Adult recreational and professional mountain bikers — both local and out-of-state — returned to the trails Saturday, July 15, for the Galbraith Mountain Enduro race, a bonus event to the Cascadia Dirt Cup series.
It’s the second time the race, organized by Race Cascadia, has been held in conjunction with the Northwest Tune-Up since the bikes, music and beer festival launched in Bellingham last summer.
Race Director Cam Sloan said they had 313 racers participate from eight states, who all combined to drink more than 150 gallons of water as temperatures reached north of 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of the day.
“It’s been a conversation all day,” Sloan said of the heat. “There is a certain expectation of ability and fitness, and for them to be prepared and be able to handle that. As always, our racers really came through … on our end, we just need to keep them well-watered.”
Dallan Pickard blows a vuvuzela and rings a cowbell as racers go by. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
Meghan Sexton, 27, who won the women’s expert 19–29 category, said her wave was sent out right in the heat of the day. Despite that, it was Sexton’s first big mountain biking win in her 3.5 years of participating in the sport.
“I don’t win things,” Sexton said. “It feels really good. It’s affirming that I’ve been working hard and it’s paying off.”
The race featured 17 categories, with varying age groups within skill levels. Beginner, sport, expert and pro made up the skill ranges. On Sunday, July 17, 250 people will participate in the 18-and-under races, Sloan said.
In Sloan’s first year as race director, he said he was mostly concerned with ensuring things ran as smoothly as last year. Part of making sure that quality was maintained was the 110 volunteers who enlisted their time.
A rider flies over a stump jump. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
“That’s a huge community showing from Bellingham,” Sloan said. “Every race series relies heavily on volunteers … it’s friends, family, parents, neighbors — it’s people who are just sort of psyched on the scene and want to see it grow.”
John Richardson, 23, won his third-straight Cascadia Dirt Cup race this year, competing in the men’s pro category. Richardson has lived in Bellingham for the last five years after moving from New Zealand, and he said it felt good to win his hometown race. He was injured last year when the race first partnered with the Northwest Tune-Up.
“Winning at home is obviously the coolest thing,” Richardson said. “Being part of [Northwest] Tune-Up now too is pretty awesome. Having it all tied in is sick — all my mates and everyone is here.”
As for unexpected portions of the trail, Richardson said the trails of Galbraith change a lot when a ton of riders are consistently running them. Sexton, who hadn’t rode the race trails much, said everything went according to plan.
“When you get a race like this coming to your local trails, you get a lot more people riding them in a short period of time. So, the trails actually changed a lot,” Richardson said. “It makes for good racing.”
One of the best parts about the race is the community, Sloan said. There is a degree of camaraderie that the local bikers bring, and the professional riders do a great job of setting the tone for the beginners.
Race Cascadia contracts a complete medical staff for the race, Sloan said, and while there were plenty of bumps, bruises and scratches — as is standard in mountain biking — spirits remained high.
“It’s mountain biking,” Sloan said. “Someone’s always going to pay the skin tax.”
