Pumptrack Challenge and Party!

First up sorry it’s been a month since my last post, while there’s a lot been happening I’ve not had the chance to sit down and concentrate on writing a piece, hopefully this will mean I play catch up with a few close together updates. We’ll start with the DMR Pumptrack Challenge and the Wideopen Magazine end of season party. Amazing competition followed by an awesome party!

The DMR Pumptrack Challenge was held a few weeks ago at the new Brunel way pump track. It was a gloriously sunny day, if a bit chilly by the end. I rode down towards the end of the competition as I’d had a heavy one the night before, and there were quite a few people watching as well as those competing, I arrived in time to see the semi – finals of all categories which consisted of Rippers (kids I think), Womens, Open and Elite Mens. In order to keep the racing fast pedal strokes were allowed which caused a few comments online after the event but it seemed to add to the competition and certainly made me feel better about not being able to make it round without a few cranks in here and there.

As with the Ritchey Oktoberfest weeks before, Bristol became the UK focus for mountain biking with top riders such as Scott Beaumont mixing with kids and local riders. The action of the competition was enhanced by some great commentary and the Monster Energy van pumping out tunes and freebies being handed out as well as the Exploder challenge, which pitted two people against each other attempting to blow up an inner tube, first to pop won.

The racing itself was a single timed lap, apart from the Elite men who got a warm up lap, with ever decreasing numbers going through to the next round, The kids were hitting it as hard as the adults and some of the open category times were very similar to those of the Elites. Scott Beaumont didn’t make it to the final and finished in 6^th place with Ben Baker taking the top spot, the women’s event was won by Jess Greaves, the Open won by Stephen Russell and Joel Anderson winning the Rippers category. Full results here.

As the sun fled below the horizon the temperature dropped and the awards ceremony was held under the flyover while people flooded to get a quick blast on the track before it was too dark and others pulled G-turns and 180 hops chatting and giving tips to each other before heading off to prepare for the Wideopen Mag/ Monster Energy end of season party.

When I got to the party at Warehouse in town I was confronted by a bar packed with mountain bike fans, riders, writers, photographers and film makers. World Champions and former World Champions were there; this was apparently the party to be at. I swiftly availed myself of the free Monster and tried several shots just to see what they tasted like with various flavours of the energy drink. 

Moving through the party chatting to random people and seeing Brendan Fairclough, Josh Bryceland, Manon Carpenter, Sam Pilgrim amongst many others getting drunk, dancing and having a good time. As ever the best in the world are always up for chatting to people and having a laugh, as was made apparent when Olly Wilkins crawled on the floor towards my crotch as part of a dare game, encouraged loudly by Sam Pilgrim. This was a brilliant event which rivalled (and in some ways beat.) the Sunday night party at the Fort William World Cup round. On returning home I stuck 3 Minute Gaps on, for some reason I couldn't sleep, and watched the same people I'd just been getting drunk with ripping it on their bikes.