We all know Squamish is known for its biking community, and after a decade or so, downhill racing is finally making its return.
The OneUp Downhill SORCA Cinco will see some of the best riders in the world go up against up-and-coming local athletes.
Hosted by OneUp Components and the Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA), the event on Oct. 20 will also allow for a world-class downhill mountain bike race track to be built in our very own backyard.
“Squamish probably has more World Cup downhill racers living here than any other town in Canada for sure, and possibly in the whole world; and yet, there is no downhill race here,” OneUp marketing director Quinn Lanzon told The Squamish Chief.
“There hasn't been a downhill race in Squamish for at least a decade and there's also no formal race track for local riders to train on. So they go to the bike park or to Mount Prevost on Vancouver Island.
“One of the side effects of this event will be that we'll have a downhill track that's built to the standards for international racing with what is called a ‘B zone,’” added Lanzon.
What this means is while Squamish has trails that downhill riders use, they aren’t up to international standards. But after organizers are finished with the prep work, the 19th Hole trail that connects to Free the Speedos on Diamond Head will have a three-metre safety area on either side of the track, similar to that on the World Cup race series.
“It's really about putting in that infrastructure and giving this town really something that it needs in both the form of the event and the track,” Lanzon said.
The race will also act as a community fundraiser in the hopes to muster up some funds for SORCA.
“A big thing about the event itself that differentiates it from other downhill races is it's a community event, and it's a fundraiser. If we get the event filled and we have 170 to 200 riders, we raise $10,000 for SORCA,” Lanzon said.
“That's money that goes right back into maintaining the trails, putting on events, organizing fundraisers and all that kind of community building stuff that we really value and want to invest in.”
Riders will start at the top of 19th Hole and will be given individual times to start their run. From then it’s simple—the fastest time down wins.
The race is split into categories: open men’s and women’s—a pro-category for people of all ages; junior men and women age 13 to 16; and a veteran men’s and women's category for riders aged 35 and up.
The event is also set to bring some big names to the competition, including World Cup winner and Squamish local Jackson Goldstone.
“We have a lot of the fastest riders in the world who live here in town that have already confirmed that they're going to be racing. Jackson Goldstone, who was a World Cup winner last year, is possibly the best mountain biker in the world right now,” Lanzon said.
“It will be his return to racing after a year of injury with a knee injury so it'll be his first race back and for his local downhill fundraiser. Then the Jewett brothers, Dane and Jake, are both incredibly fast local riders and they're going to be racing as well as Miranda Miller, who is just a real pillar of the downhill mountain bike community and former world champion.”
Lanzon hopes that the race will allow for more downhill competition opportunities to eventuate in the future.
“Even just having two or three downhill races on the schedule in Squamish per year would just be a huge win, and I think, a valuable addition to the mountain bike calendar here,” he said.
The race is held on Oct. 20 with riders beginning their runs at 11:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Riders must be SORCA members to participate and full-face helmets and back protection are mandatory.
Registration costs $115 per person and can be done via the SORCA website.
