New Mountain Bike Race Course at Hawksnest Resort

Course Designed by National College Champions

Story by Justin Grimes

Adding to its recently opened and popular Zipline, Hawksnest Resort will host a professional downhill mountain bike race in August on a new course designed by local champions. Photos by Andrew Mueller

Hawksnest Resort continues to step-it-up in recreational opportunities for visitors and residents of the High Country. Adding to its recently opened and popular Zipline, the resort will host a professional downhill mountain bike race in August on a new course designed by local champions.

The venerable mountain resort, known for having the largest snow tubing operation on the East Coast in winter, gave its permission to a long-time employee and avid bike downhill racer, Liam Carey, to construct the course on its retired ski slopes. When operating as a ski resort, Hawksnest was famous for its varied and steep terrain.

“I’m thrilled to bring a sport I’m actively involved in to the place I work,” Carey said. “This has been a labor of love by many volunteers. With the idea in mind of building a downhill/free ride racecourse on Hawksnest’s wonderful terrain, I went searching for professional assistance. Last year, I had the good fortune of riding a section of course on another mountain that was designed by Andrew Mueller and Mike Thomas. I was impressed by their work. I contacted them and they agreed that the terrain at Hawksnest would make a challenging course. So we went to work in March.” 

Thomas, an ASU senior from Greensboro, is a National College Downhill Mountain Bike Champion. His roommate, Mueller of Greenville, S.C., and a top-five finisher at the nationals joined Carey and volunteers in designing the course. The two are top guns for the ASU Mountain Bike Team, NCAA Division II Champions, and will assist ASU in defending its championship in Lake Tahoe, Calif. in October.

“For me, designing and building the racecourse at Hawksnest was an opportunity to use the landscape to express myself through riding,” Mueller said. “My number one goal is to raise awareness for our sport. We are pleased with the final product. The course is sturdy, durable and flowing.” 

Beginning at the top of the mountain where the red lift used to deliver skiers to views of the surrounding mountains, the course zigs and zags downhill over rocks, jumps, berms, roots and through trees. It’s very steep and twisty. According to the designers, the course is sustainable, drains well and is suitable for all riders. Hundreds of hours of backbreaking labor went into creating the course. “Our course is manmade, sculpted by hand and shovel, satisfying to ride by anyone, yet challenging for a pro,” Carey said. 

The inaugural event, The Dirty Bird Downhill Mountain Bike Race, is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23, and is open to all amateurs and professionals who register. The advanced features of the course will have ride-a-rounds for the less-skilled riders. 

On Saturday, August 22, practice sessions will be followed by timed qualifying. Racers will be classed by age and skill level. The racing begins on Sunday, August 23. The day opens with the children’s class and culminates with the professional competition. Spectators are encouraged to attend free of charge. Concessions will be available.

The professionals compete for cash prizes and the top-five finishers in each class will receive prizes that have been contributed by the race’s sponsors. “I think it speaks volumes about our event that one of our sponsors is a bike manufacturer from Washington State,” Carey said. “We expect the event to attract riders from all over.”

Transition Bikes of Bellingham, Wash.; Sycamore Cycles of Ashville; Recycles Bike Shop of Greensboro; Eastern Bikes of Cary; Boone Bike and Touring; Music on the Mountain; Red Bull; Industry of Nine Components Specialized Tires and Hawksnest Resort sponsor the race.

The racecourse at Hawksnest is not open to the public at any time; only registered participants of the event can ride the course. 

For information about registration and costs, email dirtybirddhrace@gmail.com.

To view a video of the course, click to http://vimeo.com/5570547.

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