RED Mountain Resort set to host Rubberhead Enduro
By Contributor
Rossland’s Rubberhead Enduro mountain bike race is set to be one of the biggest events of the summer with a full day of racing, two days of food, drink and entertainment at RED Mountain Resort. Going down August 2-3, 2014, this year marks the Rubberhead’s inclusion in two new race series, the Kootenay Rockies and BC Enduro Series, with an anticipated 200-300 entrants per race.
“This will be the sixth consecutive year of Enduro mountain bike racing in Rossland,” says organizer and race director Ryan Kuhn. “Formerly the Dreadhead Enduro DH, the new Rubberhead format will expand to 3 to 4 competitive racing stages aimed to test the riders’ technical skill and physical fitness.”
“RED Mountain Resort is excited to be the host venue for the new Rubberhead Enduro,” says RED General Manager Don Thompson. “RED is continually expanding its summer event offerings and the Enduro fits perfectly with our vision of a multi-season resort featuring some of the finest single track RED and Rossland have to offer.”
The stages of the Rubberhead Enduro will be primarily downhill-oriented, with the riders required to ride and climb untimed between stages to get to the starting gate. With 3-4 timed stages, racers will not only require the stamina to climb up, but also pin it down with the best overall combined time taking the victory.
Saturday, August 2nd will be a training day for the athletes and will include food and beverages served on the deck of RED’s base lodge – including live entertainment and micro brew tasting – all open to the public. On August 3rd, the race will go down with an average course completion time expected to be 3-4 hours. RED will be open throughout the day for spectators and families wrapped up with another exciting evening of live entertainment, food and beverage on the deck.
Exact course details won’t be revealed until a week prior to the event, but elements of trails used over the past five years will be incorporated into the event. All-mountain bikes with 5-6” of travel will be the weapons of choice for the demanding tracks.
“We’re thrilled to have the Rubberhead Enduro as part of the new BC and Kootenay Rockies Enduro series,” says series organizer Megan Rose. “Enduro racing is hands down the most exciting and popular mountain bike race format today, and judging by the number of early registrations, we’re well on pace to see our expected attendance of more than 200 racers per event.”
In previous years, the Rossland Enduro was combined with the always-popular Seven Summits Poker Ride and the Huck ‘n Berries Jump Jam, but due to the large scale of this year’s event, it needed to stand alone. The Poker Ride will still be held September Long weekend (Aug. 31) as always, and the Huck ‘n Berries Jump Jam – now a bronze level event on the Freeride World Tour – will go down September 6th.
Other fun events including group rides are being scheduled for the long weekend. For more information on the many activities in the Rossland area, visit Tourism Rossland’s website at www.tourismrossland.com.
“There’s never been a better reason to be in Rossland over the August long weekend,” says Kuhn. “Come race, be a spectator, take in the entertainment and enjoy a ride on the IMBA “Epic” Seven Summits Trail or other world class single track in the area. It’s going to be quite the showcase of our amazing trails and community.”
For more information on the Rubberhead Enduro, including registration and a write up on the history of mountain bike racing in Rossland, go to rubberheadenduro.com. For more information on the series, visit bcenduro.com.
