The course wasn't quite as good as last year due to the diversions around the Olympic construction. But it did make a change. Unfortunately the weather made the course virtually impassable in places with even the pro's defaulting to scooting their feet along the floor.
I didnt get any pictures as the weather wasnt quite right for carrying anything you dont mind having mud injected into at high pressure. There are some good photo's by Dan Barham on bike magic HERE Rich and I came in in the last half of the pack - with me some 30 secs behind Rich's 19 min 18 sec. I'll get you next year!
see - smiling faces - it couldnt be that bad. Could it? (Meghan and Danice centre and right)
What a difference a week makes. After several mid-week events the crowds returned the following weekend for the Canadian Open DH race and, of course the crazyness that is Slopestyle (left)
With the park virtually dry and no races to worry about Jon, Michele and I set about having a great day in the park. The only slight problem was the inter-galactic life queues - but they got steadily better all day
Here's Michelle dropping in on the drop-in clinic
...and here's Michele dropping in on thr drop-in clinic - this time Jon's Michele (one "l")
I came equipped to race in the Canadian Open but decided against it when I saw how serious the course was. I wasn't in the mood for serious racing and this course was certainly serious.
On race day, they stuck in a surprise jump at the finish (left). And no, that's not the landing - look further left and you'll see the landing just in the shot - might have been 40ft I think - scary! The pic is of Danice sending it - you wouldnt think this was her first season racing would you? And she seemed like such a nice girl ;-)
Of course that wasnt the only scary jump, this road gap near the top was also taken flat out - it was "only" 25ft long with a 6ft drop
oh, and it had a bumpy off-camber corner straight after it - notice how wide the tapes are at this point!
I failed miserably to get photo's of any of my friends up on the course :-( but here's a complete stranger sending it
Childish humour courtesy of Photoshop
for the Pro-men, I heading into the rooty section with Rich to watch the action. This is Steve Smith - 17yr old BC kid who (despite officially being a junior) came 4th behind 3 guys who have between them been world champ for the past 4 years! Damn kids! They're sooo fast these days
Click on these sequences to get a better look
Honda Factory jackson - Greg Minnar
Course designer Tyler Morland
Current world champ, Sam Hill (appearing to float just above all the roots)
and last but by no means least, double world champ Fabien Barel on his way to the win (and taking a different line too)
a great double-weekend all round. I didnt race both weekends but I still racked up a few dozen laps in the park - and my bike can certainly attest to that! Poor thing needs a lot of TLC
Funny thing: My landlady thinks my bikes bring in the dirt - how does she know its me? It's not like there are bike tracks leading into my front door!!
....oh.....err, there are bike tracks? Ok. It's a fair cop guv'nr!!
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