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Details Announced for the Vedder Mountain Classic XC Race + EWS Enduro Qualifier

Feb 6, 2022
by Ernie Kliever  
Vedder Mountain Classic - The History

by ekliever
Views: 498    Faves: 0    Comments: 0


Press Release: Vedder Mountain Classic

Territorial Acknowledgement


The Vedder Mountain Classic acknowledges the hospitality of the rightful titleholders, the rightful authority to these lands and waters - the Stó:lō (People of the River) and associated tribes, in particular the Pelólhxw, Th’ewali and Ts’elxwéyeqw. We are grateful to live, work, and enjoy the beauty of their territory.

Event Info



We're back baby! After a two-year hiatus the Vedder Mountain Classic (VMC), hosted by the Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association (FVMBA) is taking place on May 14th and 15th, 2022. The event features an XC race on Saturday, followed by an EWS Enduro Qualifier on Sunday.

So what is the Vedder Mountain Classic?
The Vedder Mountain Classic is a weekend-long mountain bike festival where trails, racing, community, and riders, unite in a celebration of singletrack! Steeped in a rich history (google the chute on the Refer..), at one point it was the longest-running mountain bike race in North America. Revived in 2016, this festival kick-starts the race season in the Pacific Northwest, attracting big-name athletes like Jill Kitner, Catharine Pendrel, Chris Kovarik, Matthew Beer, and Yoann Barelli. While the big names are in attendance, the festival is all about family-friendly fun, with more than 26% of participants being under the age of 21. The Vedder Mountain Classic is not just an event for serious athletes, this fully emceed event offers more than just the racing, there is a kid’s race, beverage garden, bike and equipment demos, prize giveaways, and more!

Additionally, proceeds from this festival go back into the local trails, as all participants are required to be a member of the Fraser Valley Mountain Biker’s Association, generating approximately $10,000-15,000 in revenue for the FVMBA.

WHAT: Vedder Mountain Classic (VMC) - XC & Enduro Racing | Trails. Festival. Community.
WHERE: Chilliwack, BC @ Cultus Lake and Vedder Mountain - Check out Trailforks for info on the trails
WHEN: May 14th (XC) & May 15th (Enduro), 2022
WHO: Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association
SOCIALS: Website | VMC Instagram | FVMBA Instagram
REGISTRATION: Opens March, 25th on our website


More Information


WHAT'S INCLUDED:
• Access to the VMC festival expo - demos, food, beverage garden, kid's games, chill vibes, and lots of live-action!
• XC Pro prize purse of $3500 - $1000 1st, $500 2nd, $250 3rd - plus two $100 prizes
• EWSQ Pro prize purse of $5500 - $1500 1st, $750 2nd, $500, 3rd
• Separate courses for the XC and Enduro races. Both courses have short and long course options.
• Live timing/results
• Door prizes and lots of giveaways
• EWS Qualifier status
• Commemorable gift
• Pre-event giveaways
• Kid's race
• Absolutely stocked feed station!
• Professional first-aid team
• Special timed descents (for XC), with added bonus prized for special stages (for enduro and xc)
• Post-event meal and beverage (on your chosen race day)
• The best trails in the Fraser Valley!
• Your entry contributes to funding trail maintenance pre and post-event

Pre-Registration: Event registration opens on March 25th, however, you can pre-register an entry for the XC race here and the Enduro here. The goal of the pre-registration list is to gauge interest in the event and provide the organizing team with a contact list prior to registration opening to the general public. This is important as we understand the implications of COVID 19 and the presence of natural disasters (fires, floods, etc.) are a concern for participants who spend their hard-earned money on registration fees. Pre-registration is free and as a perk, we will email pre-registrants an access code to register 24 hours before public registration, this event has sold out every year.

PRICE: The XC race pricing ranges from $140-$150 and the EWQ Qualifier ranges from $139-195. All prices do not include tax/processing fees, Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association membership.

Get In Touch


• Sponsorship opportunities | race@fvmba.com
• Athlete inquires | race@fvmba.com
• Volunteer Party, or Party Volunteers..you decide, we'll take either
• EWSQ information | Rule book,EWS Membership, EWS Difficulty Rating Scale
• Event website


Mark MacKay


Vedder Mountain Classic 2019 - Photo Credit Gareth Paget

Vedder Mountain Challenge 2019. Photo by Scott Robarts


2019 Vedder Mountain Classic - Photo Credit Mark MacKay



Posted In:
Racing and Events Press Releases


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14 Comments
  • 15 1
 Nice to see races come back, but registration fees sure have gotten expensive. What's behind this? Have the costs of running a race gone up (due to factors such as increases in insurance or something), or is this simply capturing the enthusiasm of the past two years with few events on the calendar? Either way, the costs of races are becoming difficult to justify for those who do it just to have fun and challenge themselves.
  • 6 1
 Agreed! I used to balk at a $100 fee and now it’s not unusual to see >$200…
  • 1 1
 @scotteh: My guess is that it's events like Canadian Enduro Series driving up the 'going rate', which tests what the market can bear. Race registrations are still high, so clearly people are willing to pay. But I would be interested to hear from race organizers if the costs are due to something else.

Regardless, I'm stoked to be racing again. And we do have some great local events.
  • 10 1
 I was really, really excited for the vedder mountain races to come back. But as a dad with three kids, it'd be tough to justify over $650 in race fees for the four of us to race 5 minutes away at our local mountain, when we could almost do two days at Sun peaks, Big White or even Whistler for similar money.
  • 8 0
 As someone with prior experience organizing races in the Fraser Valley the background costs of putting together an event of this caliber are very high. Venue permits, beer garden liquor licensing, food, security, garbage disposal, sound systems, timing systems, outhouses and more, all these things cost money and like everything else they are all going up in price. Sponsorship money is needed to cover the costs most of the time to even turn a profit and it can be a grind in itself to even get it. It's not ideal but it's just the way it is right now, it's why you see so little grass roots races and why so many fade away soon after starting.
  • 4 1
 @liveslowdiewhenever @DMal both good points especially on how Grass Roots races fade away (e.g. early BC Enduros run by Megan Rose). I'm going to try the Classic regardless after doing the Vedder Enduro twice. Money not an issue for me but it is for many. Especially those getting into the sport. What is tough is if the local trail membership is added ON TOP of the race fees and you can only buy a FULL membership. What if you only ride Vedder once per year? It used to be that a big chunk of race fees went to the local trail org, but in in 2021 it seemed like prices went up to all time highs PLUS the Full trail membership. This is a key change. It would be nice to see a big chunk of fees go to FVMBA, plus maybe a $20 additional charge direct to FVMBA. I know for the WORCA Back Forty and Canadian Enduro you needed a full $60 WORCA membership. That is a pretty big cost if you are from out of town for a single race so something in the $20-30 range seems reasonable. Any way you slice it the Enduro even costs have more than doubled from, say, 2016 to 2021 when you look at the all-in cost. Can't speak for XC or XCO though.
  • 3 0
 Squamish Enduro -> Vedder Mountain Classic -> NCES season

Things are looking pretty great for a return to normal racing.
  • 3 0
 The problem with XCO racing in BC is that it’s over by mid June. I don’t get it. In the rest of the world it’s a summer sport.
  • 2 0
 Maybe too much wildfire danger later in the season. Sucks to ride hard when the sky is red.
  • 2 0
 2 BC Enduro events announced on the same day....on the same day Frown
  • 2 0
 not as bad as Whistler Back 40 and Merritt Crown OCCURRING on the same day
  • 2 0
 @taprider: Back 40 was just rescheduled to June 11
  • 2 0
 Always a Pleasure to see Gary Harder and his positive vibe Cheers bud!!
  • 1 0
 gary harder! OG vedder classic was good times.







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