It's a Hooner Tidworth Freeride: Annual Hooper Hooner 2017

It's that time again, here within a flash! 6am start and the road trip to Tidworth Freeride's fifth Annual Hooper Hooner race is upon yet again, I'm sure this was only a few months ago?!! Phil? This event is such a great end to an epic and heartfelt season. The Hooper Hooner is put on by the team at Tidworth Freeride and all-round genuine nice guy Phil Pots and his crack team of legends, riders, trail builders, medical staff, catering staff, all make this a truly epic day on the calendar!


First off a little bit about Tidworth Freeride. This park is a hand-sculpted bike park nestled on the Hampshire/Wiltshire boarder, 2 minutes north of A303 on A338 outside Tidworth. Boasting 8 progressive trails, the site caters for those just getting into gravity riding right through to those who are comfortable catching extended air time. The track is called Hooper Struve and its the main race line offering a number of technical challenges including flat corners rock gardens drops and doubles, this trail does require a higher level of ability to safely negotiate to the end of the line. Home of the Hooper Hooner this trail is most representative of what is expected of downhill and offers a number of option lines as you descend down through Mini Morzine and off the coffin drop.

Get yourself up there for a day of friendly shredding!!




After an athletic jump over the fence....(slip and nearly on my arse) I did think to myself, this could be a really good day or a really crap day for me haha.


The cleared path leads you into the home of the Hooper Hooner and the race village very much a ground zero ewok village with lots going on and people blasting about getting sorted, with hot food steam everywhere, the smell of bacon 'n' egg filled the air it was time for a coffee! My thoughts were, it's going to be a mega day.



Pothead and pan face on hand to provide some of the best food I've had at the races.

Kelli Salone and her crew with Dame Cycling team.

T.M.C boys on hand to help out with onsite mechanics and spares.

BLOC eyewear and Big Bobble Hats on hand keeping heads and eyes warm all day long.

Last chance to get the race plates sorted and check start times.

Onto the racing, this track has its challenges from roots that are covered in slick chalky mud, off camber sections, rock gardens, drop offs and few good sized gaps, this is somewhat ''testing'' conditions to attack this track fast, my hat is off to all that raced in the slick conditions!!.

From results order,

30+ Women - TF Tuned.

Jo Ponting was on it all day!! Wild line choice before the drop awesome to watch!!

1st place for Jo.

1st Jo Ponting 2nd Renee Diwell 3rd Amanda Tanfield 4th Jennifer Purcell

Well done ladies!!

Expert Elite - BLOC Eyewear.

This Category is a fast one with lots of these riders having been on the race scene for many years and some still up and coming.

Tim Ponting.....if you don't know of him then shame on you!! ;-) still fast and never letting anyone try and beat him! 1st place for Tim.

Tim in his attack mode!.

1st Tim Ponting 2nd Daryl Biles 3rd Finn Tennant 4th James Windley

Grand Vets - FABRIC

These boys hold their own! Still, with good pace and with the conditions it's anyone's race!!

1st place for Mike easy.

1st Mike Easy 2nd Steven Lewis 3rd David Scurfield 4th Mike Snuggs

Hardtail - Flare Clothing

Fair play to these boys on hardtails in the conditions, either a lot of fun or a pant loading session!

1st place for Simon Nash.

1st Simon Nash 2nd Fred Hunt 3rd Laurie Tennant 4th Dave Brawn

Junior - Muc-Off

This is always an interesting category, these lads are fast, and always great to watch.

Will Easy from D&D Cycles // Cotic Bikes taking the top step.

1st Will Easy 2nd Oscar Powell 3rd Jordan Powell 4th Tom Stockton

Junior Girls - JUST BIKES.

These girls turn up the speed dial, great riding from them both!!

Ellen Flewitt from team Aston Hill takes the win!.

1st Ellen Flewitt 2nd Esther Monro

Juvenile Boys - DMR

This just blows my mind, Ethan Craik from The Riders' Guild is one to watch out for! Getting the fastest time of the day with a 54.71 is just amazing! And missed out on Hooner Champion by just 0.16 of a second is just mental.

1st place for this young ripper!!

1st Ethan Craik 2nd Travis Diwell-Wilson 3rd Rory Holm 4th Travis Hopkins

Master Men - DMR

These boys can handle themselves on the track and it shows great racing from them all!.

1st place goes to Nick Platt

1st Nick Platt 2nd Joe Tracey 3rd James Bartholomew 4th Matthew Lakin

Ripper Boys - FABRIC

These little dudes are so rad! Fast, and with great style is mega! Fair play to them and Mums and Dads for the full sponsorship program.

Well earned first place goes out to Luca Thurlow .

1st Luca Thurlow 2nd Jordi Hart 3rd Will Holbeche 4th Dominic Platt

Seniors - BLOC Eyewear

Again great racing and again fast as hell, these guys step it up each time.

1st place goes out to Petr Vinkler from Dirt Riders.

1st Petr Vinkler 2nd Rob Webb 3rd Craig Cheber 4th Glen Hewett

Senior Women - DAME CYCLING

Great to see so many girls racing, stepping it up and getting faster each time.

1st place is Molly Major from Hardy Cycles Exeter.

1st Molly Major 2nd Francie Arthur 3rd Ebony Webber 4th Emily Beckett

Veteran - MUC-OFF

These boys know how to handle bikes with experience on their side some make it look effortless.

1st place goes out to tune pumping Giles Austing from Mule Bar.

1st Giles Austing 2nd Ben Leach 3rd Shane Maciak 4th Alex Lawler

Youth - T.M.C

Good to see these boys battling it out all day! Michael Maiden with a flyer of 101.00 and Ryan Paul coming in with a 101.08 that's close!!

It was Michael Maiden's day 1st place for him.

1st Michael Maiden 2nd Ryan Paul 3rd Oakley Haines 4th Kairan Oram

The best fancy dress was on the menu and best trick off the coffin drop, the best moustache of the day! So awesome!!

Fancy dress



Will Easy takes best coffin drop trick with a table top baaaarrrpp!!

Best Moustache.

Finally the Hooper Hooner Champion

1st Nick Platt 2nd Ethan Craik 3rd Tim Ponting.

Amazing riding fellas!!

That's another Hooper Hooner 2017 all done and dusted (no weather pun!!) It's always a great event that Phil Potts and his team put on and I would like to thank them all for organising such an epic event you're a credit to the MTB community! Massive thanks to all the bike shops, catering, medics, timing, marshal's, Mum's and Dad's, dogs kids and everyone for being awesome!!

Medic's doing their thing! These guys and girls are priceless!



Full results and times here.
Photography: BrettShelfer-Photo Chris Greenwood-Photography
Words Brett Shelfer.
Video: Alex Bell

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MENTIONS: @Treetop33

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