Jane Emerick
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Somewhere deep in the woods of Valleycliffe, while many in Squamish went about their usual day, trees were shaking, music was playing and a crowd of over 400 was cheering for the show taking place where local rock stars took centre stage.
Tantalus Bike Shop hosted the annual Rock Star Invitational Downhill on Sunday with 40 athletes, including national champions and world cup competitors, competing for the top spot to the amazement and awe of the large crowd.
"It was bigger and better than ever," said Al Ross, owner of Tantalus Bike Shop and organizer of the event. "We have never had this calibre of riders before."
All of the athletes challenged the course that wound down steep granite slabs and single track but it was former Canadian downhill champion Mike Jones who secured the winning time, one second ahead of local mountain bike coach and former world cup competitor Shaums March.
2004 and 2005 winner Kyle "Hercules" Ritchie took third and said he had never seen a Canadian crowd like the one on Sunday.
"The crowd reminded me of the world championships [in Italy]. Dropping into the last section was super crazy with all of the people there. I have never heard a crowd like that before, not at any other event in Canada," he said. "I was happy with third. Mike and Shaums are big dogs. We are teammates [on Marin Bikes], so it is cool we all got top three."
On the women's side, 16-year-old Miranda Miller took the title from world women's masters champion, Pip Parr.
Ross started the event five years ago to contrast the Test of Metal cross-country event with a shorter, intense, strictly downhill event. "I just wanted to show people the other side of mountain biking," he said. "A lot of people don't realize it's possible to do that on a mountain bike."
New to this year's event was a demonstration preceding the race of trials riders using motorized bikers to show their skills by riding up the slick Valleycliffe granite.
"Basically, we wanted to show people what we are all about," said trials rider Sean Dickson. "Most of these downhill trails in Valleycliffe were developed by trials riders. But we think of ourselves as mountain bikers first, and we're trying to educate people about our sport."
Ross said the addition of the trials riders showed how the two user groups could work together.
"The demo was great to show what these guys can do," he said. "And that both groups can get together in the same area without animosity."
Ross also said next year's event would continue in the same tradition of secrecy - where spectators had to venture into the woods to see the event.
"These trails aren't well known to people outside of Squamish - they are like hidden gems," he said. "[Next year] keep your ear to the ground and find out where it is."
