Results: US Downhill National Championships 2023

 Super solid result considering his injury not that long ago. Great to see Luca at the top too. Let’s go NC

 Didn't saw Asa on the downhill results,AM I missing something?

 @nozes: he’s in the Jr 15-16 group

 @BamaBiscuits: Oh! Didn't realised he's still a junior...that kid is going places.
Thanks.

 Considering Neko wasn't even sure if he was going to race, until that morning. I guess he does know the track well. Super stoked for Luca and bummed Dakota didn't get the results he wanted.

 @nozes: 15-16 US National Champ, with a time 1.3s back from Ryan Pinkerton's Jr winning time. And that's the day after beating Richie Rude to become US PRO enduro champ!

 @dorkbike: I'll probably post this multiple times.

Burped his rear tire up top. I got video. He was flying all weekend.
His normal line all weekend was to rock hop the hole, push down backside behind the tree and launch left/middle of the log drop.
He got bumped on race run...aired out to the log drop and got sent to the right. Sound catches the suspension absolutely bottoming out b/c he basically landed to flat instead of hitting the transition up the bank to the left.

Live, I heard his knobs almost rip the fokk off the tire and the burp.

www.instagram.com/stories/bizutch/3148400919251652353

 Yes sir, great results! I hope he will jump onto DH a bit more often

 He raced DH before racing enduro

 He was the 2013 Junior DH World Champion.
www.pinkbike.com/news/A-Day-in-the-Life-with-Richie-Rude-Jr-World-Champion-2013.html

 Less than one second off the win!

 If you knew what USAC was like you would understand. They announced the race very very late into the season also.

 You guys are spoiled with talent…

 @Roost66: Ha ha!!! Probably.
BTW, a roost is also a "rouste" is french, but I don't know the real origin ;-)

 It's a huge country. Which is part of the issue. This event was held on the east coast; most of the mountainbiking in the states is literally on the other side of the continent. It's not like France where all race venues and riding communities are within a days drive. This event is literally multiple days of driving from where I live.

 @MT36: And I live on the east coast and its still a 16-17 hr drive to Rock Creek from my home in Maine. That said, I'm closer than Kansas City which is less than halfway to the west coast.

 @MT36: I'm in Vermont with a ton of DH options, and going to Nats would be a 16 hour drive. Plus food, gas, lodging, bike parts you might break during the week. It adds up and the economy is kind of crap right now. Even at our smaller regional races, people are doing less this year because of the cost. Will race nats next year though

 @animalrkent: You going to the ESC this week?

 @Roost66: Playing photographer for this one, I need a mental break. But I'll be there, just on the other side of the tape. Definitely racing Mount Snow though!

 @animalrkent: Sick!

 Currently only 2 Chair lift parks but two more in the works if you don't count Snow Shoe, which is in the south and is the United States World Cup Track. That said, Luca, Dak, Neko, Dante, don't frequently go there. Gatlinburg is getting a lift park, Sean Leader is building and Wolf Ridge Ski Resort, Elevated Trail Design is building. The rest are just shuttles but the Windrock shuttles especially are faster than many lifts.

 @mcleodpulaski: Gatlinburg is already online and it looks OK, only 500 ft drop and I hear the lift is slower than southern culture. Plus: G'burg... the turd of the Blue Ridge, Myrtle Beach on the mountain- ugh. But Sugar & Beech as at peak condition now having gotten lots of trailwork lately... hummin'! And high elevation nice temps. Im sure Wolf Laurel will get good trails as well.

But agreed - shuttle trucks just as fast. Can get sometimes 23-25 laps (or more for the younguns) at Rock Creek or Windrock in a full day.

 @Mtn-Goat-13 @mcleodpulaski :

Apparently lift issues at Gatlinburg are a big issue. More than one person yesterday said the thing just doesn't even work & to just hold off on even going til they get their act together with it.

 @mcleodpulaski: oh...and someone said Hawksnest is going to do bike trails again.

I can't see that being a reality for a few years. Their old lift was old when old was old and can't imagine homeowners being good with a shuttle service flying through the neighborhood non-stop even if the gravel up top got paved.

 @Mtn-Goat-13: I really feel like Beech and Sugar spend the bare minimum on trails and trail design. I remember going to Sugar in 2007 for the 1st time on my bike and not a lot has changed since then which is so sad. They have such potential but they don't want or can't spend the money. I haven't heard about Wolf Laurel building trails but they need to look at Bryce Resort in VA to see how you can maximize a tiny hill with a lift into a lot of great and varied trails. That place really does a lot with a little space. Same goes for Hawksnest.

Rock Creek and Windrock ftw. RIP Bailey!

 @blowmyfuse: Wild...was at first my least fave snowboard place of them all then my fave for fast runs...then closed of course, which blew me away. I think its maybe only 400 ft drop though? I'd be suprised if they tried to fire it back up but it could work (?)

 @Muggsly: Baileys is 20 mins from home...a major blow. Heard on RC & W-rock though

Sounds like you may not have been to either this year tho (?) - I had a few buds who simply refused to go this year until I showed 'em some footage - then they both wanted passes (to both) and we're hitting each one weekly now. Moto Mike has almost entirely rebuilt Beech now - lots of hits, berms and way better than ever. He rebuilt almost all of several trails before opening this year due to that 4'' rain they got in late May that stopped opening weekend that nuked everything - I mean, the whole place practically reset. They've easily put 10's of $1000s into it.

Sugar is the best it has ever been, easily, with way better rock-fieild maintenance (Hare / Super / EC Rocks) vs. that hollowed out rutted crap it used to be - they have been keeping it up. I've dropped 30-40% time on those sections now and its still fun & challenging, white-knuckled but far more fun. You can still get ganked hard but speed is way higher (pro's prob never had an issue, but it was falling apart the past few years). Feels more like all the best of Snowshoe in a smaller area now (and I hit SS often - great spot).

What I don't get about Sugar or Beech is the bottlenecking of trails at the base - dosn't make any sense to me and makes it feel like options are limited there, but there's so much else up higher that (to me anyway), they're both worth it for 2023.

 Wild...good to know. Given that its 2.5 hrs to G-burg and 2.45 for me Windrock (and no Myrtle Beach in the mountains) I usually keep chuggin' for Windrock. I'll keep an ear out for when its fixed...and also, not til Fall. G-burg may be at the north end of the Smokies, but its hotter'n' hades this time of year, little more than a tinderbox ready to go w/ all that ultra dry pine-oak ready to burn at any second.

 @Muggsly: Meant to say - dunno if ya know Elevated (built Berm Park in Canton) but they're pretty good...I was doubting Berm would be any good but its a rocka...has one of the most chilled-out feeling climbs I've ever done, fully built to climb about 1,200 vert in 24-40 mins without seeming like a bear and all the (new) DH lines up there are solid and will continue to develop into some of the better DH stuff outta Pisgah around - Champion, Ladybird & Wildcat... good stuff. Elevated will rock anything out @ Wolf as they will be even less hemmed in by town / county / public park ordinances and focused on actual DH park...imho.

 @Mtn-Goat-13: Ok I will definitely head back out to Sugar and beech in August then I am heading to Bryce this weekend so the GF can do a race. I am glad to hear they are doing more since they are the local lift access and I really want them to do well. Last time I was there was 2021 for an enduro on beech then another on Sugar and I was surprised in how little they had done. Decided to save the lift & hotel money and spend it elsewhere but you definitely have me intrigued to head back.

I actually rode berm park and ladybird a few weeks back and I enjoyed but the other 2 trails were not open yet and have been to berm a few times but it is a bit of hike from me since I am not in West NC permanently, yet! You said not focused on ordinances but if you compare what canton allowed vs most of the trails on city/county property in NC I was amazed at the stuff out there. I wish they had this closer to me.

I am excited for wolf did they have a timeline. I am guessing some trails in 2024

 @Muggsly: Yeah if ya haven't been since 2021 - A) I don't blame you! and B) you'll be super stoked on Sugar now. In later 2021 I went to Sugar & bailed after Storm Fred - it was 2 wks later & they hadn't done shit - only 3 trails open - sucked, but a bud told me later 2022 it was better & it was. It's even (waaaay) better now. Fastest lift easily vs Beech's slow lift but - whatever, Beech still fun & way flowier overall but still some some chunk.

I'm a big fan of rowdy & flow - if I'm gonna pay - so both are all-day events if I'm going. PSA that Sugar is closed all of June w/ only Fri-Sun lifts while Beech is going all June and Thu-Sun lifts so pass-wise, ya get tons more days @ Beech on a pass.

For me, Berms as good as you can want around here for built trails and lotsa options. Warning: Bernard Mtn (new trail north of Kitzuma) for me was a joke - more of a gradual XC trail (makes Kitzuma seem rowdy) and just so swoopy / swervy, too much brakes for such a flat trail - never really a "let it go" DH moment there - its not (not!) a DH trail. Total waste of trail & time (imho which is opinionated). Just FYI

And yes on 2024 for Wolf.

 @Mtn-Goat-13: Only thing I dont get about them is how short their open season is. Parks in the NE have longer seasons than them.

 @Mtn-Goat-13: What do you mean?! They call it "BerGnar" so it has to be gnarly? No for real you're right, but it wasnt intended to be a rowdy trail. Humble brag, I got the KOM on my first lap of it and dont plan on going back. The next trail in the works is supposed to be legit and they are working on plans for who will build (RKP) and also some company sponsorship money may get thrown into it.

 @LaXcarp: Absolutely - have been nagging them for years to open late March / early April but they keep talking about "sensitive soils" - which is hilarious as its all sub-subsoil that's been ripped of trees, eroded, re-eroded and then piled up w/ machines (mostly). Its losing $$$

 @LaXcarp: So good!!! I missed the 'BerGnar' moniker...effin' hilaroius! Makes Kitzuma look like Val di Sole Did ya keep that (coveted) kom or has it gotten bumped w/ the flood of Gnar-mongers hitting it? I was cruising for sessionable spots and didn't find a thing so didn't try, but I sadly took the 160/180 Capra thinking there would be some sessionable chunkage - anything: Nerp. Its a kids & family trail for sure. With how softcore round 1 of the G5 Curtis Ck trails are (and I fully get that - bring in the lodging & fams 1st the get gnarlier) that Bernard would be a thriller and a bit more like Heartbreak / Star... just made me angry.

 Sugar has a full time trail park manager now who finally got some workers last year. PJ Noto. It's his baby.
Lot of machine work for a middle of the mountain flow trail. The bottom half of Sugar presents trail builder problems because the gnarly stuff is left and right on the mountain of center. Then to bring a trail into center, it gets tame instantly due to the gradient. BUT...they have far less erosion to run from than Beech.

Beech has always gotten blasted by heavy rainfall in early spring that is compounded by the remaining snow melt. And it's on a steeper grade, so devastating combo to get water off of. But each year, they've put more money and resources toward handling water where they can. I was there when over night a trench simply removed the entire DH track for 100 yards and left a gully that could swallow a car in it's place.

Wolf, I'd say Peter & crew are going to enjoy themselves there. We never built any of our DH race tracks for MADHRA with more than rakes, loppers and weed eaters there. It's an old rock quarry and for some reason, there's not a single rock on that mountain. 9 tracks in 3 years it was that straight forward. But with machines, maybe he'll strike granite. Wolf...it's steep.

It's biggest issue will be the footprint isn't all that big.
If they let him go wherever he feels like, he'll be able to do a lot. But good news is his pics were of the 700 ft front side of the mountain, not the "new" 400 foot 2 lift mysteriously burned down lodge side. And when we "built" race tracks, the owner was a stickler for us staying off the grass. He wanted his grass to not get rutted or washed. Certified trail crews should be able to go places we weren't allowed w/ their system.

 @blowmyfuse: Dude, killer info. Were ya on either site to build (or anything nearby) - or were you on the original Wolf trails before that dude got killed & they shut it? Guessing u build in yr area? Anyway - Im sure Elevated will do it nice - some weird private tracts mixed in the ski hill matrix but I'm sure that's all marked... the ski areas only like 50-60 acres if even but 800 vert, plenty to work with.

As for bottlenecks: def see how Beech is limited now (lower Canebreak is nuked & now fenced off for their concert series) so not much place to drop out there but seems like Sugar could do some basic lower side trails something to the left / south of base lift to disperse a bit but... maybe that's too damaging for grass.

Beech has no real erosion control excuses tho (and I don't expect the builders to possibly be in charge of that) - there are so many open soils they 1) keep mowing to a nub for no reason vs allowing to cover & cut in late winter for wildlife which prevents the woody veg and 2) they've ignored badly eroding areas for 10+ years so the soils long gone. Top of Indigo (now w/ 2 decent hits) at the big berms is just running raw above & below the berm which I could cover & seed in all of 3-4 hrs. Even a basic org-mulch / straw / materials cover and seed bomb would lock that down in 7-10 days. Ive approached grounds to explain (Ive been doing mass-to-micro scale restoration work for 25 years... this is nothing) but -zip, "we're working on it". Either way - the "fragile" stuff they're referring to is 5% max of the trail surface, the rest is open subsoil - May temps no worse on it than Sept / Oct. They could charge 100x the erosion cost by opening May 1. They don't have my tears!

 @Mtn-Goat-13: I used to be one of the ringleaders for DH in the area. I cut in multiple old Beech courses in ye olde days. Some it's still there, Most long gone. Guy that ran their races ran their ski school and would use his timing equipment (probably on loan from Beech) to time all the races across the south. He got burned out and faded away so we picked up.

We formed a DH "club" for the southeast back when, charged $30 per member & you got a discount for Azonic, a club t-shirt and $5 off races. Had to have a USAC official "club" to host an event and get insured. So that was our way to raise money. But we just basically spent our weeks and spare dollars cutting courses and breaking bikes.

Club funds basically raised enough for course marking, USAC official and maybe gas for our personal chainsaws and tools.

I talked Sugar into letting me cut in a legit course from the top for their first National b/c they only ever ran from 3/4. Buddy Donovan laid out the rest of the older stuff there. They shut my course down for a month before Nationals saying it was too dangerous. Then opened it up 3 days before the race and it was just raw, no prep. Almost a disaster but got better over time.

Wild thing is I was doing things legit and all those stoked teenage groms would show up just to dig and toss themselves. When we had our first kid, I stopped. Those groms grabbed Hawksnest and put on the Dirty Bird to keep things going.

They'd been out digging commando stuff all over the south.

The irony....almost to a MAN, those groms all own their own individual trail companies now. One of those groms is Pinkbike's @danielsapp . The ripple effect of DH over the years is so cool to think about!

The guys who were passionate in VA, WV linked up their events with ours for an epic 9 race series put on with pennies and phone calls. One othe WV crew has his own trail company now too but mainly builds private moto tracks for the elite.

Neko was a grom who raced our Nationals course. Then I wound up racing his first event at TTC. Now here I am marshalling Nationals at his place. The guys that volunteered their time and love are now PAID to build.

 @blowmyfuse: Well I'll be damned. I didn't get involved w/ org'd racing and have been doing off-map stuff (no deets online and after years of that I mostly just maintain lower hanging but gnarly fruits nearby). This is a baller-ass story and I'm sure there's a ton more to it. You haven't already been on Pisgah Pod by chance?

Guessing we may known some of the same folks though I never got formally w/ racing, just screamin' it w/ the buds or solo. Did built about 10 rake-n-rides (2005-10) for pvt clients but only because I could fully control the where / when / why ecological speaking) but seeing those couldn't be maintained by owners and not wanting to focus only on trails (or sub it) I bailed on it. My back can handle only so much & I don't wanna operate machines. I do pure conservation / minimum impact stuff (including for trails tho its still not part of the culture much).

Ya got my head spinning - sounds like you're known OG for sure (tho pls be anonymous). I've mostly been the hermit type which also has pros & cons but def'ly came out from under the rock in the past 5...effing good on ya man. Sounds like you & yours are actually how things happen.

 @Mtn-Goat-13: They even made stickers saying "BerGnar" and handed them out at the grand opening party! I still got got the KOM!

 @LaXcarp: A day to live in infamy... BerGnar. You can rest assured I won't seek to over-kom ya (and congrats). Im have some koms & t-10, have my target areas and absolutely love the elevation / mileage data. Lemme say too the trail is built well but on scale of rainbow colors it's a solid brown to me. BerGnar stickers: they needed the money!

 I'll probably post this multiple times.

Burped his rear tire up top. I got video. He was flying all weekend.
His normal line all weekend was to rock hop the hole, push down backside behind the tree and launch left/middle of the log drop.
He got bumped on race run...aired out to the log drop and got sent to the right. Sound catches the suspension absolutely bottoming out b/c he basically landed to flat instead of hitting the transition up the bank to the left.

Live, I heard his knobs almost rip the fokk off the tire and the burp.

www.instagram.com/stories/bizutch/3148400919251652353

 @blowmyfuse: I knew it had to be something. Guy has had a bit of a rough go the last few races (not having it all come together) and you can tell when he is disappointed when he's off Instagram. Hoping he gets the gremlins out and is able to have a solid, consistent 2nd half to the season.

 @RCederholm: I'm sure he'll tell all on the vital b practice podcast.

 @RCederholm: The guy is locked in on racing. Can't blame him for dodging the net. I'm part of that problem.

Talked to him and Richie for just a second in the pits after. Don't think there's a person in the US more motivated than him right now.

Really wish I had video of what Richie did in his first practice run Saturday. He had to do the final pro stage of the enduro at 7:30 AM, which was on the pro DH track in the dew and damp. DH practice, Came through on his DH rig, did this big bunny hop up over the angled pole at my station & landed backside. Huge pull. So clean. Contorted body angle to do it.

After that he tried every other combo of lines for his practice runs. Boss move.

 It looks sick and like a full production bike. www.instagram.com/p/CuqK0m0LmHJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA=

Squishes nice too: www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/g-out-project-u-s-mtb-national-championships-dh/yeti-prototype-dh-bike

 @pisgahgnar: thank you

 I didn't hear any complaints about USAC messing up DH but it is likely!

 Sunday seemed to go off all ok and on time. I was there from the start of finals at 11:00 and it was all on schedule. Crowd was awesome as well!

 @pisgahgnar: I was too. I guess the only thing was the schedule mix up that had an hour delay and pro practice between non UCI Cats and UCI cats. I didn't get an explanation for that change but considering how the enduro went, can't complain about this.

 @mcleodpulaski: Rain forced final pro stage of Enduro (held on Pro DH) from Friday to be moved to Saturday before DH practice started. That had a ripple effect.

 USAC picked their DH national team for world champs before this race... Maybe they should add a rider an fill their 7 rider allotment from the current 6 they've named

 they didn't do splits for timing on the dh course, which helps keep excitement for the race replay show, which we are finishing up pronto.

 @davetrumpore: Isn't there a petition period for riders to do that? I thought I remember that you can petition to go on your own dime or your team's dime.

Seems like someone on RideMonkey back when laid it out and suddenly the pro who wanted to petition saw it on RM, tried, but deadline passed.

I mis-remember stuff a lot. Like which Trumpore got concussed in front of me once and made me not wanna race and which one gets naked at the drop of a hat. Important stuff...

 @blowmyfuse: I know a certain EWS racer petitioned long ago and it sounded like the person in charge of team selection ay USAC had never heard of him as a dh racer

 @blowmyfuse: That would be me who was knocked out cold in front of you at the US Open. That makes two of us that don't really remember the details that day

 @davetrumpore: Yep. That was the exact scenario I remember.

 @davetrumpore: If they have the open slot, hopefully the potentially eligible riders/teams will know to petition.

We all want as many stars and bars on track as possible.

 @davetrumpore: and maybe USAC left that slot empty. If there's a surprise winner of National Championships, they may automatically qualify to fill the 7th slot?

 @blowmyfuse: i miscounted... they filled all 7 spots BEFORE national champs

 @blowmyfuse: Stars and Stripes? Unless you'd like the south to rise again.

 @pisgahgnar: what...am...I...missing?

 @pisgahgnar: I had to google that. I'm born and raised in the South, but only ever knew of one Confederate Flag until today and the one I knew was on the General Lee and in back windows of old trucks.

Isn't there a British MTB film that said something about Stars and Bars?

That's quite literally the only reference I've ever heard of Stars and Bars. Now I gotta google that to make sure I'm right. BRB

 @pisgahgnar: I'm back. I KNEW I'd only heard Stars and Bars from an MTB film.

It was a US film from @alloutproductions, I think it was Don Hampton?

Footage was from 2008. The year Geritt Beytagh won the DH National Championship, which we were talking about on the the hill.
www.dailymotion.com/video/x6dgw8

Oh...and two factoids for the weekend.

Chris Herndon came off the couch at 40 years old to get 2nd in Pro Slalom against Ropo. FIFTEEN YEARS after he won National Championships in slalom at Mt. Snow.

Randy Lawrence, Jeremy McGrath's mechanic was in attendance, wrenching for his son.
Ranyy was also an Intense Factory DH racer back in his day.

Only reason I found that out was because my buddy spotted him on Instagram posting from Rock Creek, jumped in his car and went down to get him to sign his copy of Chain Smoke