Alex Smith

Race report

Great course again. A few issues with traffic on the first lap. Felt strong at the finish, probably should have went a bit harder on the road climbs.

Race report

Snow to surf day, so thin field. Felt strong on this one, but still disappointed in the result.

Race report

Didn't like this one. It was pretty dry for the weeks up until the race, then got wet just before the race. Made it a grind, especially climbing up outfox, and basically there was no enjoyable downhills (except double pumper). Too many Beginners that should have moved up wanting to get by on the singletrack climbs or flat sections only to slow down the descents.

Race report

Really enjoy this course (less climbing), paced it quite well, manage a really good second lap. Rained hard on lap 2, made things a bit greasy, motivated you to push harder to get out of the rain. While it went well, I would have liked to have done better.

Race report

Last not lapped. Technically I was lapped, as there were a couple of loser Sandbaggers in the race. But I paid for 3 laps so I completed 3. Had Enduro tires on, but didn't need them, conditions were reasonable. This was first year they ran Masters category, so Intermediate was a bit thinned out.

Race report

Really enjoy this one. Love the shorter laps, helps you get familiarized with the course quicker. Also easier to do a warm up lap. Didn't do as well as I hoped or wanted, but I tend to be burnt out by this time of the season.

Race report

Gonna skip this one in the future. No flow to the trails and the local rednecks on 4 wheelers and motorbikes are a-holes.

Race report

This one gets better every year. Except maybe the parking.

Race report

They moved this one to Mt Mahoney. While the downhills were fun, climbing Civil Disobedience was horrible.

Race report

CH always a tough one. Got caught behind a slow descender on long downhill, finally snuck by just near the bottom, only to passed by him and about 10 others on the next climb. Pacing was better, but kind of lost motivation after the first lap

Race report

Liked not having to race with the Elites. And getting to watch them race was great.

Race report

Dying on the second lap

Race report

Another great place for riding XC

Race report

Struggled on the second lap.

Race report

Great course. Love coming out to PR.

Race report

Better than expected

Race report

Lost a shoe, Hartland never goes well for me.

Race report

Not the finish I was hoping for. Rode blind, hit a tree on the first lap on a downhill section while trying to make sense of the flagging. Hand and shoulder sore for the remainder of the lap so was unable to make up any time. Was going to call it quits at the timing gate but I am sucker for punishment. Tough course, seemed like a ton of climbing and losing elevation on fire roads, not fun. 2nd lap went as expected. Ended up last out of the finishers, but could have moved up a spot as I didn't realize the guy in front of me was in the race. Full face helmet caught me off guard. Went off course a few times as the flagging was either confusing or didn't exist. Oh well. 8th overall for the series, which I am pretty happy with.

Race report

Best performance this year. Riding our local trails helped. Was wet and really muddy. Great route, has just enough elevation gain, some techy sections and fast descents. Nicely spaced double track sections to get by people without them having to stop. Great crowd as well. Looking forward to the final race in Victoria.

Race report

19th in Men Category. Wet, muddy, definitely a struggle. Tried to take it easy as Hammerfest Enduro was the next day. Hoping to improve performance at Cumberland in two weeks.

Race report

Tried to pace myself for this one. Went easy on the first lap. Racing blind, but stuck behind a local. Second lap really struggled on the climb. Once at the top, took a few minutes to recover and then pushed hard. Managed to pass a couple of riders on the downhill and flats. Pushed hard to the end. Was happy with the result and effort. Nice trails, great support from local crowd. Everything was well organized and the rain held off. Hats off to all the volunteers, musicians, organizers and Taws Bike Garage for making this a great race.

Race report

Nice race route and well organized. Plenty of climbing, which made the second lap a tough one. Wider trails allowed for ample room to let other riders by. Weather was great and so were snacks after the race. Still recovering from illness, hope to do a little better on the next race.

Race report

First XC race. Three laps at Hammerfest. Small loop, light rain at times and fairly muddy. Huge turnout which meant spending too much time yielding to faster riders. Learning experience, hope to do better next time.