning for the first time during summer months, welcoming mountain bikers to the first venue of it’s kind in the West Kootenays.

Being a flat lander, I've never had the opertunity to make the drive to Mission B.C. for the infamous Bear Mtn. Challenge. But since relocating to Chilliwack back in February, I really had no excuse not to be there. I chose to skip Saturday's XC race, as well I don;t know any XC racers out here that well. So up early and off to Bear Mtn. Sunday morning then.
Read on for details or just check out the course video!
bear2005.wmv (Right click and Save - Large File 40MB)

Comments & Questions

Member of the Iron Horse/Freeridetours Team and a Freeridetours Guide

I imagine James rode a bike as a kid like we all do, but from what I can tell he really got into riding the same way most people get into riding, through the local bike shop. In his case that meant Red Shreds, which is where I first met James. For those of you who don’t know anything about this shop, it is iconic and more of a epicenter for adventure than merely a shop.
Needless to say James worked at the shop when I first met him and soon joined us on a tour where he quietly destroyed every trail we rode. He is an amazingly versatile rider and is always too busy loving riding to boast about it. Well it didn’t take me long to ask him to join the Freeridetours roster and as soon as the Iron Horse Freeridetours Team was a reality, he was on it.

When I ride with James it reminds of what it was like when I first started—pure love for the sport.

The NORBA series made its fourth stop at Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint, ID, this past weekend. All NORBA events were contested including Cross-County, Short-Track Cross-Country, Marathon, Downhill, Four-Cross, and Super D. Unstable weather including hail and 70 mph winds made conditions challenging but, as with nearly every bike race, cancellation was not an option. SRAM athletes put in one of the best performances ever with podium spots in nearly every event. The RockShox Reba fork, further proving its unrivaled versatility, landed on the STXC, Marathon and 4X podiums.

I never seem to get sick of the drive from Vancouver to Whistler along the winding stretch of Highway 99, or better known as the “Sea to Die” Highway. On this rare, sunny, Sunday morning I was on my way to Whistler to meet for the first time Stephanie Nychka and Darcy Turenne. Our plan, shoot promo photos for the Slope Sistair Freeride Invitational taking place at Hemlock Valley Resort, September 1st – 3rd 2005. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, as I hadn’t worked with these two before. And since the female scene doesn’t seem to get the exposure it deserves, it’s hard to do any prior investigation.

Despite rain, muck, more rain, and even a bout of torrential hail, 200 dedicated Norco riders arrived sunny and smiling to invade Sun Peaks Resort on July 2nd for Norco’s first 2005 customer appreciation day, VPS-Fest: Sun Peaks. It was an awesome sight to behold, and one that inspired the 32 Norco staff & team riders working that day, to be all the more dedicated to making sure the faithful had free passes, finely tuned bikes, and plenty of smiles when they rolled off the hill covered in muck.

An Epic Ride on The Seven Summits Trail in Rossland

The Seven Summits Trail in Rossland is 30 km of amazing single-track riding along the Rossland range. The snow has finally cleared and it’s already getting quite a bit of traffic. This trail is ideal for mountain biking. It stands out for the amount of quality singletrack in the alpine, winding up and over ridge lines, with spectacular views of mountains, valleys and towns.

Parksville Pro Jordie Lunn used last Saturday as another oppertunity to hold another one of his stellar training camps, the venue this time, for the first time, was his famous backyard.

The Iron Horse team rider took 18 students under his wing, and into his home, to teach the kids everything from the basics to Foam Pit 101 with help from Ryder Kasprick, Jarret Lunn and myself. The kids started arriving around 11:45 for the course and after the waivers were signed it was time to get down to business!

Just got word from Aaron Lutze that the Match Videozine #7 teaser is up on www.alwaysmad.com. In this issue you will find coverage of the Red Bull Bike Battle in Baltimore, the Gathering dirt and park comps, a European roadtrip, a Canadian roadtrip and a roadtrip to Ray's MTB park. Spend a day-in-the life with Nigel Quarless, check out Chris Donahue's new Evil DOC bike and go behind the scenes with Mushroomhead and Dave Weagle and the Evil/E.13 crew. Check it out!

Chicks Rip in the Park Wednesday Nights Starting July 20

WHISTLER, BC, July 12, 2005 – Whistler Blackcomb is proud to launch a fantastic evening for women in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park every Wednesday between 5pm and 8pm, starting July 20. Discounts on tickets and rentals, plus free guides for all ability levels are just some of the perks of this new weekly event for women.

We at Calgary Cycle want to thank all of you that have stopped by during our Annual Trailer sale. We just created a few Saturday only specials for everyone to check out, so here you go:

I'd like to introduce the world to the one and only Brad Mckay, if he was a characture that is what he would look like. Brad is a really hard worker with Civil Engineering on his mind, so if you don't want your next city hall to fall over I suggest you give him stuff....

The first annual, first ever inaugural Hoedown at the Ranch at the newly opened, buffed and bermed Kamloops Bike Ranch was highlighted by some incredible local dirt jump talent Kamloops (and visiting rippers) have to offer.

It was a busy weekend for the Kamloops Bike Riders Association (KBRA) following the politicians’ opening of the new park on Tuesday, June 30. We hosted a BC Cup BMX race at the newly developed BMX track Friday and Saturday, put the finishing touches on the DH run, “A Fist Full of Dollars,” and held the Hoedown dirt jump jam Saturday and Sunday.

Just wanted to update you all on the event and our preps. The tailgate gap is now open and buttery smooth. Check out Dave Best's photo of local rider Andy Bostock christenning the new feature. We have also been putting in machine time to dial the finish area and some parts of the course. There is a sweet 50 ft berm coming out of the tailgate landing and the finish has been revamped for a spectacular finish.

Well it’s race season again and time for what seems like the 137th annual Panorama Mad Trapper mtb race. So once again we load up the Astro Boy van with as many bikes and granola bars as possible and head out for a nice 12-hour drive. Not that this is a bad things as drives go, pulling an all nighter from the west coast to the rockies is pretty cool considering you get to see dawn and early morning break on the one of the most beautiful places on earth. Also it’s not every day you get to see the 4:30 am Salmon Arm version of Fubar.

Bike Magazine's slopestyle contest Rocks Snowshoe, West Virginia

Snowshoe, West Virginia, Freeride phenom Darren Berrecloth threw a huge 360 spin off the 25-foot ladder bridge atop Bike Magazine's Monster Park course and walks away with his second victory at the slopestyle competition.

“The event was amazing…the course was incredible and the level of riding was sick,” said Berrecloth, just moments after accepting his first-place trophy.

Once again, Calgary Cycle is stepping up to the plate with one of the year's best shop extravaganzas - the Annual Trailer-Load sale! Find everything you need for biking. Be it Freeride, Cross Coutry, Downhill or Road. These Door Crasher specials will blow you away. Read on to find out more...

Crankbrothers' latest innovation is the new 5050 flat pedal. Debuting August, 2005, the 5050 is a study of duality and balance. It’s an uncluttered, straightforward design which offers imaginative options for customization. The 5050 is extremely strong yet has interchangeable parts. It’s an aesthetic design accomplishment which achieves maximum durability on downhill and freeride terrain. Each pedal is made of two different materials and two different colors, and it’s offered in two models and price points.

One month out, and the organizers of the original mountain bike freeride event JOYRIDE have pulled the plug on the July 30th 2005 event at Sun Peaks Resort. Lack of external sponsorship and growing financial obligations has brought the 5th annual festivities to a grinding halt. Sun Peaks Resort provided a top-notch venue for Joyride, but the event has fallen short in the quest to raise cash.

Temecula, Ca- July 11th, 2005: Angel Fire Resort in Northern New Mexico was the host to an action packed round of World Cup competition that saw Intense Factory Racing take the top podium spots in the DH race. The 2-mile course threw everything it had at the racers; nasty rock sections, tight tree sections, bridge jumps, a massive hip jump, high-speed straights, and even a road gap, but that wasn’t enough to keep our Intense riders from dominating the podium. Sabrina Jonnier was the top qualifier in Women’s Pro DH, and she held on to her top spot in the UCI points race by crossing the finish line with a massive 12 second advantage over second place finisher Scarlet Hagen (NZ) of Team Ironhorse.

WORLD CUP #6-Angel Fire, New Mexico-July 8-10, 2005

The entire Syndicate came together this weekend for the sixth round of World Cup downhill and 4X action, and it was great to be racing together again. The organizers of the Angel Fire, New Mexico race did a fantastic job to provide an awesome venue, challenging tracks and wonderful hospitality. The big Syndicate trailer was back, and in the pits the Sram/Rock Shox crew was in full support, and Matt Timmerman from Progressive Suspension was right next door to do fine tuning on the 5th Element Shocks.

Today's heat was pretty tough on the riders, but at this level of competition you have to be on your "A" game all the time. In the ladies field Gunn-Rita Dahle and Marie-Helene Premont duked it out, until a fall by Premont gave the lead and win to Dahle. Alison Dunlap would find her way to the podium with 5th place, in what would be her last W.C. race as she retired from W.C. action after today. The men held their pace from start to finish. A note to mention would be Ned Overend taking 18th in the Pro Men's field at 50 years of age. Way to go Ned!!

Hey folks, sorry about the delay in news, but I'm in New Mexico at the WC event at Angel Fire resort. I'll have full trip details and pictures later in the week, but here are todays results from the Pro 4X and DH finals.

The Clean Cut Films 2005 website is up and running. Go check out what we’ve all been up to. There are new trailers, photos, and news all at your fingertips. The one thousandth viewer will receive a free DVD. Click the link to hit up www.cleancutfilms.ca

From Rocky Mtn Bike N’ Board Racing Club

After much deliberation and consultation with our club members, sponsors, Alberta Sustainable Resources, MD of Clearwater, and the Alberta Bicycle Association we have decided to postpone the Return of the Fury III Revenge of Double Baseline to probably the first weekend of September 05.

Starting Fri July 8th, Kicking Horse will be offering Foxy Fridays. Ladies can buy 2 for 1 mountain bike tickets and get a free guided “Trails and Tips” tour (tours at 11am & 3 pm only). Leave the boys at home and rip it up with your lady friends.

So, we all knew it was coming and with recent cancellations, the long haul to Panorama Mountain Resort would be a must for any DH racers wanting to get some gravity racing in. Once we finally figured out who was going, which was staying and what vehicles were being filled, it seemed to come together. We knew that we had our rooms reserved at the Panorama Springs, so we just had to get there.

FOX Racing Shox introduces the latest advancement in trail riding technology; the TALAS XTT; Travel Adjust meets Terralogic. FOX took their two most advanced technologies, TALAS and TerraLogic and combined them to create the TALAS XTT, giving riders the first travel adjustable, inertia valve trail fork.

“At FOX Racing Shox, our philosophy is to create a better ride by making our products more efficient without adding clutter to your bars, or hassle to your ride. We want the fork to do the work so you can enjoy the ride,” stated Mario Galasso, VP of FOX’s Bike Division.

I’ve posted up the photos of last weekend’s Mad Trapper BC Cup Race held at Panorama that I had time to shoot. There aren’t that many, I was out enjoying riding the hill over the course of the weekend, and since I had to make the drive back to the Lower Mainland Sunday night I couldn’t stick around for much of the downhill. I’ve posted the plate numbers in “rider” field, if you see yourself and want your name posted email me the image number and your name and I’ll get it changed. Photos are size and quality reduced, email me for originals.

The Biker X
The Downhill

For fellow professional mountain bike racers and California residents Brian Lopes and Jill Kintner, it’s never too early to get a leg up – or two as the case may be – on the competition, and the pair delivered on that premise by racing their way to respective men’s and women’s titles and earning critical points at the first stop of the [L=http://www.jeepsports.com]Jeep® King of the Mountain 2005 Professional Mountain Biking World Championships[/L] in San Luis Obispo, Calif.