Squamish has produced many talented mountain bikers over the years, including Elly Hoskin—although she doesn't always view herself that way.
Nonetheless, Hoskin's performance speaks for itself.
The 20-year-old finished second in UCI Enduro World Cup (EDR) overall rankings for a second consecutive year, podiuming at four of six races. Her 787 points came by way of gold in Bellwald, Switzerland and silver in Finale Ligure, Italy to go with two bronze medals from Loudenvielle, France and Bielsko-Biała, Poland. Only Slovakian contender Simona Kuchyňkova, with 882 points, placed better than her among U21 women.
For Hoskin, it's a worthy follow-up to a 2023 season that also saw her vault into second overall despite injuring her foot and missing a race.
"[This achievement means] more than I can say, but I think it just confirmed that everything comes down to consistency, showing up and working hard," she said. "That's what I take into my everyday life and it has paid off for two years, so I'm planning to keep on doing that."
Hoskin was introduced to mountain biking at a young age by her parents Nicole and Tim. She tried it all: cross-country, marathon, downhill and even triathlon, but found enduro to be the most natural fit.
"What I liked about [cross-country] and [cross-country marathon] was the suffering, the long days and the adventure," explained Hoskin. "I think enduro plays to my strengths in that sense, but is more fun and more social. I didn't want to sacrifice the big days out because that's what I'm good at."
About what it's like to represent her hometown on the global stage, she remarked: "It's crazy because I'll go to what feels like a quiet quarter of Europe and be like, 'yeah, I'm from B.C.' People are like, 'oh my gosh, I've been to Squamish!' and they know exactly what I'm talking about. I've always thought this was a really small town which no one ever comes to, but it's so cool that people know about Squamish."
'In a great spot'
Hoskin launched her first full enduro campaign in 2022. After sticking her nose into every Canadian race possible, she was invited to the Trophy of Nations and deemed it an unexpected personal breakthrough despite Team Canada's failure to finish that event.
The following year introduced a measure of uncertainty. Hoskin had to face her first World Cup races without direct familial support because her father remained home due to illness. She amassed one silver and three bronze medals and did not place lower than fifth at any point.
Enter 2024. The aforementioned foot ailment forced Hoskin to get a late start, training-wise, but she resolved to prove to herself she could bounce back. Another injury (this time to the other foot) didn't help, but grit and athletic tape pushed the Squamolian through her final three rounds of the year.
"My first group of five races [from Finale Ligure to Bellwald] was really, really hard," Hoskin admitted. "That's the longest time I've been away from anywhere, especially home, and I was just over there privateering with my friends. I'm proud of my win in Bellwald because it was my best yet and it was under some really not-ideal circumstances."
A home-soil triumph at July's Canadian Open Enduro represented a bonus feather in Hoskin's cap. She describes Whistler as both her favourite venue and her nemesis, and rose to the top in convincing fashion.
Hoskin has her sights set on next year's Enduro World Championships, and wants to ride well there despite acknowledging victory may not be realistic at this stage of her career. Overall, she believes there's plenty of reason to get excited about the future of ladies' enduro.
"The level of competitiveness in the women's field right now is so deep," she said. "There's 15 women within striking distance [of winning] every stage and it's amazing. We're in a great spot right now to put on a show.
"And the women who race enduro are some of the kindest people I've ever met. It is truly amazing just how positive they are and how resilient they can be, persevering through multiple seasons. For them to ride that long is truly inspiring. They're so knowledgeable, and I hope to take in as much as I can from them."
