Gorge Games
06-09-2008, 12:57 PM
If you want to ride one of the top Super D mountain biking courses in the country, come to Hood River. I’m telling you, this place has the goods. Our race starts at a heliport sandwiched between majestic Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams; both Cascade volcanoes ranging above 11,200 feet. Putting it lightly, we have breathtaking views from atop.
From the starting line you’ll immediately encounter very technical, rocky, and wide open single-track. You don’t want to go down here! After blasting this section, the fun just begins. We now enter tree line, where it’s very fast and steep sections of trail. Inside this dense forest it remains technical and fast until the end. You want to be on your game throughout this race because most sections are rooted, rocky, loaded with berms, and encapsulated in the trees. We also have sections that will benefit riders for taking the “gnarliest,” but fastest lines. Most top riders will figure this out. Expect the pros to complete the course around the 40-minute mark. Since we are in the mountains, trail conditions and weather change frequently.
So if you’re in to course statistics, our Super D course will cover over 3,000 feet of vertical descent within roughly 9 miles. Although most of this is downhill, expect a few small climbs throughout the course. Essentially, the fastest downhillers also need to be fit because this is a long grueling race favoring the best overall athletes.
The Gorge Games offers 10 Action Sports and each we have asked Sports Directors like Brandon Ontiveros to share their passion about their sports with the Travel Oregon on-line community. Look for future insights on Adventure Racing, Trail Running, Riverboarding and other sports that will be part of the 2008 Gorge Games. The Gorge Games will be nationally-televised on Fox Sports Net August 18-23, 2008. For details visit: www.gorgegames.net.
From the starting line you’ll immediately encounter very technical, rocky, and wide open single-track. You don’t want to go down here! After blasting this section, the fun just begins. We now enter tree line, where it’s very fast and steep sections of trail. Inside this dense forest it remains technical and fast until the end. You want to be on your game throughout this race because most sections are rooted, rocky, loaded with berms, and encapsulated in the trees. We also have sections that will benefit riders for taking the “gnarliest,” but fastest lines. Most top riders will figure this out. Expect the pros to complete the course around the 40-minute mark. Since we are in the mountains, trail conditions and weather change frequently.
So if you’re in to course statistics, our Super D course will cover over 3,000 feet of vertical descent within roughly 9 miles. Although most of this is downhill, expect a few small climbs throughout the course. Essentially, the fastest downhillers also need to be fit because this is a long grueling race favoring the best overall athletes.
The Gorge Games offers 10 Action Sports and each we have asked Sports Directors like Brandon Ontiveros to share their passion about their sports with the Travel Oregon on-line community. Look for future insights on Adventure Racing, Trail Running, Riverboarding and other sports that will be part of the 2008 Gorge Games. The Gorge Games will be nationally-televised on Fox Sports Net August 18-23, 2008. For details visit: www.gorgegames.net.