The Phat Wednesday downhill mountain bike series got underway Thursday, June 18, with a new record turnout. More than 200 racers took part in the first race, which took place on an upgraded B-Line track.
Of special note, about 41 of the entries were women, which was also a Phat Wednesday record. All but one of the women finished in under five minutes.
Rebecca McQueen was the fastest female rider, coming in at four minutes and five seconds. Just six-tenths of a second back was Karrie Mancer, with Ellie Faxfield finishing third in 4:06.
Ava Buchan raced alone in the junior female category, finishing in 5:01.
In junior male, Tyler Allison was first in 3:39, followed by Nick Geddes and Jesse Ballhausen. Allison’s time was good enough to finish fourth among all riders.
The top male rider was Yann Martin in 3:37, followed closely by Chris Dewar and Mathieu Hebert.
A group of riders also went chainless, pumping their bikes through corners to build speed. Adam Billinghurst finished first in that group in 3:40, placing fifth overall.
There are five downhill events remaining in the series. Future race dates are July 2, July 15, July 30, Aug. 6 and Aug. 27. The July 2 race is also friendly for intermediate riders with Angry Pirate, World Cup Singletrack and Ho Chin Minh trails.
To take part you need to be a member of the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association, have a valid pass for the Bike Park, and chip $2 into the pot. All participants get food, refreshments and a chance to win draw prizes, including a drive train and derailleurs from Sram, body armour from Race Face, tires and saddles from WTB, vouchers and clothing from Garbanzo Bike and Bean, and vouchers and clothing from Kokanee.
