The final race of the Island Cup Enduro mountain bike series was held Sept. 30 at the Hammerfest trail network near Englishman River Falls Provincial Park, and Comox Valley riders claimed three wins out of the five categories.
Twelve-year-old Emilly Johnston (Trail Bicycles) placed first in Intermediate Woman’s, 16-year-old Merin Pearce placed first in Intermediate Men’s, and Chris Makuch (Norco Bikes/Trail Bicycles) placed first in Expert Men's.
Other podium finishers include 11-year-old Carson Damery who came in third in Beginner Men, and Trail Bicycles owner Jeff Beeston who placed second in Expert Men.
Expert Men’s winner Makuch set the fastest time of the day and had this to say: “It’s really cool to win this race. The Island Cup series has been fantastic, and I’m constantly blown away by the level of competition I see at these events. Huge thanks to all the organizers, volunteers, and racers for making this series so great.” Makuch also thanked his sponsors, Norco Bicycles and Trail Bicycles, for their support throughout the season.
Enduro racing is a relatively new mountain bike race format that consists of multiple stages (usually three to five), with untimed climbs and timed descents, essentially creating a multi-stage downhill race with climbing between stages.
Races usually take two to three hours to complete, with about 20-25 minutes of timed racing. Top riders need a very well-rounded skill set, blending extreme levels of fitness and strong technical skills.
The Vancouver Island Cup Mountain Bike Race Series is B.C.’s premiere grassroots race series spanning the length of Vancouver Island. XC, Downhill, Enduro and Marathon disciplines are brought together from numerous local mountain bike clubs.