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Course Preview: Canadian National DH Championships

Jul 7, 2015
by Sun Peaks  
Views: 4,031    Faves: 12    Comments: 0


The 2015 Canadian National DH MTB Championships return to Sun Peaks Resort this weekend, July 10-12. Our trail crew got out there over the past week to give you a course preview, and an inside peek at what some of Canada's top riders will be descending at top speeds!

DH racing has deep roots at Sun Peaks. With a long legacy of racing in the early days of the Bike Park, Sun Peaks has proven itself over the past few years with a 2012 BC Cup, a 2013 Canada Cup, and National Championships in 2014, 2015, and already lined up for 2016! 2015 event details and registration: http://goo.gl/K1EvTi

Stay tuned throughout the weekend for updates from Sun Peaks Resort. Or better yet, come on up and bring your bike, get in on all the action and get up there for some lift-accessed descents!

Whether it’s on the trails, at the finish line or perusing these words from afar, we hope to see you this weekend!

- Your Sun Peaks Bike Park Team.



Sun Peaks


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Member since Jul 8, 2009
53 articles

49 Comments
  • 19 9
 2 years ago Sunpeaks ran the race course from the top like in the video. It's got a blind fade away jump that's really dangerous and caused a lot of big injuries and course holds. I like that Sunpeaks supports racing, but it should start from a lower down (like last year) or take a different trail up top.
  • 1 1
 I will be doing the race this weekend and won't be able to make it up in time for the course walk, approx how far down the track is this jump?
  • 7 3
 Within first 50 metres I'd say. I love a tough course, but I think the top part is unnecessarily dangerous because riders cant see where they are landing.
  • 20 2
 Thanks for your concern guys, the race will be starting from the intersection of DH with 4 Road (same start as last year) rather than from the top of DH, so you won't need to worry about this feature in your race runs. Hope y'all have a great weekend of riding and racing!
  • 7 0
 Awesome that you guys listen to the riders and take their input seriously, the UCI should take notes ah!
  • 1 0
 Awesome, appreciate the input
  • 3 1
 Where's the GNAR?
  • 4 0
 That's awesome @SunPeaksResort , thank you for clarifying and I'm glad to hear it. Looking forward to the weekend Smile
  • 8 6
 I think most racers like that part of the track, it's fast and steep, but fairly safe I'd say.
  • 5 4
 60-70+ kms/ hr straight down, fade away blind jump at the top of a race track, history of big injuries... I can't think of a safer section!
  • 8 4
 @HaroldCDN , nut up or shut up it's a downhill race not xc
  • 5 1
 I have to agree, its a canada cup....60 to 70...blind jump, thats why there is training! the fast and skilled win and the ones who brake and are cautious loose........this is racing!!! There are different catagories for skill level which levels the feild. remeber the canada cup is for points so our guys can qualify for WC, and if you did not see the last WC race and the size of the jumps andt he speed that they hit them, maybe check it out.
  • 1 0
 i think they should start it at the top , the "fade away jumps" is a double drop which going race speed you double, anyone witht theire head on straight runs the course slow first or takes a track walk Razz silver star last weekend was held up for about 2 hours combined . its the game homie .....
  • 1 0
 @jmckm thanks for clarifying. I don't need a lesson in "nutting up" I'm more then capable to do so and a quick scroll through my profile will support that. My comment was not about DH courses needing to be less steep/ gnarly/ fast, DH is DH and Nationals is a proving grounds for the next step, so the track should be a WC caliber one as @Bird-Man has pointed out. My comment was simply to point out that calling this section of track "fairly safe" is a bit out there, but I suppose that relative so I will retract my comment... In any case, have fun racing this weekend, I hope you nut up and I see a National champs jersey on your back. GL!
  • 9 1
 It's awesome that Sun Peaks does so much to support racing, but a little disappointing that National Champs are at the same location for 3 years in a row. The course at Sun Peaks is very fast but not even remotely technical. Would be nice to see a little variety on that front - why not change locations at least every couple of years? Fernie and maybe even Silver Star are much more interesting courses.
  • 10 3
 Silver Star is a perfect location and track for National Champs. Sun Peaks is a great resort and lots of fun, but there is absolutely no line choice on the whole track and winning comes down to how fast you are willing to push speed on the dangerous steeps and through the trees. Not my first choice for a Nationals DH course...
  • 6 3
 there are a lot of politics going on up there in regards to course lay out and design. At least it was back around 6-8 years ago. The course won't change unless there is new management. We tried hard to change it to have more turns and tree sections but it was not happening. its got nothing to with the organizers but Sun Peaks management.
  • 8 0
 @Parabellum the only reason to host a CND Cup event is to host a National event. A resort hosts a National event in order to earn enough political points to be able to get a toe in the door to bid on a world cup event. CND Cups and higher are very expensive to run compared to a BC Cup level event and are almost impossible to break even on if you don't hit 250+ racers.
Right now Whistler and Sun Peaks are the only two resorts looking to bring a World Cup to Western CND, so Nationals won't move around much.
  • 6 0
 @sexley Wow I had no idea there was a push to bring WC out West. Would be beyond stoked for that to happen, but ideally on a much more technical track. The Whistler BC Cup track is super gnarly and would be great for that sort of event.
  • 8 1
 lay off the brakes, gets pretty technical the faster you go
  • 2 0
 If Sun Peaks did a race down Insanity One or Honey Drop, the course would be far more interesting.
  • 1 0
 Yeah there's a lot better trails to be racing up there, insanity from the top to arm pump, there's ya course
  • 1 0
 Thats what we used to run. It was sketchy in a good way. Lots of broken bones and egos. Super scary and fun, stuff that made you question your decision making abilities hahahah.....Most of the reason they are running the current course I'm sure has to do with course holds and emergency access. Its much much easier to pull injured riders off this course than the old version(s).
  • 10 0
 I was expecting roots and rocks. This looks like a nice flowy trail to ride on Sundays.
  • 7 1
 I would suggest simply supporting the event if you are into DH racing as the more support these events get the more events we get. Give your feedback constructively to the organizer, mtn, or CCA and it will filter down to the hosts for future events. Hosts hate it when they put money, time and effort into an event only to have people rail on how bad everything is. Not every course is perfect, but no one puts on a race to get rich. These people do it for the betterment of the sport. I would bet that if people gave feedback on this year's course in such a way that highlighted the good and offered suggestions for improvement the course would change for next year. Now get out there and braaaaap!
  • 6 0
 Wayne Parsons, you and I both know there are better trail combos to send a sassy race course down. It's too bad the resort management has been difficult for the trail crew to take things to the parks potential.
  • 2 3
 yow matt, you are a racer not a politician, we here are expecting you to send it!!!!!! you can ride anything and you do it unbelievably fast...the coarse doesnt make the race, the riders do!!!! send it!!!! best of luck!!!! and if your not racing then just forget evrything I just wrote.....LOL! Make the goblin proud!
  • 1 0
 Your right bud. Cheers!
  • 1 0
 hoping all is well sir and keep on keepin on!!!!! Hope you kill it this weekend, fastest person i know on a bike! we beleieve!!!!!!!!
  • 4 1
 Racing from the top is pretty nuts! I remember that section getting pretty loose quickly! Still stoked that sunpeaks is supporting racing so much and making the race course so buff for a big race!
  • 3 0
 Course won't stay buff for very long - gonna get roughed up in no time with the hot weather.
  • 4 1
 The top section of the course from a few years back wasy fave! I was stoked to see it back in there ... And making it a longer race... A bit bummed that we're starting Lower down
  • 7 0
 Claudio?
  • 8 3
 Looks like the course preview matches the course selection. Probably the worst course preview on Pinkbike.
  • 2 1
 I love the fact they hold a race here but it would be nice to see a MSA race in the series again hands down the best Nationals ever! not saying this won't be great just kinda sad seeing every national out west gets really costly for us on the east. pretty much the reason I don't race any more
  • 4 0
 Well what about all the guys in the west, eh? Pretty costly for them to be traveling east. 8/11 canada cups this year are in ontario or quebec. I think you have it pretty good buddyguy
  • 2 1
 It would be nice to have at least one Race with a length in the close to 4 minute range, looks like all races nowadays are sprint events of 2 to 3 minutes. But those are still better then none.
  • 4 0
 Not the Western Open at Kicking Horse MTN Resort. 5 min track for the avg racer...
  • 5 1
 Race will run same as last year. Not quite as filmed
  • 2 0
 Brutal course. Looks like a typical Bike Park lap....
  • 1 0
 This is the Canadian National Championship.......where's the Gnar and the steep technical sections??
  • 1 0
 Was hoping for claudio
  • 3 2
 The only road In canada
  • 1 0
 dude thats sick!
  • 4 6
 Thats not a dh race track... thats a freaking cycle path, put some asphalt and you are good to go
  • 5 0
 It looks tame because he is going really slow. At speed this trail gets wild, and it's already super blown out.
  • 4 7
 Fuck just pin it and stop complaining about the track Sun peaks fucking rocks cause it's not whistlers groomed ass trails It's a real track .
  • 4 1
 I'm guessing you've never actually been to Whistler.
  • 3 3
 No never just lived there for a decade . Helped build the park







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