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I've heard from a reliable source that the track "exists"
Fastest riders in the history of the planet! You have em race access roads down from the top of that chairlift and it’ll be worth watching. I am unbothered by tracks now. I do think the World Cup season should emulate the greatest racing series of all time (Mariokart) with all sorts of surfaces, speeds, and obstacles, but I’ll take whatever they got here. Goldstone will have something for it. Bruni will have something for it. Brosnan will be ripping and someone will do something wild I’ve never seen before.
HYPED!
Lake Flacid?
Just for winter racing
Gwin posted a few more pictures/clips of the track on his story
FWIW I talked to someone over the weekend who'd been in the WF area recently and got to chat with some of the builders. Heard from him that the track is extremely gnarly and some of the builders were not willing to hit/ride some of the stuff they were building. Rumors though.
I hope they go through that waterfall. At least behind it.
https://www.instagram.com/stories/aarongwin1/3728350175376014901/?hl=en
Noticed in the pro race registration for the US Open that motocross/supercross legend Marvin Musquin is registered. Very cool! Hopefully, Wyn will get a track walk or post-race interview from him.
https://www.instagram.com/marvinmusquin25/?hl=en
Cade Clason said he was racing it too.
Vital RAW from Angel Fire DH Rockies - all the conditions
Knew I saw a post with some photos from the trail their building for the World Cup somewhere. Most of these pictures are irrelevant but there's a few in there that give an idea of what they're cooking up. Here's the link to the Facebook post.
Whiteface also posted the spectator guide and arrival map on their instagram story
posting in here b/c it doesn't seem worthy of its own thread, but the evolving competition element is interesting. Press release from X Games about its future which includes AI judging, sports betting, league with a "draft" and more.
pulling some of their ideas into MTB, not sure how it'd work, but could be some kind of multi-discipline team points contest. Scott or Specialized or Trek etc that have big teams in both XC and DH battle for a multi-discipline overall award. has that been done before? maybe it's too complicated. have a one event where two xc team members and two DH members compete in the opposite disciplines for glory and points (so nino on the DH bike and coulanges on the XC bike)
New visual identity, X Games League, AI judging, sports betting, and global expansion mark the dawn of a new era
[Boulder, CO – September 24, 2025] – X Games, the undisputed epicenter of action sports, today unveiled a bold new era defined by rebellion, creativity, and individuality.
X Games announced a full visual rebrand—new logo, new identity, new look—designed for the next era of sport: rebellious at its core, global in its reach, and made to evolve as fast as the athletes who push it forward. The rebrand is just one piece of a sweeping vision that will define the next 30 years of action sports.
At the heart of this transformation is the X Games League, the first-ever year-round, team-based league in action sports, launching in the summer of 2026. The league represents a fundamental shift in how fans experience action sports—blending team rivalries, individual glory, and new revenue streams for athletes.
“X Games has always been where outsiders became icons and impossible became possible,” said Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games. “We’re staying true to that DNA—pushing limits, celebrating individuality, and challenging the status quo—but we’re also reimagining what’s next. This is more than a rebrand. This is the future of sports. And our athletes and partners are ALL IN.”
Watch the teaser HERE
Explore more HERE
The Future of X Games: Key Moves
X Games League (2026): Led by Annie Lokesh, formerly of the WNBA, the world’s first team-based action sports league debuts Summer 2026 with drafted athletes competing at every X Games. Over 150 athletes have declared for the inaugural XGL Summer Draft. The league will have both summer and winter seasons.
AI-Powered Judging (The OWL): Real-time, transparent scoring that ensures accuracy and trust for athletes and fans.
Sports Betting & Fantasy Sports: Entering a U.S. market already valued at $17B+, unlocking deeper engagement with fans under 35.
Year-Round Global Events: Expanding beyond the traditional summer/winter schedule, with more stops around the world and local-language broadcasts.
Athlete-First Model: Bigger prize purses, new compensation pathways, and deeper storytelling to elevate the athletes who fuel the movement.
Festival-Like Live Events: Blending competition with music, tech, culture, and community for unforgettable fan experiences.
Explosive Social Growth: Building on momentum that doubled YouTube subscribers to 2M and grew total reach to 16M+ across channels—with a sharper focus on two-way dialogue with fans.
ABOUT X GAMES
Since 1995, X Games has defined action sports—from Tony Hawk’s 900 to Shaun White’s halfpipe dominance to the rise of BMX and skateboarding as global forces. Over 30 years, it has become more than a competition: it’s a cultural touchstone, blending sports, music, fashion, and community.
ABOUT X GAMES LEAGUE
Debuting in 2026, the X Games League (XGL) will reinvent competition with a team-based model, where athletes contribute both individually and to team championships. Beyond the $2.4M already distributed in prize money annually, the league unlocks new athlete earning potential and long-term stability for the sports they represent.
Hoping the new xgames is as successful as the wnba.
I look forward to them explaining that some athlete was robbed because they trained the AI judges using Brendan’s Rampage runs. 🤣
College racing has had an overall team and individual natl champions for a long time, based on all the disciplines they race. Short track, cross country, slalom, DH- best overall rider that competes in all 4 wins. Team championship is similar, I’m not sure what the exact points structure is for that anymore but it used to be the top 4 rider points in each discipline. I personally always thought the individual one was one of the coolest natl champs you could win.
Not sure it’s realistic at the World Cup level but would be cool to see Nino on a Dh bike or Loic smashing an Epic.
The x games events in Philly in the early 2000s were some of my fondest memories from childhood. While i certainly don’t expect the craze they were in the late 90s and early 2000s it would be sweet if they got it to being a solid in person event again.
Using "AI" (whatever they mean by that) for judging is going to lead to some hilarious outcomes. Unless it's the usual scam and it's just a guy hidden in the broadcast trailer.
For anyone interested: Wyn Masters said on IG he'll be doing a track walk vid at the US Open DH in Killington. Track walk is today (Thursday), no idea when he'll put up the video. Wyn's registered for the race.
Thats Killington not Placid
Just came across this article, local environmental group is pissed that Whiteface didn't get permits approved by DEC for the world cup track. Goes to show how tough it can be to build trails in the area, working in the Adirondacks is highly regulated.
https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/community-news/government/orda-violated-permit-regulations-in-trail-work-for-mountain-bike-race-environmental-group-alleges/
Sounds like we won't be getting a white face bike park or the opportunity to ride this track.
"Under a three-year contract, ORDA agreed to pay Warner Brothers Discovery Sports Events Limited, partnering with Union Cycliste Internationale, $420,000 per year for the rights to host the cycling competitions." Guess it costs about 420k to host a XC and DH world cup now....
https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/community-news/government/orda-viola…
Really all it takes is a detailed plan and early communication of what you are doing with state reviewers. You just cant go off into the woods with a excavator and tell people "I'm gonna build you something rad". Unfortunately I think ORDA has a history of this kinda infraction and now the local enviro advocates keep a really close eye on what they do.
Yeah definitely agree with you there. I have to interface with DEC occasionally as part of my job and advanced notification goes a long way in terms of maintaining a good relationship. Makes it much easier to get permits/plans approved.
If the contractor had actually followed best management practices for soil stabilization, this probably would still be happening, but it would be less embarrassing for the trail building community.
Lets hope the rain doesn't stick around. No one wants a muddy fresh track at a new location. Right now, it's looking good but a little chilly!
Maybe they can hire Amazon's "AI", sounds like it's looking for work...
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/apr/4/amazons-just-walk-out-s…
It's not uncommon for the summit of Whiteface to be 10-15°F cooler than the base. The race course starts well under half the way up the mountain, so it shouldn't be affected too much, but it means there might be some cool shots with frost or dustings of snow at the top, and fall foliage at the bottom.
More info about WC DH in that one article than in a month’s worth of MTB media. Nice find!
I love that one of the environmental terrors is named Walden.
Get your permits! “So we’re dealing with our (alleged) history of being lax with the rules and a motivated environmental group…should we make sure it’s all on the up and up? Signed in triplicate? Nahhhhh dude pile up some doubles and I’ll start working on these berms in the trees!”
Non-zero chance this gets canceled?
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