Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a...
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a privateer rider who missed, similar to Asa's Loudenvielle mishap. They missed a pole, pushed back up, but reentered the track a pole lower than where they exited. I didn't feel too bad, because they were not in position to qualify anyway, and there were no points for qualis. It would have weighed a little heavier if it were a higher ranked rider that was on pace, but it's a good thing that at least all the rules can be applied evenly to everyone.
I'm sure there is a wide varying level of attention that marshals are giving to the track limits though. Even just in LP, we had some marshals like me who religiously follow racing and can name almost every single rider, and there were some others at the other end of the spectrum. In the sector I was managing, one marshal asked if it was all time trials or if they would mass start at any point in the day.
We are all given the same instructions and training beforehand, but obviously, some marshals will just pay a lot more attention than others.
Why would you have felt bad if the rider’s position were different?
If it were Asa on his finals run I wouldn't want to be the one that make the call that alters the history of our sport forever. As a marshal, I'd have to, but it wouldn't be fun. A rider that is several seconds back at the 3rd split, stops, and pushes back up is not going to qualify anyway, so being disqualified isn't a big deal. A rider in the title hunt in his first elite season needs all the points he can get in finals. The marshal's call has a much larger effect.
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a...
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a privateer rider who missed, similar to Asa's Loudenvielle mishap. They missed a pole, pushed back up, but reentered the track a pole lower than where they exited. I didn't feel too bad, because they were not in position to qualify anyway, and there were no points for qualis. It would have weighed a little heavier if it were a higher ranked rider that was on pace, but it's a good thing that at least all the rules can be applied evenly to everyone.
I'm sure there is a wide varying level of attention that marshals are giving to the track limits though. Even just in LP, we had some marshals like me who religiously follow racing and can name almost every single rider, and there were some others at the other end of the spectrum. In the sector I was managing, one marshal asked if it was all time trials or if they would mass start at any point in the day.
We are all given the same instructions and training beforehand, but obviously, some marshals will just pay a lot more attention than others.
If it were Asa on his finals run I wouldn't want to be the one that make the call that alters the history of our sport...
If it were Asa on his finals run I wouldn't want to be the one that make the call that alters the history of our sport forever. As a marshal, I'd have to, but it wouldn't be fun. A rider that is several seconds back at the 3rd split, stops, and pushes back up is not going to qualify anyway, so being disqualified isn't a big deal. A rider in the title hunt in his first elite season needs all the points he can get in finals. The marshal's call has a much larger effect.
How much did they focus on outside assistance etc? I've seen a video from JG's qualifying crash at Whistler. He yells at a marshal to help him and the marshal grabs his bike and tries to help bend some snapped spokes back into place so he can keep riding. Big no no as far as I was aware
As someone living just outside of GJ, I did not know this was going on this weekend. Either it is marketed less than in the past...
As someone living just outside of GJ, I did not know this was going on this weekend. Either it is marketed less than in the past or I am less connected than I used to be to the local racing scene. Probably that latter...
You should come watch, the DH racing starts at 10 am tomorrow, seeding first and then finals later. It would be a good time. Racing pinball...
You should come watch, the DH racing starts at 10 am tomorrow, seeding first and then finals later. It would be a good time. Racing pinball alley at Powderhorn.
Sadly I missed it. How did it go? Were you racing?
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved the race from Pinball (great trail, fun to race, terrifying when it opens up on the ski slopes and gets fast) to the green trails because of the rain. Had people grabbing xc bikes for the DH race because of how flat it is. Even the usac people were pretty frustrated with everything, seems like it was the bike patrol / medical staff was the ones really pushing to move the trail because it was too difficult to get to the trail with a litter in case someone crashed, but it also didn't seem like there was enough bike patrol for the Race anyways. Pretty sure that was on the resort. The worst part is there are better trails to race that still don't have the access issues that pinball has that we didn't race. Finishing times were over 5 minutes for the fastest men, and there were riders like Christopher Grice there.
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a...
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a privateer rider who missed, similar to Asa's Loudenvielle mishap. They missed a pole, pushed back up, but reentered the track a pole lower than where they exited. I didn't feel too bad, because they were not in position to qualify anyway, and there were no points for qualis. It would have weighed a little heavier if it were a higher ranked rider that was on pace, but it's a good thing that at least all the rules can be applied evenly to everyone.
I'm sure there is a wide varying level of attention that marshals are giving to the track limits though. Even just in LP, we had some marshals like me who religiously follow racing and can name almost every single rider, and there were some others at the other end of the spectrum. In the sector I was managing, one marshal asked if it was all time trials or if they would mass start at any point in the day.
We are all given the same instructions and training beforehand, but obviously, some marshals will just pay a lot more attention than others.
Curious if they give any instruction to marshals about letting a rider know which pole they missed? This was a discussion for Asa’s DSQ earlier this...
Curious if they give any instruction to marshals about letting a rider know which pole they missed? This was a discussion for Asa’s DSQ earlier this year when a few were wondering why the marshal standing right there wouldn’t have told Asa to go up to the next pole. As you stated, I’m sure it could also be that some marshals are just clueless.
Marshall pointing where Asa had to return to course.
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a...
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a privateer rider who missed, similar to Asa's Loudenvielle mishap. They missed a pole, pushed back up, but reentered the track a pole lower than where they exited. I didn't feel too bad, because they were not in position to qualify anyway, and there were no points for qualis. It would have weighed a little heavier if it were a higher ranked rider that was on pace, but it's a good thing that at least all the rules can be applied evenly to everyone.
I'm sure there is a wide varying level of attention that marshals are giving to the track limits though. Even just in LP, we had some marshals like me who religiously follow racing and can name almost every single rider, and there were some others at the other end of the spectrum. In the sector I was managing, one marshal asked if it was all time trials or if they would mass start at any point in the day.
We are all given the same instructions and training beforehand, but obviously, some marshals will just pay a lot more attention than others.
Curious if they give any instruction to marshals about letting a rider know which pole they missed? This was a discussion for Asa’s DSQ earlier this...
Curious if they give any instruction to marshals about letting a rider know which pole they missed? This was a discussion for Asa’s DSQ earlier this year when a few were wondering why the marshal standing right there wouldn’t have told Asa to go up to the next pole. As you stated, I’m sure it could also be that some marshals are just clueless.
Marshall pointing where Asa had to return to course.
Haha nice. Wondering if he was yelling at him at all. Considering Asa almost got decapitated and was full of adrenaline, I wonder if he even saw him trying to help him out.
If it were Asa on his finals run I wouldn't want to be the one that make the call that alters the history of our sport...
If it were Asa on his finals run I wouldn't want to be the one that make the call that alters the history of our sport forever. As a marshal, I'd have to, but it wouldn't be fun. A rider that is several seconds back at the 3rd split, stops, and pushes back up is not going to qualify anyway, so being disqualified isn't a big deal. A rider in the title hunt in his first elite season needs all the points he can get in finals. The marshal's call has a much larger effect.
How much did they focus on outside assistance etc? I've seen a video from JG's qualifying crash at Whistler. He yells at a marshal to help...
How much did they focus on outside assistance etc? I've seen a video from JG's qualifying crash at Whistler. He yells at a marshal to help him and the marshal grabs his bike and tries to help bend some snapped spokes back into place so he can keep riding. Big no no as far as I was aware
A crash in qualifying has the same consequences as a DQ. Your race is done and you need to make sure you clear the course for the next riders, which is what Jackson was doing.
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a...
Marshals can also call it in. I marshaled and sector managed in Lake Placid and in one of the qualifiers I had to call in a privateer rider who missed, similar to Asa's Loudenvielle mishap. They missed a pole, pushed back up, but reentered the track a pole lower than where they exited. I didn't feel too bad, because they were not in position to qualify anyway, and there were no points for qualis. It would have weighed a little heavier if it were a higher ranked rider that was on pace, but it's a good thing that at least all the rules can be applied evenly to everyone.
I'm sure there is a wide varying level of attention that marshals are giving to the track limits though. Even just in LP, we had some marshals like me who religiously follow racing and can name almost every single rider, and there were some others at the other end of the spectrum. In the sector I was managing, one marshal asked if it was all time trials or if they would mass start at any point in the day.
We are all given the same instructions and training beforehand, but obviously, some marshals will just pay a lot more attention than others.
Curious if they give any instruction to marshals about letting a rider know which pole they missed? This was a discussion for Asa’s DSQ earlier this...
Curious if they give any instruction to marshals about letting a rider know which pole they missed? This was a discussion for Asa’s DSQ earlier this year when a few were wondering why the marshal standing right there wouldn’t have told Asa to go up to the next pole. As you stated, I’m sure it could also be that some marshals are just clueless.
Marshall pointing where Asa had to return to course.
Hearing a singular French voice or noticing a pointing finger in a crowd of screaming spectators & the finish lines music and announcers. Slim chance. Sport where you're responsible for your own success/failure. Catch me screwing up a course? That's the rules. I'm fine with it. It's always you vs course. I only look outward if it's Brian Lopes stacking rocks after practice to make a sidewalk (hilarious unsubstantiated rumour at every NORBA national ever) 😁
Hearing a singular French voice or noticing a pointing finger in a crowd of screaming spectators & the finish lines music and announcers. Slim chance.Sport where...
Hearing a singular French voice or noticing a pointing finger in a crowd of screaming spectators & the finish lines music and announcers. Slim chance. Sport where you're responsible for your own success/failure. Catch me screwing up a course? That's the rules. I'm fine with it. It's always you vs course. I only look outward if it's Brian Lopes stacking rocks after practice to make a sidewalk (hilarious unsubstantiated rumour at every NORBA national ever) 😁
Rosa and Til were factored into my highly scientific analysis. They'd be in the Top 10 version :), along with Pontvianne and Kiefer. It's really interesting...
Rosa and Til were factored into my highly scientific analysis. They'd be in the Top 10 version
, along with Pontvianne and Kiefer.
It's really interesting how the Rookie / Junior Revolution is reshaping the sport. Sucks for older riders, and I'm guessing that it will result in much shorter careers, overall...but it's exciting, and interesting to see how each Rookie adapts to elite-level racing. To wit, Asa: I can't wait for him to adapt that 1st split (Whistler) time to future races. Once he's consistently competitive in the first splits, it's gonna be REALLY hectic the rest of the way down. As an American, I'm eager to watch him become one of the greats of the sport.
Rosa is going to be a top Elite racer, too. I just think that, given her injury this year, and being away from racing, she's not...
Rosa is going to be a top Elite racer, too. I just think that, given her injury this year, and being away from racing, she's not going to be the first one charging out of the gate. I think that Asa's style and plain talent got him that W at Korea. But Max and Till seemed to warm-up as the season progressed--test the water as they went. I see Rosa doing the same thing. Aletha, I think, will just jump right-in and go for it.
It's all speculation, of course. But isn't that what we do here?!
No matter how it works-out, it's going to be quite thrilling to watch.
Jackson missed the entire 2024 season due to injury, and came back to smash the WC series and win the Worlds in 2025. I don't think an injury this year necessarily means an athlete will struggle the following year.
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved...
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved the race from Pinball (great trail, fun to race, terrifying when it opens up on the ski slopes and gets fast) to the green trails because of the rain. Had people grabbing xc bikes for the DH race because of how flat it is. Even the usac people were pretty frustrated with everything, seems like it was the bike patrol / medical staff was the ones really pushing to move the trail because it was too difficult to get to the trail with a litter in case someone crashed, but it also didn't seem like there was enough bike patrol for the Race anyways. Pretty sure that was on the resort. The worst part is there are better trails to race that still don't have the access issues that pinball has that we didn't race. Finishing times were over 5 minutes for the fastest men, and there were riders like Christopher Grice there.
Two years in a row that the Collegiate Champs DH turned into a mud slog on an XC-grade track. Not sure what the solution is, but it's definitely frustrating.
Hearing a singular French voice or noticing a pointing finger in a crowd of screaming spectators & the finish lines music and announcers. Slim chance.Sport where...
Hearing a singular French voice or noticing a pointing finger in a crowd of screaming spectators & the finish lines music and announcers. Slim chance. Sport where you're responsible for your own success/failure. Catch me screwing up a course? That's the rules. I'm fine with it. It's always you vs course. I only look outward if it's Brian Lopes stacking rocks after practice to make a sidewalk (hilarious unsubstantiated rumour at every NORBA national ever) 😁
That site hurt SO many feelings. I remember the industry trying to take it down b/c they were getting VERY pissed off at the site. Whoever was running it got so much love from the forums & so much hate from the pretentious industry.
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved...
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved the race from Pinball (great trail, fun to race, terrifying when it opens up on the ski slopes and gets fast) to the green trails because of the rain. Had people grabbing xc bikes for the DH race because of how flat it is. Even the usac people were pretty frustrated with everything, seems like it was the bike patrol / medical staff was the ones really pushing to move the trail because it was too difficult to get to the trail with a litter in case someone crashed, but it also didn't seem like there was enough bike patrol for the Race anyways. Pretty sure that was on the resort. The worst part is there are better trails to race that still don't have the access issues that pinball has that we didn't race. Finishing times were over 5 minutes for the fastest men, and there were riders like Christopher Grice there.
Two years in a row that the Collegiate Champs DH turned into a mud slog on an XC-grade track. Not sure what the solution is, but...
Two years in a row that the Collegiate Champs DH turned into a mud slog on an XC-grade track. Not sure what the solution is, but it's definitely frustrating.
The solution is a different venue, or Powderhorn cutting in some access to pinball and getting more medical staff to make getting injured people out easier. Personally, I like a different venue, and there are lots of options that can be explored. But for the love of God, not Bentonville again.
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved...
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved the race from Pinball (great trail, fun to race, terrifying when it opens up on the ski slopes and gets fast) to the green trails because of the rain. Had people grabbing xc bikes for the DH race because of how flat it is. Even the usac people were pretty frustrated with everything, seems like it was the bike patrol / medical staff was the ones really pushing to move the trail because it was too difficult to get to the trail with a litter in case someone crashed, but it also didn't seem like there was enough bike patrol for the Race anyways. Pretty sure that was on the resort. The worst part is there are better trails to race that still don't have the access issues that pinball has that we didn't race. Finishing times were over 5 minutes for the fastest men, and there were riders like Christopher Grice there.
Two years in a row that the Collegiate Champs DH turned into a mud slog on an XC-grade track. Not sure what the solution is, but...
Two years in a row that the Collegiate Champs DH turned into a mud slog on an XC-grade track. Not sure what the solution is, but it's definitely frustrating.
The solution is a different venue, or Powderhorn cutting in some access to pinball and getting more medical staff to make getting injured people out easier...
The solution is a different venue, or Powderhorn cutting in some access to pinball and getting more medical staff to make getting injured people out easier. Personally, I like a different venue, and there are lots of options that can be explored. But for the love of God, not Bentonville again.
The solution is to somehow not have National Champs in mid to late October.
One year it was held in Montana and got hosed by snow. Terrible time of year to hold an event in the high mountains
The solution is to somehow not have National Champs in mid to late October.One year it was held in Montana and got hosed by snow. Terrible...
The solution is to somehow not have National Champs in mid to late October.
One year it was held in Montana and got hosed by snow. Terrible time of year to hold an event in the high mountains
Unfortunately that's not super possible since conference races don't start until late August at the earliest, at least in the RMCCC. I did suggest a few places to one of the good USAC people, Big Bear, Targhee, Massanutten, Windrock, etc... All places that should work in October, and would be great places to race.
You should come watch, the DH racing starts at 10 am tomorrow, seeding first and then finals later. It would be a good time. Racing pinball...
You should come watch, the DH racing starts at 10 am tomorrow, seeding first and then finals later. It would be a good time. Racing pinball alley at Powderhorn.
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved...
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved the race from Pinball (great trail, fun to race, terrifying when it opens up on the ski slopes and gets fast) to the green trails because of the rain. Had people grabbing xc bikes for the DH race because of how flat it is. Even the usac people were pretty frustrated with everything, seems like it was the bike patrol / medical staff was the ones really pushing to move the trail because it was too difficult to get to the trail with a litter in case someone crashed, but it also didn't seem like there was enough bike patrol for the Race anyways. Pretty sure that was on the resort. The worst part is there are better trails to race that still don't have the access issues that pinball has that we didn't race. Finishing times were over 5 minutes for the fastest men, and there were riders like Christopher Grice there.
I was there as well, only to race DH too. So stoked I only flew out my 42lb dh bike to race green trail with 2+min on straight pedaling at the top. So many better options for alt tracks, especially as the lower parts of mountain received less rain, and we finished halfway down. I rode the lower dh after my race run and it was ripping. Sucks we haven’t had a real Colligiate DH natty champs track in 3 years.
Also heard rumors of Bentonville next year, and a enduro instead of DH.
I was there as well, only to race DH too. So stoked I only flew out my 42lb dh bike to race green trail with 2+min...
I was there as well, only to race DH too. So stoked I only flew out my 42lb dh bike to race green trail with 2+min on straight pedaling at the top. So many better options for alt tracks, especially as the lower parts of mountain received less rain, and we finished halfway down. I rode the lower dh after my race run and it was ripping. Sucks we haven’t had a real Colligiate DH natty champs track in 3 years.
Also heard rumors of Bentonville next year, and a enduro instead of DH.
That’s rough. As a new local, they definitely should’ve moved it over to the lower 2/3rds of Blue Ribbon. Still enough rocks that a big bike might have a slight advantage over a short travel trail bike.
You should come watch, the DH racing starts at 10 am tomorrow, seeding first and then finals later. It would be a good time. Racing pinball...
You should come watch, the DH racing starts at 10 am tomorrow, seeding first and then finals later. It would be a good time. Racing pinball alley at Powderhorn.
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved...
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved the race from Pinball (great trail, fun to race, terrifying when it opens up on the ski slopes and gets fast) to the green trails because of the rain. Had people grabbing xc bikes for the DH race because of how flat it is. Even the usac people were pretty frustrated with everything, seems like it was the bike patrol / medical staff was the ones really pushing to move the trail because it was too difficult to get to the trail with a litter in case someone crashed, but it also didn't seem like there was enough bike patrol for the Race anyways. Pretty sure that was on the resort. The worst part is there are better trails to race that still don't have the access issues that pinball has that we didn't race. Finishing times were over 5 minutes for the fastest men, and there were riders like Christopher Grice there.
The downhill race was beyond a shit show, it was an embarrassment to downhill racing. I am glad you are speaking out as a rider. USAC and Powderhorn should be ashamed of themselves for what transpired over the weekend. The events of this weekend will likely never be forgotten by the riders and the coaches. A large majority of coaches told USAC/Powderhorn that they wanted to run the race on Saturday on Pinball. Downhill races run rain or shine.
After moving 2024 to Bentonville and the mud fest of 2025 at Powderhorn, USAC and Powderhorn's first priority should have been to have a real downhill race. They had three days to run the race on Pinball from Wed through Friday. By moving it to the green trail the following occurred:
(1) Gravity riders who brought real downhill bikes were ignored for the third time in a row. For junior and seniors this really sucks as they have had three years of crappy races. This year could have been prevented.
(2)The results of the DH race affected the team omnium results because if the race was run on Pinball, the Top 20 would have been a different order. The coaches should have an all hands meeting with USAC because riders work all year for this race and for USAC and Powderhorn to drop the ball two years in a row is unacceptable.
At awards when they announced that next year's race would be at Bentonville, the groaning was too loud to not notice and it wasn't just the gravity riders, the XC riders don't want to go there either. The collective skill, training, dedication of all of the college athletes keeps getting better every year. The final race of the year needs to keep pace with the athletes.
BOISE, IDAHO – Four stages. Two attempts. One test of all-around mountain bike ability. Hard Mountain Bike League returns just outside Boise, Idaho, on October 24 for its 2026 Finals, bringing the sport’s top riders to a purpose-built track designed to test every part of their game.
What does it take to be the best all-around mountain biker? Hard MTB puts that question to the test across four stages: the Tech Line, Raw Slalom, Climb, and Downhill. With two attempts at each, riders must find speed and consistency under pressure, with every stage contributing to the overall result.
Episode 1 of the Hard MTB Docuseries revisits the 2025 Celebration event and explores the thinking behind the competition. Riders including Tegan Cruz, Asa Vermette, Kailey Skelton, and Jordy Scott share their perspectives on what makes Hard MTB different.
The course reflects Braydon Bringhurst’s riding vision, brought to life in a purpose-built track designed to challenge elite athletes while delivering an engaging experience for spectators.
For Bringhurst and the team behind Hard MTB, the challenge is to create a competition that demands a lot from riders without exposing them to unnecessary risk. The aim is to find that balance, giving athletes room to push their limits while keeping the course and competition carefully considered.
For Jordy Scott, watching other women take on new challenges is part of what makes the experience meaningful.
“I find in the most healthy way that watching other girls do things can inspire me to do those things. It just opens these doors,” Scott says.
That combination of competition and progression is central to Hard MTB. Riders go head-to-head for the overall title while demonstrating the range of skills that make mountain biking unique.
Hard MTB League 2026 Finals
October 24, 2026 | Avimor, Boise, Idaho
Equal prize money for men and women:
1st: $20,000 | 2nd: $10,000 | 3rd: $5,000
$125,000 in total prize money across the 2026 season
About Hard MTB League: Hard MTB League is the ultimate test of complete mountain biking ability. Founded by professional rider and filmmaker Braydon Bringhurst in 2023, Hard MTB fills a void in the sport by crowning riders who can do it all: climb, descend, jump, and navigate technical terrain at the highest level. While traditional competitions force specialization into strict disciplines, Hard MTB League celebrates versatility, pushing modern trail bikes and their riders to the absolute limit in a spectator-friendly format where fans witness every moment of the action. The league debuted as a Pro Invitational in 2024, showcasing elite athletes alongside community events that welcome riders of all abilities. Hard MTB League is the next evolution of competition, where the most complete all‑around rider shows what mountain biking is truly capable of.
Ride My World is a new platform for Enduro built by riders, for riders. In a juxtaposition of sorts, the tech-driven concept was devised in a Welsh barn in January 2026, and has been brewing ever since.
After a period of rapid development and consultation with riders, organisers and brands, the platform has gone live today, 14th October 2026.
The platform provides a swathe of features for Enduro riders to use - including building crews with friends, creating bucket list calendars and more. However, the two standout features are the Event Calendar and the Global Ranking System, which are intrinsically linked.
Greg Callaghan: "Enduro races come in many different shapes and sizes around the world. It’s great to now have a platform in Ride My World to connect them all together in one place. It’ll be fun for riders to discover new races, plan their calendar and compete with their friends or the best in the world with the ranking system. I’m excited to start building my profile and see what new races are out there."
The Event Calendar
This is a living, breathing calendar that, in time, will show every enduro event around the globe in one place. Riders will be able to view event details, add events to their bucket lists, invite friends and, before Christmas 2026, enter events directly through the platform. Organisers can run their series through the platform offering a simpler information flow for racers. This is, however, more than a simple listing. Built into this feature is event tiering, which shows riders what points will be on offer at each event through the Global Ranking System.
After online sessions with over 30 organisers from all corners of the globe (Enduro Antarctic didn’t show up, unfortunately), we expect to see the listings grow as more 2027 dates are released into the public domain.
Mau de Ávila, Co-Founder of Transazteca
“What excites me most about Ride My World is the idea of bringing the mountain bike community closer together. There are incredible races, riders and riding communities all over the world, but until now they’ve often existed in their own separate bubbles. Creating a place where riders of every level can discover events, compete, connect and be part of something truly global is something I believe our sport has been missing. I’m really excited to see where Ride My World can take this.”
The Global Ranking System
This new ranking system currently has 28,300 riders listed. We believe it is the first ranking system that accounts for the entire enduro event system, from grassroots to world championships.
The system is built to give everyone a shot at climbing the ranks, regardless of budget, work restrictions or the race pathways available where they live. While the system is geared towards the whole sport - from rookie to pro - elite riders who don’t have the budget or inclination to race an entire global season will be able to build their own season and have something to race for. You can build race crews within the platform to organise your season together and breakdown the leader board to show who's got the bragging rights amongst you and your buddies.
Many have asked if this platform is a rival to the new global race series in development. It is not. We have been in close contact with all parties looking to launch world-level enduro again in 2027 and beyond. Once live, these events will form part of the platform’s global tiering of events.
Event caps
As it stands today, the rankings might appear strange at first glance. There is a reason for this.
A rider’s ranking is based on their best 6 results. Of those 6, we have capped the number that can come from global-level events at 3. The same cap of 3 applies to national-level events.
Why have we done this?
Fairness across the globe. The ranking system works on a rolling 12-month basis. The EDR and global level events have been geographically constrained in 2026 and we felt this disadvantaged riders from outside Europe. With only 46 elite men starting every EDR and only 12 elite women starting every EDR round in 2026, we hope the new proposed series(s) will increase the field amongst pro riders and offer more opportunities. The current cap will be reviewed once more information is available and confirmed by 1st Jan 2027.
Rewarding riders who race broadly. The platform’s long-term aim is to reward riders who race across the levels and support the scene by trying new events, festivals and formats. Many elite riders already do this. Some naturally concentrate their efforts on one level, and with the cap in place, this shows in their ranking.
What next?
Riders and organisers can now create accounts on the platform and claim their profile or listing at Ride My World. Riders can build their profile, see where they rank and - crucially - signpost us to any event results we may have missed that could improve their ranking.
We’re building this in the open. Like most tech platforms, we haven’t started with perfection, and we expect to iterate and improve the experience for users at pace. The difference between Ride My World and other tech platforms is that this has been built entirely on sweat equity, ensuring that control stays with riders.
This is an exciting new period for Enduro and we are stoked to play a part in the collective effort to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for our sport.
As someone living just outside of GJ, I did not know this was going on this weekend. Either it is marketed less than in the past...
As someone living just outside of GJ, I did not know this was going on this weekend. Either it is marketed less than in the past or I am less connected than I used to be to the local racing scene. Probably that latter...
I used to race for CSU and live in Fort Collins these days. I have to actually work hard to figure what the team is doing, so it doesn't happen often. Guess they had a race up at Virginia Canyon/Argo/Idaho Springs.
I used to race for CSU and live in Fort Collins these days. I have to actually work hard to figure what the team is doing...
I used to race for CSU and live in Fort Collins these days. I have to actually work hard to figure what the team is doing, so it doesn't happen often. Guess they had a race up at Virginia Canyon/Argo/Idaho Springs.
They tried to, but the little Argo people were unresponsive and CSU had to pull the plug. It was really unfortunate since I think all of us were excited for it. Hopefully they can get it organized for next year, same with the University of Utah getting things going with Solitude. The resorts through Colorado are pretty tough to work with, the only two that are very consistent and more or less like having us are ironically Powderhorn, and Crested Butte. The Powderhorn conference race has been plagued with bad weather too, and so has rarely worked out. Crested Butte by comparison let's us race no matter the weather, rain this year and last year and snow the year before but the racing has been awesome regardless of it, and the trails are more technical there than at powderhorn. Honestly I'm surprised at how many people used to race in collegiate are on here. I'll go out of my way to share at least the Rocky Mountain Conference schedule here so more people know about it next season.
I used to race for CSU and live in Fort Collins these days. I have to actually work hard to figure what the team is doing...
I used to race for CSU and live in Fort Collins these days. I have to actually work hard to figure what the team is doing, so it doesn't happen often. Guess they had a race up at Virginia Canyon/Argo/Idaho Springs.
They tried to, but the little Argo people were unresponsive and CSU had to pull the plug. It was really unfortunate since I think all of...
They tried to, but the little Argo people were unresponsive and CSU had to pull the plug. It was really unfortunate since I think all of us were excited for it. Hopefully they can get it organized for next year, same with the University of Utah getting things going with Solitude. The resorts through Colorado are pretty tough to work with, the only two that are very consistent and more or less like having us are ironically Powderhorn, and Crested Butte. The Powderhorn conference race has been plagued with bad weather too, and so has rarely worked out. Crested Butte by comparison let's us race no matter the weather, rain this year and last year and snow the year before but the racing has been awesome regardless of it, and the trails are more technical there than at powderhorn. Honestly I'm surprised at how many people used to race in collegiate are on here. I'll go out of my way to share at least the Rocky Mountain Conference schedule here so more people know about it next season.
They should try Granby Ranch. They held at least 1 collegiate event that I know of. In May, they had an enduro race. Even had an ebike class. I still love that little place.
Anyone hear anything for what a potential 2027 US dh schedule could look like? I know it’s waaay too early.
One of the USAC people I spoke with was the one who worked with Monster on getting the USDH going. According to her, they're still in negotiations with all of their venues for next season. Shockingly, she also let slip that Killington is incredibly hard to work with and that's part of why the US Open went to Deer Valley, and they were really excited and easy to work with.
One of the USAC people I spoke with was the one who worked with Monster on getting the USDH going. According to her, they're still in...
One of the USAC people I spoke with was the one who worked with Monster on getting the USDH going. According to her, they're still in negotiations with all of their venues for next season. Shockingly, she also let slip that Killington is incredibly hard to work with and that's part of why the US Open went to Deer Valley, and they were really excited and easy to work with.
Yeah the new owners of Killington aren’t exactly crushing the Mtb thing, seemed like a lot of unhappy pass holders this year. I’m hoping for a similar sch to 26. Rock creek is fun and same with mtn creek.
If it were Asa on his finals run I wouldn't want to be the one that make the call that alters the history of our sport forever. As a marshal, I'd have to, but it wouldn't be fun. A rider that is several seconds back at the 3rd split, stops, and pushes back up is not going to qualify anyway, so being disqualified isn't a big deal. A rider in the title hunt in his first elite season needs all the points he can get in finals. The marshal's call has a much larger effect.
How much did they focus on outside assistance etc? I've seen a video from JG's qualifying crash at Whistler. He yells at a marshal to help him and the marshal grabs his bike and tries to help bend some snapped spokes back into place so he can keep riding. Big no no as far as I was aware
I did race and it was a shit show. I think it ruined a lot of peoples opinions of Powderhorn as a bike park. They moved the race from Pinball (great trail, fun to race, terrifying when it opens up on the ski slopes and gets fast) to the green trails because of the rain. Had people grabbing xc bikes for the DH race because of how flat it is. Even the usac people were pretty frustrated with everything, seems like it was the bike patrol / medical staff was the ones really pushing to move the trail because it was too difficult to get to the trail with a litter in case someone crashed, but it also didn't seem like there was enough bike patrol for the Race anyways. Pretty sure that was on the resort. The worst part is there are better trails to race that still don't have the access issues that pinball has that we didn't race. Finishing times were over 5 minutes for the fastest men, and there were riders like Christopher Grice there.
Haha nice. Wondering if he was yelling at him at all. Considering Asa almost got decapitated and was full of adrenaline, I wonder if he even saw him trying to help him out.
A crash in qualifying has the same consequences as a DQ. Your race is done and you need to make sure you clear the course for the next riders, which is what Jackson was doing.
Hearing a singular French voice or noticing a pointing finger in a crowd of screaming spectators & the finish lines music and announcers. Slim chance.
Sport where you're responsible for your own success/failure.
Catch me screwing up a course? That's the rules. I'm fine with it. It's always you vs course.
I only look outward if it's Brian Lopes stacking rocks after practice to make a sidewalk (hilarious unsubstantiated rumour at every NORBA national ever) 😁
What we all know is HB cut the course in 1990 🤣
Jackson missed the entire 2024 season due to injury, and came back to smash the WC series and win the Worlds in 2025. I don't think an injury this year necessarily means an athlete will struggle the following year.
Two years in a row that the Collegiate Champs DH turned into a mud slog on an XC-grade track. Not sure what the solution is, but it's definitely frustrating.
That site hurt SO many feelings.
I remember the industry trying to take it down b/c they were getting VERY pissed off at the site.
Whoever was running it got so much love from the forums & so much hate from the pretentious industry.
The solution is a different venue, or Powderhorn cutting in some access to pinball and getting more medical staff to make getting injured people out easier. Personally, I like a different venue, and there are lots of options that can be explored. But for the love of God, not Bentonville again.
The solution is to somehow not have National Champs in mid to late October.
One year it was held in Montana and got hosed by snow. Terrible time of year to hold an event in the high mountains
Unfortunately that's not super possible since conference races don't start until late August at the earliest, at least in the RMCCC. I did suggest a few places to one of the good USAC people, Big Bear, Targhee, Massanutten, Windrock, etc... All places that should work in October, and would be great places to race.
I was there as well, only to race DH too. So stoked I only flew out my 42lb dh bike to race green trail with 2+min on straight pedaling at the top. So many better options for alt tracks, especially as the lower parts of mountain received less rain, and we finished halfway down. I rode the lower dh after my race run and it was ripping.
Sucks we haven’t had a real Colligiate DH natty champs track in 3 years.
Also heard rumors of Bentonville next year, and a enduro instead of DH.
That’s rough. As a new local, they definitely should’ve moved it over to the lower 2/3rds of Blue Ribbon. Still enough rocks that a big bike might have a slight advantage over a short travel trail bike.
The downhill race was beyond a shit show, it was an embarrassment to downhill racing. I am glad you are speaking out as a rider. USAC and Powderhorn should be ashamed of themselves for what transpired over the weekend. The events of this weekend will likely never be forgotten by the riders and the coaches. A large majority of coaches told USAC/Powderhorn that they wanted to run the race on Saturday on Pinball. Downhill races run rain or shine.
After moving 2024 to Bentonville and the mud fest of 2025 at Powderhorn, USAC and Powderhorn's first priority should have been to have a real downhill race. They had three days to run the race on Pinball from Wed through Friday. By moving it to the green trail the following occurred:
(1) Gravity riders who brought real downhill bikes were ignored for the third time in a row. For junior and seniors this really sucks as they have had three years of crappy races. This year could have been prevented.
(2)The results of the DH race affected the team omnium results because if the race was run on Pinball, the Top 20 would have been a different order. The coaches should have an all hands meeting with USAC because riders work all year for this race and for USAC and Powderhorn to drop the ball two years in a row is unacceptable.
At awards when they announced that next year's race would be at Bentonville, the groaning was too loud to not notice and it wasn't just the gravity riders, the XC riders don't want to go there either. The collective skill, training, dedication of all of the college athletes keeps getting better every year. The final race of the year needs to keep pace with the athletes.
Hard MTB Docuseries #1 - finals are in 10 days!
BOISE, IDAHO – Four stages. Two attempts. One test of all-around mountain bike ability. Hard Mountain Bike League returns just outside Boise, Idaho, on October 24 for its 2026 Finals, bringing the sport’s top riders to a purpose-built track designed to test every part of their game.
What does it take to be the best all-around mountain biker? Hard MTB puts that question to the test across four stages: the Tech Line, Raw Slalom, Climb, and Downhill. With two attempts at each, riders must find speed and consistency under pressure, with every stage contributing to the overall result.
Episode 1 of the Hard MTB Docuseries revisits the 2025 Celebration event and explores the thinking behind the competition. Riders including Tegan Cruz, Asa Vermette, Kailey Skelton, and Jordy Scott share their perspectives on what makes Hard MTB different.
The course reflects Braydon Bringhurst’s riding vision, brought to life in a purpose-built track designed to challenge elite athletes while delivering an engaging experience for spectators.
For Bringhurst and the team behind Hard MTB, the challenge is to create a competition that demands a lot from riders without exposing them to unnecessary risk. The aim is to find that balance, giving athletes room to push their limits while keeping the course and competition carefully considered.
For Jordy Scott, watching other women take on new challenges is part of what makes the experience meaningful.
“I find in the most healthy way that watching other girls do things can inspire me to do those things. It just opens these doors,” Scott says.
That combination of competition and progression is central to Hard MTB. Riders go head-to-head for the overall title while demonstrating the range of skills that make mountain biking unique.
Hard MTB League 2026 Finals
October 24, 2026 | Avimor, Boise, Idaho
Equal prize money for men and women:
1st: $20,000 | 2nd: $10,000 | 3rd: $5,000
$125,000 in total prize money across the 2026 season
Tickets on sale now at www.hardmtbleague.com
About Hard MTB League: Hard MTB League is the ultimate test of complete mountain biking ability. Founded by professional rider and filmmaker Braydon Bringhurst in 2023, Hard MTB fills a void in the sport by crowning riders who can do it all: climb, descend, jump, and navigate technical terrain at the highest level. While traditional competitions force specialization into strict disciplines, Hard MTB League celebrates versatility, pushing modern trail bikes and their riders to the absolute limit in a spectator-friendly format where fans witness every moment of the action. The league debuted as a Pro Invitational in 2024, showcasing elite athletes alongside community events that welcome riders of all abilities. Hard MTB League is the next evolution of competition, where the most complete all‑around rider shows what mountain biking is truly capable of.
New app-based enduro racing format and platform. PR below with a couple screenshots
Ride My World is a new platform for Enduro built by riders, for riders. In a juxtaposition of sorts, the tech-driven concept was devised in a Welsh barn in January 2026, and has been brewing ever since.
After a period of rapid development and consultation with riders, organisers and brands, the platform has gone live today, 14th October 2026.
The platform provides a swathe of features for Enduro riders to use - including building crews with friends, creating bucket list calendars and more. However, the two standout features are the Event Calendar and the Global Ranking System, which are intrinsically linked.
Greg Callaghan: "Enduro races come in many different shapes and sizes around the world. It’s great to now have a platform in Ride My World to connect them all together in one place. It’ll be fun for riders to discover new races, plan their calendar and compete with their friends or the best in the world with the ranking system. I’m excited to start building my profile and see what new races are out there."
The Event Calendar
This is a living, breathing calendar that, in time, will show every enduro event around the globe in one place. Riders will be able to view event details, add events to their bucket lists, invite friends and, before Christmas 2026, enter events directly through the platform. Organisers can run their series through the platform offering a simpler information flow for racers. This is, however, more than a simple listing. Built into this feature is event tiering, which shows riders what points will be on offer at each event through the Global Ranking System.
After online sessions with over 30 organisers from all corners of the globe (Enduro Antarctic didn’t show up, unfortunately), we expect to see the listings grow as more 2027 dates are released into the public domain.
Mau de Ávila, Co-Founder of Transazteca
“What excites me most about Ride My World is the idea of bringing the mountain bike community closer together. There are incredible races, riders and riding communities all over the world, but until now they’ve often existed in their own separate bubbles. Creating a place where riders of every level can discover events, compete, connect and be part of something truly global is something I believe our sport has been missing. I’m really excited to see where Ride My World can take this.”
The Global Ranking System
This new ranking system currently has 28,300 riders listed. We believe it is the first ranking system that accounts for the entire enduro event system, from grassroots to world championships.
The system is built to give everyone a shot at climbing the ranks, regardless of budget, work restrictions or the race pathways available where they live. While the system is geared towards the whole sport - from rookie to pro - elite riders who don’t have the budget or inclination to race an entire global season will be able to build their own season and have something to race for. You can build race crews within the platform to organise your season together and breakdown the leader board to show who's got the bragging rights amongst you and your buddies.
Many have asked if this platform is a rival to the new global race series in development. It is not. We have been in close contact with all parties looking to launch world-level enduro again in 2027 and beyond. Once live, these events will form part of the platform’s global tiering of events.
Event caps
As it stands today, the rankings might appear strange at first glance. There is a reason for this.
A rider’s ranking is based on their best 6 results. Of those 6, we have capped the number that can come from global-level events at 3. The same cap of 3 applies to national-level events.
Why have we done this?
Fairness across the globe. The ranking system works on a rolling 12-month basis. The EDR and global level events have been geographically constrained in 2026 and we felt this disadvantaged riders from outside Europe. With only 46 elite men starting every EDR and only 12 elite women starting every EDR round in 2026, we hope the new proposed series(s) will increase the field amongst pro riders and offer more opportunities. The current cap will be reviewed once more information is available and confirmed by 1st Jan 2027.
Rewarding riders who race broadly. The platform’s long-term aim is to reward riders who race across the levels and support the scene by trying new events, festivals and formats. Many elite riders already do this. Some naturally concentrate their efforts on one level, and with the cap in place, this shows in their ranking.
What next?
Riders and organisers can now create accounts on the platform and claim their profile or listing at Ride My World. Riders can build their profile, see where they rank and - crucially - signpost us to any event results we may have missed that could improve their ranking.
We’re building this in the open. Like most tech platforms, we haven’t started with perfection, and we expect to iterate and improve the experience for users at pace. The difference between Ride My World and other tech platforms is that this has been built entirely on sweat equity, ensuring that control stays with riders.
This is an exciting new period for Enduro and we are stoked to play a part in the collective effort to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for our sport.
I used to race for CSU and live in Fort Collins these days. I have to actually work hard to figure what the team is doing, so it doesn't happen often. Guess they had a race up at Virginia Canyon/Argo/Idaho Springs.
They tried to, but the little Argo people were unresponsive and CSU had to pull the plug. It was really unfortunate since I think all of us were excited for it. Hopefully they can get it organized for next year, same with the University of Utah getting things going with Solitude. The resorts through Colorado are pretty tough to work with, the only two that are very consistent and more or less like having us are ironically Powderhorn, and Crested Butte. The Powderhorn conference race has been plagued with bad weather too, and so has rarely worked out. Crested Butte by comparison let's us race no matter the weather, rain this year and last year and snow the year before but the racing has been awesome regardless of it, and the trails are more technical there than at powderhorn. Honestly I'm surprised at how many people used to race in collegiate are on here. I'll go out of my way to share at least the Rocky Mountain Conference schedule here so more people know about it next season.
They should try Granby Ranch. They held at least 1 collegiate event that I know of. In May, they had an enduro race. Even had an ebike class. I still love that little place.
Collegiate Nats results: https://usacycling.org/article/colorado-mesa-university-and-colorado-school-of-mines-win-team-omniums-at-2026-collegiate-mountain-bike-national-championships
Anyone hear anything for what a potential 2027 US dh schedule could look like? I know it’s waaay too early.
One of the USAC people I spoke with was the one who worked with Monster on getting the USDH going. According to her, they're still in negotiations with all of their venues for next season. Shockingly, she also let slip that Killington is incredibly hard to work with and that's part of why the US Open went to Deer Valley, and they were really excited and easy to work with.
Yeah the new owners of Killington aren’t exactly crushing the Mtb thing, seemed like a lot of unhappy pass holders this year. I’m hoping for a similar sch to 26. Rock creek is fun and same with mtn creek.
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