The second of seven races in the Canadian National Enduro Series went down in Kamloops, BC this past weekend. The Canadian National Enduro Series serves as the preeminent event of it’s type in Canada, acting as everything from a introduction to racing for the youth, to a stepping stone to the Enduro World Series for Canada’s top racers. Add in each stop’s unique trails and culture, and every weekend is both a  showcase of Canada’s amazing trail systems and a pretty damn good party (on bikes). Check out the video recap and official press release below. -ML

From Canadian National Enduro Series:

Race Recap: Round #2 Kamloops // MEC Canadian National Enduro Series presented by Intense Cycles

“Workin’ for the weekend” usually has a negative connotation attached to it, however, this ‘weekend’, embodied the ideals of giving everything up on the weekend to just have fun. Kamloops is my (the race organizer), hometown, so it’s a special event for me. I get to highlight my riding scene, my friends and really welcome everyone from around the country (we had racers from QC, AB, ON, WA, BC, OR, GER, CZH, UK, NZ, AUS etc), to show them why Kamloops is likely one of the rarest riding destinations in the world and my personal favourite!

One of the keys to making this event a stand-out is the venue. I owe a huge thank-you to the family owned/operated Harper Mountain Ski Lodge. On this ‘weekend’, they graciously open up their lodge and property for us to camp, ride and grass slalom our way around. It really is a different atmosphere at the event when you can wake-up on Saturday and Sunday morning, fry up some bacon and roll straight onto the best trails in the Interior of BC!

The Kamloops event always surprises riders, the trails are long, with two stages surpassing the 12-15 minute mark for most riders, its no wonder there are many thrills and spills; the trails at Harper mountain are fast, loose and always throw in a bit of that tech/jank when you least expect it. Remi Gauvin was the fastest man of the day, his calm demeanour off the bike is met with an alter ego on the bike and volunteer marshals said they could hear the speed difference before they saw him. His heavy breathing and the sounds his bike made on the ground are key signs that someone fast is coming, he explodes out of every turn. For the Women, it was Jennifer McHugh, the quiet Quebecois, that has been consistently taking over the women’s field, and she’s likely one of the best all-around riders in that category. We can’t forget to mention U15 local Johnny Helly, he was so excited to have his friends chasing him around the mountain!

To all the volunteers and locals that pitched in over the weekend, thank-you so much! For those that are yet to ride Harper Mountain, just drop what you’re doing and come out, give me a call, us Kamloopsian’s are known for our hospitality!

TRAIL LOVE

Harper Mountain has been seeing some very interesting updates over the past few years courtesy of the managers at the Kamloops Performance Cycling Centre, namely, Cheryl (and her crew) from the Bicycle Cafe Kamloops. They’ve truly turned Harper Mountain into a rarity for trail networks, with a beginner/intermediate jump/flow trail to a world-class climbing trail, and two massive hand-built singletracks, this riding destination is a true one-stop shop!

I’d also like to highlight Jordan Proctor, he’s a trail wizard, his sight-lines, corners and capacity for absolutely smashing in trail are second to none. He was up there all spring getting things dialled, so next time you see that Black Chevy with the Roofers Ladder parked on the shuttle road, drop a couple beers in the back, guaranteed they’ll magically disappear before your second lap.

For those who didn’t know, at every stop of the Canadian National Enduro Series, we donate a percentage of racer registrations. For this race, racers contributed $2822 towards the clubs trail maintenance, and it gets even better, our partner MEC graciously supports our events by matching that donation up to $2000, resulting in a whopping, $4822 of cash going straight back into the dirt!

A special thanks to Kamloops Performance Cycling Centre!

Tourism Kamloops | Cafe | KPCC | KBRA | Jordan P. | Reservoir Coffee | Cookshack Cravings | RSTBC | Harper Mountain | Mostly Mental Shuttles | Red Collar Brewing | Spoke Bike and Ski | District Bicycle Co. |

Results:

Pro Men

1. Remi Gauvin (23:37.002.
2. McKay Vezina (23:38.00)
3. Matthew Beer (23:42.00)

Pro Women

1. Jennifer McHugh 28:12.00
2. Georgia Astle 28:39.00
3. Julie Marshall 29:51.00

15 & Under Men (12-15)

1. Johnathan Helly (25:46.00)
2. Wei Tei HO (26:34.00)
3. Drew Mozell (27:14.00)

21-29 Men  

1. Austin Gray (25:23)
2. Fraser Andrew (26:03)
3. Spencer Skerget (26:18)

30-39 Men

1. Charles Diamond (25:46)
2. Brett Hornfelt (25:53)
3. Steve Storey (26:16)

40+ Men

1. Shane Jensen (25:17.00)
2. Ryan Hayes (26:36.00)
3. Jason Polnau (27:36.00)

Open Women

1. Angeline McKirdy (30:35.00)
2. Melanie Edwards (31:34.00)
3. Michaeala Pacakova (32:00,00)

U21 Men (16-20)

1. Alex Silverthorne (24:52.00)
2. Jacob Tooke (24:54.00)
3. Elliot Jamieson (24:58.00)

U21 Womens (12-20)

1. Julia Long (31:21.00)
2. Sena Odyakmaz (32:04.00)
3. Lucy Schick (32:48.00)