Kepoch Downhill Mountain Biking Festival set to go May 26th & 27th Weekend

Friday, May 11, 2007 - Antigonish, Nova Scotia The first downhill mountain biking race of the 2007 season in Atlantic Canada goes the weekend of Saturday, May 26th and Sunday, May 27th with the Brodie DH Fest at Ski Kepoch outside of Antigonish, NS.

On both days, riders will be shuttled by truck from the Kepoch parking lot to the top of the mountain to begin their gravity-assisted descents over a variety of skill-challenging obstacles and steep hand-built trails. On Saturday, May 26th, the entire mountain will be open for riders to explore from 9:00am to 6:00pm. Sunday, May 27th is race day and the mountain will be closed except to registered racers using the official race course. Race registration opens at 8:30am and the first of two mandatory practice runs starts at 11:00am. Racer categories will include male and female Junior, Senior and Elite categories for both hard-tail and full-suspension mountain bikes. The race is officially sanctioned by Bicycle Nova Scotia and is a "best of two runs" format with the first timed heat taking place at 1:00 pm and the second heat going at 3:00 pm. An awards ceremony and prize draw for all racers and volunteers will take place at 4:00 pm.

All weekend there will be concessions at the base of the mountain as well as a mobile bike shop for the many repairs associated with this extreme form of mountain biking. A variety of cycling-related contests will also take place on Sunday to keep riders and spectators alike occupied between race heats, including a trials skills course, bicycle jousting, highest "bunny hop" competition, longest "nose-manual" challenge and everyone's favourite- the bike toss.

The event is being hosted by Antigonish Ride, the local mountain biking club, with the assistance of Team Brodie Atlantic based out of Pugwash, NS, and is the first stop in the Atlantic DH Gravity Series (www.nsnb.ca). Mr. Robert Overmars, President of Antigonish Ride, is the lead organizer of the weekend festival. "This weekend is the first event of the year for Atlantic downhill racers" said Overmars enthusiastically, "It will set the tone for the entire DH season and we are all super stoked to be hosting the big season opener."

At a minimum, riders must have a valid Bicycle Nova Scotia membership and race license, and wear a full-face helmet, full-fingered gloves and full-length pants and shirts for protection against inevitable crashes before being allowed to participate. In addition, all bicycles must pass a preliminary mechanical inspection. "Most riders wear goggles, heavy footwear and full body armour in addition to the required equipment", stated Mr. Carl Burgess, Director of Team Brodie Atlantic. He added the Team's Learn-to-Ride program offers riding tips from experienced riders and loaner equipment for beginners wishing to try out the sport without investing a great deal of money first. In addition, both Burgess and Overmars are encouraging greater female participation by offering to pay shuttle fees for any girls who might wish to take on the mountain.

Ski Kepoch area is located on Highway 104 just South of Antigonish near the Riverside Speedway. Interested riders or volunteers should contact Overmars at raovermars@hotmail.com or Burgess at king@teambrodieatlantic.com for more information.

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Posted by bikergrl at May 12, 2007 08:59 PM

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