The overall winners of the Island Cup Enduro Mountain Bike Series were announced following the final race of the season at the Maple Mountain trail network near Crofton on Oct. 18,, and riders from the Comox Valley claimed the top steps.
Ten-year-old Brynn Johnson and 12-year-old Carson Damery won the overall series titles for the beginner women and beginner men categories, while Emily Johnson and Chris Makuch won the expert women and expert men categories.
“The level of riding on Vancouver Island is so high,” says Trail Bicycles owner Jeff Beeston, whose store supports all four athletes. “To secure the overall title in any category is an amazing accomplishment. I’m very proud of these riders and what they’ve achieved.”
Expert men’s winner Makuch said, “I’m really happy to take the overall series win today. The first race was in April, so it’s been a long season, and the expert category was an especially tight battle right from the start. Thanks again to all the race organizers, volunteers, racers, sponsors, and spectators for making the island race scene so awesome.”
In addition to Trail Bicycles, Makuch thanks his other sponsors, Norco Bicycles, Comox Valley Nissan, and Kevin Reid Real Estate. “These businesses are awesome and help support local athletes in our community to compete at levels we wouldn’t otherwise be able to achieve.”
Enduro racing is a mountain bike race format that consists of multiple stages (usually three to seven), with untimed climbs and timed descents, essentially creating a multi-stage downhill race with climbing between stages.
Races usually take three to five hours to complete, with about 20-30 minutes of timed racing. Top riders need a very well rounded skill set, blending extreme levels of fitness with 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.