By Katie Benfield
Beech Mountain Resort brings to the High Country the Beech Mountain Resort Pro GRT, a downhill gravity race for mountain bikes. The Beech Mountain race is only one of many as part of the Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour. This weekend, there are opportunities not only to participate in the race but also to watch cyclists compete on the newly designed racecourse on the resort.
“Most of what the racers are going to be racing on is a completely new and re-worked trail system,” Talia Freeman, Marketing Director of Beech Mountain Resort, said. “Elevator Trail Design really did an amazing job at re-working the whole trail system and adding more trails.”
While the resort is usually a wintery excitement full of skis and snowboards, during the summer, it turns into a spectacular resort for biking on the mountain.
In 2012, Beech Mountain Resort hosted the mountain bike nationals, and through that the resort invested substantially in creating and perfecting a downhill trail system. Soon after this, the resort opened to the public for mountain biking during the summer.
“We’ve really made a name for ourselves in the mountain biking community,” said Freeman. “There was a need for summer operations for the resort, and this helped make us into a four-season resort.”
The ski lift that is used during the winter season is also utilized during the summer season as well. The lift can transport not only bikers and racers to the top of the mountain, but their bikes as well. It is easy and convenient to self-load and un-load the bikes from the lift before beginning the descent down the rocky, wood-heavy technical courses built specifically for mountain biking.
Throughout the event, which lasts from today until Sunday, June 18, riders of all ages will compete for cash and product prizes.
According to Freeman, there was recently a cyclist from California who came out here to participate in the race.
“He was really excited because the terrain here is so vastly different from what is out west,” Freeman said. “It’s really challenging terrain here, it’s rocky, and it’s just a natural beauty and a nice setting for racing.”
Because the terrain is so intense, challenging and technical, watching the athletes race through it is an incredible experience. If you’re unable to join in the racing, being a spectator is equally as fun because witnessing these cyclists powering through this kind of technical course is amazing to see.
“There are various spots throughout the course for people to watch the race,” Freeman said. “It’s a very spectator-friendly racecourse.”
However, if you choose not to be a spectator and are looking to either purchase or rent a bike for either the race, or simply to ride on the the Beech Mountain Bike Park since it is open to the public as well, then you can get your bike at Magic Cycles, a bike shop located within the resort.
“You can literally roll out the door and onto the ski lift,” Charlie Shuford, Mechanic of Magic Cycles, said. “We are pretty much the face of bikes at Beech Mountain. If anyone has any problems or needs to rent a bike for the day, that’s all us.”
There are several options for bike rentals for the event or for general riding, and they are as follows:
- Giant Bikes – $80 for half a day, $100 for a full day
- Full Suspension Downhill Bikes – $100 for half a day, $120 for a full day
- Santa Cruz Bikes – $120 for half a day, $140 for a full day
“We are really excited to have a national level race back at Beech Mountain,” Hunter Budd, Manager of Magic Cycles, said. “We are definitely prepared to help all the racers have an excellent time.”
And an excellent time everyone will have, racers or not.
The entire weekend will be incredibly family friendly with live music at 5506′ and Mile High Yoga on Saturday, as well as, food vendors throughout the weekend. The whole family can come and enjoy the race, the festivities and other activities that Beech Mountain Resort has to offer them.
Whether it’s watching the race, participating in the race or finding other adventures throughout the resort, spending Father’s Day Weekend at Beech Mountain is sure to be a great weekend for everyone involved.
To see the schedule of the Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour, visit its website.
To view a schedule for the weekend and for more information about the race, visit the Beech Mountain Resort website.
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