WMR hosts round of bike race

The Whitefish Bike Park this weekend is hosting a leg of the Pacific Northwest Cup Downhill Race.

One of the best attended downhill race series in the U.S., the race consists of eight races at five venues across four states throughout the Pacific Northwest. Round 7 of the Northwest Cup is set for Aug. 24-26 at Whitefish Mountain Resort. This is the first year the downhill race has come to Montana. The first six races this summer have drawn anywhere from 270 competitors to more than 500.

“This will be the biggest weekend in Whitefish Bike Park history and one of the biggest events we’ve ever hosted at Whitefish Mountain Resort,” said Josh Knight, events and terrain park manager at Whitefish Mountain Resort. “All superlatives aside, this event not only attracts professional racers from around the Pacific Northwest and beyond, the NW Cup strives to provide a quality racing experience for the entire family.”

Racers will compete in one of four categories including Pro, Category 1, 2 or 3. All four races will start at the summit, near the top of Ptarmigan Bowl. The Pro and Category 1 racers will descend the Summit Trail to Runaway Train and finish near the bottom terminal of Chair 5. The Category 2 race will run down Kashmir, GNR, Classic Rock, The Summit Trail, back to Kashmir to the finish near where the Big Ravine and Interstate ski runs intersect. Category 3 racers will take Kashmir, Freebird, The Summit Trail back to Kashmir, sharing the same finish line as Category 2.

For mountain biking fans wishing to experience the NW Cup, there will be opportunities to get a bird’s eye view of the race from the Scenic Lift and the Summit House, or spectators who want to view the event up close will need to make their way to the summit and hike down.

Scenic Lift Ride roundtrip tickets are available for $16 for ages 13-64, $12 for 65 and older, and $11 for ages 7-12. Children 6 and under ride for free. One-way tickets for all ages are $9. The start line is a short walk from the top of the chairlift. Or spectators can choose to hike to prime viewing locations along the course. Directions to these viewing locations will be available the day of the race and online at skiwhitefish.com/event/northwest-cup.

Due to the number of expected competitors and additional supporters, the resort expects the entire weekend to be busier than usual.

On Saturday the Whitefish Bike Park will be open to everyone and will likely be the busiest day of mountain biking in resort history.

The resort is building additional bike carriers to accommodate the additional bikes. Bike Park users and Scenic Lift riders should expect to wait when loading Chair 1 on Saturday.

On Sunday bike trails in The Summit Zone will be closed to the public during the race, however the Bad Rock lift, Bad Rock Zone and Multi-Use Zone will be open to riders. Once all races are finished, the bike park will open to the public.

All of Whitefish Mountain Resort’s summer activities will be open and available to the public.

For more information about the NW Cup at Whitefish Mountain Resort including course maps and registration information, or additional information about resort activities and services, visit www.skiwhitefish.com.