Whistler Report #17

It’s good to exceed your personal expectations once in a while. I had a moment like that last night thanks to a good example being set by Mr. Wolsky on the highway 86 hike a bike the other day. He cleaned the climb from the bridge to the waterfall, and to be honest it had me scratching my head. Last night we headed back up that way again on the little bikes and I hopped on the rig at the bridge and settled in for the grind, before I knew it we were nearly there. The first ditch/log crossing just before the falls tripped me up and I had to walk from there, but now I’ve got a taste, and I’m pretty sure I can clean the whole thing. It’s kind of funny how we can just get it into our heads that something isn’t doable, so we never even really give it serious consideration, until we see someone do it and we’re suddenly compelled to try. And then before you know it, you’ve pushed yourself past your self-imposed limits. Having friends that regularly push you, whether on climbs, descents, technical situations, or all day epics that you think are way beyond your ability is  an important part of the sport, and I’m thankful to have a number of those folks in my life. Thanks for showing me how it’s done Dylan!

  Shaums March got the holeshot at last years Red Bull Exodus race in Whistler, and was the first through the fog on Harmony.

One thing a lot of friends did last year that didn’t really appeal to me was the Red Bull 5000 Down race here in Whistler. A mass start off the Peak, in miserably cold and wet weather, really didn’t do much to get me excited last year. While the concept and Peak portion are certainly unique, the Garbanzo and down portion left much to be desired as it was a combo of courses that had seen much use in other events last year. Well, the race is back this year, and in a quick deal at the PhaSt Wednesday awards last week I managed to trade a set of grips and t-shirt that I won as a draw prize for an entry to RB5000D that someone won and couldn’t use.

I had a fairly long conversation with Mr. Events Seb Fremont and as of last week the course had yet to be finalized. I asked him to choose a course that offers way more passing than you think is necessary. Based on what people said after last year’s event, the singletrack gets so jammed up that it gets really frustrating and slow.  Keep it as wide open as humanly possible! Regardless, I’m looking forward to a fun weekend doing a unique event, there are still lots of spots available so sign up online here. There’s potentially 3 days of racing here, including practice and qualifying, so come out and give something different a whirl. The A-List of riders scheduled to make an appearance the week after worlds includes The Atherton’s, sans Dan, Stevie Smith, and possibly others. Injuries have claimed a few on the list over the past couple of weeks, and with some trying to heal in time for Rampage, they may not make it out. Should be a fun couple of days regardless, so either come race, or at least cheer on those who are, let’s hope for dry sunny weather!

   Narrow alpine road, rain and fog, and over 100 people elbow to elbow going really fast, this is the alpine portion of the Red Bull 5000 Down race.

This weekend also sees a more distinctly low-key and local cross country race taking place, as the West Side Wheel-Up rolls into it’s 17^th Year. Kicking off the month of pain here in Whistler, the Wheel-Up is a fundraiser for the BC Para Alpine Ski Team and organized by the legendary Phil Chew. Sign-in for the race runs from 10-12 at the Whistler Brewing Company in Function Junction with a 12pm start. The course is short(ish) with winning times in about an hour and change. They like to describe it as a toonie ride on steroids, and that’s a pretty apt description. A bit of wide open at the start leads into classic tech west side riding. The after-party at Rainbow park is legendary, and almost alone worth the entry fee. Lots of draw prizes, including a Winter Ski pass, to go around so come on out. This is a WORCA event so you must be a member to participate, cost for the race is $25.

   Katrina Strand (L) and Brook Baker (R) both finished in the top 3 of the PhaSt Wednesday series with Brook taking the overall. Robin O’Neill Photo.

WORCA’s Trail Director Jerome David has a mind that I like. Not only is he responsible for overseeing WORCA’s many trails projects every year, he’s got a vision and the moxie to follow through. The man behind Get Over It and the new Yummy Numby Climb, Jerome is big on connections and he has great vision. When this week’s email blast came out there was mention of a “High Alpine Dream Trail Building Project”, and I’m sure you can guess, that definitely piqued my interest. I’ll have to track Jerome down and get more info, but if it’s what I think it is, he’s been thinking about this for a long time. 4 trail days are planned, Sept 24/25, and Oct 2/9. Keep your eye on this space and worca.com for more info as it becomes available.

   Bart Brown comes up from the lower mainland every week to participate in the Phat/PhaSt series. Bart won on the night, beating Chris Dewar by less than half a second, but was second to Dewar in the overall on the season. Robin O’Neill Photo.

This update certainly wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Dirt Merchant revamp. The reopening on Friday afternoon had more than a few of us giddy. Smiles were ear to ear, and high fives were being slapped all around as we all got into the spirit and sessioned DM. Everything was tweaked, some stuff made a bit bigger, and everything a lot smoother! The rain that’s falling right now is probably a godsend for Trail Crew. DM got hit pretty hard over the weekend, but held up really well. The rain will definitely help pack things in a bit more. Hopefully it doesn’t get too rutted out after it stops. Word as of last night too was a lower A Line buff out too. It has definitely been feeling the beat stick since Crankworx and it’s good to hear that it’s been given some loving too. Mason Mashon’s back on the bike and has some sweet pics and words over on the WBP site, check it out here.

   It was hot and sunny, and the course was indeed PhaSt last week! Clouds of dust hung in the blazing evening sun as racers blasted the course. Robin O’Neill Photo.

Last week was also the final PhaSt race of the year, and while it certainly was a fast race, it was kind of lacking in the gnarliness that is typical of a PhaSt event. Although with the previous weeks post-crankworx Phat being cancelled, I think Seb made a good call in chilling things out a bit. Full Results for you to peruse, and I’ll mention the overall series champs. Junior Men – Ollie Gregory-Jones, Female – Brook Baker, Master Men – Chris Dewar, Men’s champ was the Kenny Smith. Last Phat goes tomorrow night, or last night by the time you read this, hopefully lots of good costumes and fun for the chainless a-line!

   Days are getting shorter and it’s becoming harder to get in those longer after work rides. The sun is setting on a summer of great riding, I hope you made the most of it!

Lastly, in honour of this week’s World Champs taking place at Mt. St. Anne over in Quebec, I’d like to give a big shout out to a couple of local boys done good. Tyler Allison and Nick Geddes are out representing Canada and these are two young guys that came up through WORCA’s Youth Program over the past years. I guess I’m dating myself when I say I’ve seen these two grow up riding in the valley and I’ve seen how they’ve both progressed as riders and racers. These lads have started to hand it to the older folks on a regular basis! Just wanted to let you guys know that we’re all super proud of you and we’re all hoping that you have an awesome experience at St. Anne.  Win or lose, we’ll all be cheering you on (and the rest of Team Canada!)!

Huge thanks to Robin O’Neill for some great photos from last weeks PhaSt race, check out all her work on her website -> www.robinoneillphotography.com.

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