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Bearclaw Invitational at Mt. Washington

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Mount Washington hosts The Bearclaw Invitational this weekend.

Submitted

Mountain biking legend and Island local Darren Berrecloth will be hosting the world’s best freeride mountain bikers once again this August 22-23 at Mount Washington Alpine Resort.

The Bearclaw Invitational, Berrecloth’s signature slopestyle comp, is renowned for its laid back Island vibe.

In this seventh edition of the event, the ante gets raised significantly with its inclusion in the Freeride Mountain Bike (FMB) Diamond Series.

The series features five stops across the globe and showcases the top freeride mountain bikers on the planet who are all vying for the coveted FMB World Champion title.

“I think the riders will have more focus and will be competing at a higher level than we’re used to seeing at the Invitational,” explains Berrecloth. “We’re the third event on a five-event tour so the points at my comp will contribute significantly towards the overall world tour rankings.”

The slopestyle course, which Berrecloth personally built, is already considered a masterpiece.

It features large wooden structures, massive dirt jumps and flow that only a rider-built course can obtain. But true to form, Berrecloth has once again made significant tweaks in his search for course-design perfection.

“I’ve given the step-up, step-down feature a face-lift and anybody who knows the course from the previous year or two will see the new work that’s gone into it for this year’s event.”

On top of valuable FMB World Tour points, riders will be competing for a $30,000 prize purse. Pro qualifiers and seeding will be taking place Friday Aug. 22 at 5 p.m.

The Pro finals will be taking place on Saturday Aug. 23 at 1 p.m.

For the uninitiated, Slopestyle mountain biking is at the cutting edge of the sport of mountain biking. Progression and raw talent are on full display as riders take to the air and pull off mind-blowing tricks while displaying superior technical skills on their bikes.

The best part about the Bearclaw Invitational Slopestyle is that it’s free for all spectators. To find the slopestyle course, head past the Alpine Lodge at Mount Washington and follow the signs or listen for the crowd!

In addition to the mountain bike action, a beer garden and Marine Harvest salmon barbecue will be operating during the event.

An adults-only after party will be held at Ted’s Bar and Grill Saturday evening.

For more information and to check out the full event schedule, head to bearclawinvitational.com.