Vulture’s Knob Oktoberfest Downhill Race Results
Fantastic day on the hill, smiles for miles and not a frown around! We’ll have a full report (with no rhyming, promise) with pictures from Logan coming this week, but for now, here are the results:
Time to ride!
As a rule of thumb, we avoid the jungle that is Vulture’s Knob during the hottest months. And the jungle had indeed reclaimed some of our downhill trails. We hacked it out last Saturday and what lies beneath is as good as ever, time to get out and ride!
Don’t forget, the race is coming up on Sunday, October 16. We’ll be running a different track(s) from the spring race to keep things interesting.
Here are some shots that Blanton took of me on Sunday. The Snakepit was super drifty and a load of fun!
VK Kick Off Race Report
Vulture’s Knob has never hosted a DH race before. A year ago, you’d say it wasn’t possible. But the red sea of poison ivy parted, and something of a killer track has emerged from the prickly undergrowth. Killer in oh so many ways, like the smile it puts on your face and the burn it puts in your legs.
Fans were getting rowdy cheering on the 40 racers that attended. This has been the worst spring in living memory, but the weather held off and the course held up. Besides being a bit slow rolling, it was a fine day for racing and Vevuzelas!
Zach Johnson was our youngest rider. He's a top BMXer and was trying his hand at a bit of downhill...by all accounts he aced it! Kevin D from 331 did the starting all day after a long XC race the day before. All the 331 guys are tireless heros and put on a fine grassroots event. Thanks Mike C, Jay R, and the rest of the gang...not to forget spouses!
Micah Van Horn styling the the rock jump, which is the first feature and all about getting just the right distance. Did he get it right? Check the video at the bottom of this post! (Photo credit Steve Stanic)
...or just have a look at Nick Devore landing to flat. Tire flat, bike twisted, suspension bottomed, biceps...looking pumped!
Gus Michaels shows us the proper way to hit the rocks, with a rear tire tap and a tweak. Gus comes from a moto background and raced XC last year. This year he's going to try DH. His first time out of the box was a 1:13, good enough for 3rd in the Pro class. Lordy. Did I mention he ran a full DH bike with 2 ply sticky rubber? It's probably 10 lbs heavier than the bikes ridden by the top two!
If you weren't hitting the creek gap like Brad Smith from Chainsmoke Racing, then you had a grind a few more seconds of course, and that hurts. Brad drove up from South Carolina to race. Think of all the trails he passed on the way up to Vulture's Knob to race! What a guy!
Here's your runner up, Harry Reynolds, riding for Horns Hill Collective. He was keeping it low and getting the power down. He and Vance Nonno battled all day for top spot. 1:13....1:12....1:11... At this point Dave the Pirate bets 20 bucks no one can do a 1:10. Did he do it? Well, let's just say Dave's not 20 bucks in the hole...he's 40!
Braaaaaaaap! Eric Hickman hits the tricky hip. (Photo credit Steve Stanic)
Pat Ramsey came from PA and looked to be having a blast all day long, despite getting lost in the woods. He took 2nd in the well attended First Timer category. (Photo credit Steve Stanic)
Mike "Stumbo" Walsh know how to throw down. And now he knows why World Cup pros don't run tubeless. His tire did a burp to roll off landing the tricky hip. Good thing Mike brought a spare 951!
First Timers podium: Jim Crowley 1st, Pat Ramsey 2nd, Tyler Sheperd 3rd (MIA).
Amateur Podium: Louis Taylor 1st, Andy Wickens 2nd, Nick Devor 3rd.
Pro Podium: Vance Nonno 1st (HHC), Harry Reynolds 2nd (HHC), and Gus Michaels 3rd. That's a 1-2 for Horn's Hill Collective, apparently racing in flannel this year.
Full results can be found in this post.
If you want to see all the pictures, hope you have a Facebook account! Here are some galleries:
331′s Gallery (thanks Jennifer!)
Steve Stanic’s Flickr Gallery (and here it is on Facebook)
Finally, thanks to Blanton’s family for shooting some video!
Untitled from Blanton Unger on Vimeo.
See you on July 17! (Bring bug spray)
Little VK Teaser
Blanton put together this video of some test riding we did last fall on the intermediate DH at Vulture’s Knob. We’ve done a lot of tweaking since then, but you get the idea…
VK DH Trail Work
Well surprise surprise, after Friday’s snow we were ready to can the trail work for today, but it turned out to be warm and sunny, with magical dirt that somehow had shed all the rain fall and was perfect for digging and packing.
Apart from Mike C and myself, no downhillers showed up, but thankfully there was about 10 guys there to work on the XC trail, and Kevin D and Mark from the Orville Cycling Club came over to help sling some dirt on the DH trail.
The grafters deserve a break.
We achieved a lot considering the small group: On the upper 1/3 of DH1 we reshaped the first roller, the second roller has been turned into a take off and we moved the third roller up to serve as a landing. We moved the next berm to a better spot and added more kick out of it, then built a nice pre-jump into the little hip roller. And we re-finished the creek gap jump too. That whole section should flow really nicely now, and drainage looks to be very good. There are a few more features we want to add to the upper 1/3, but she’ll be ready to ride with just a few more dry days.
There will probably be work on-going most weekends at the Knob, so keep your eyes peeled here or at 331 for more build days.
Vulture’s Knob Downhill Trail Map
Here it is folks, the master plan:
So how close are we to realizing a new DH venue in Ohio? We’re getting there, with a lot of hard work by a few folks. In summary:
- DH1 Intermediate: 95% complete, can be ridden top to bottom. The top 2/3 of the trail is quite flat, with a very short uphill section that requires some pedaling, but that’s what pedals are for and it’s good training to make legs strong for larger courses. There are loads of different sized jumps and some very sweet berms towards the bottom. Right now the trail is unrideable due to our wet weather, but we were riding it in the fall. Enough to know that we need to make some changes to the rather large jumps in the middle and fine tune a few features.
- DH2 Advanced: 10% complete. Trail is flagged and needs to be cleared, but we could be riding this new trail top to bottom with about a days worth of work between a few souls. This trail have a more natural feel compared to DH1, but it shares the topography so expect a flattish but hopefully fast upper section.
- DH3 Expert: 75% complete. Trail is cleared and rideable, but is basically a short steep section branching off DH2 that will test your skills. The trail dives via some steep but flat corners to the bottom of the ravine and then goes relatively flat to get to the finish area.
- Super D connector: 0% complete. This will be a great addition, connecting DH1 to the very cool Super D finish in a little ravine. A great alternate finish.
In reality, all the trails are intermediate level, with a few advanced features and sections. We were never going to have world class DH trails at Vulture’s Knob given the topography, but what we will have is a handful of trails that are fun to ride and keep us entertained, building skills and fitness for larger tracks. A training area really.
We need your help to get there though. Our next build day is Saturday, March 12. We will be repairing and tweaking features for the first ever Mini-Downhill race at the Knob on May 1st.
And if you’re wondering, yes, it’s a push up track. To much of a pansy to push up? Fine by us…the rest of us will get stronger and beat you at the races!
Interview with Mike C / 331 Promotions
Mike Colonna along with four other guys run 331 Racing and Promotions, which is a cornerstone of mountain bike racing in Ohio. You might think 331 is all about spandex and Sidis, but Mike is actually equal opportunity shredder and loves a bit of downhill. And if you’ve been to Vulture’s Knob lately, you’ll have seen just how serious 331 is about gravity riding.
Tell us about Mike C, how long you’ve been riding and how you became a certified mountain bike nut.
Well, I started riding mountain bikes in the late 80′s and began taking it a bit more seriously in the early 90′s. Probably from about 1994 to present, mountain biking has pretty much defined my lifestyle. I entered my first XC race in 1996 at the inaugural Race at Camp Manatoc, which ironically, is now our (331 Promotions) biggest event of the year! I was there racing in the early days of Vulture’s Knob, Mickey’s Mountain Challenge and Tom Hayes’s Velo-Z. I’ll still enter the occasional XC or Endurance race and I even did my first ever DH race this past season. But for the most part, riding for fun, promoting, building and advocacy consume the majority of my time in the sport today.
Regarding my passion for mountain biking- From the early days of riding and racing, and still to this day, I’ve enjoyed all aspects of the mountain bike lifestyle. From the people I’ve met and the life long friendships that have followed, to the epic rides and remote locations traveled and all the parties and good times enjoyed after long days of riding with the crew. From the simple beauty of the bicycle itself, to the technical marvels that they’ve become. Even down to bicycle maintenance (yes, I love to build, work on and meticulously maintain high-end bikes, it’s a bit of an obsession). Not to mention the challenges and competition that this great sport has to offer, and the fit and healthy lifestyle it supports. It’s something that can be enjoyed by the whole family, young and old. I plan on doing this, at some level, for the rest of my life! So I suppose if you add it all up, I could be considered a “certified mountain bike nut”.
If you won an all expenses paid trip and could ride anywhere for one day, where would it be and what bike would you take? (You can only take one!)
That’s a good question! You know, mountain biking originated here in the states, and there are countless mecca’s of singletrack here that I’d love to ride. And I know Europe has a ton of epic riding to offer as well. But I think BC, Canada would be the place. I haven’t been there yet, but it looks to me like the best combination of rugged terrain, flowy features and challenging ups and downs, that make it so appealing. As for the bike, It would have to be the Yeti ASR7. It’s a big travel bike with surprisingly well-mannered climbing capabilities, especially when things get steep and nasty. And when the trail points downward, it just devours everything in it’s path.
I heard you did the US Open last year even though you were pretty new to proper downhill racing and had barely ridden an 8″ bike. What was that like? And have you got plans to race DH in 2011?
That was a pretty crazy experience…my first ever DH race! I’ve been curious to give downhill racing a try for a long time now. Over the years, I’ve always been confident in my technical riding abilities, so I thought DH racing might come easily for me. Man, did I have a lot to learn! Things like taking the time to walk and study the track to help dial in your numerous line options. And finding that the fastest way through the rock gardens, is to gap big sections of trail with perfectly timed, yet sometimes blind, leaps of faith. Then there are the drastically higher speeds you’re carrying into turns, jumps and obstacles. These were all challenges, that on the bike, I had never really faced before. All in all, it was a great time! I had a lot of fun hanging with, and learning from a fast group of Ohio riders. I even made the finals and finished mid-pack on race day, so I was pretty stoked!
We’ll have to see about racing in 2011. I plan on doing the local DH races (V-Knob, Horns, Mohican). As well as the Windham WC and the US Open again. But beyond that, I think if I’m traveling, it’s going to be more about kicking back and enjoying the ride with few good friends on epic terrain.
So you and the guys at 331 Promotions have taken over operations at Vulture’s Knob. How is that going? It must be a load of work!
Things down at Vultures Knob are going very well! And yes, it has been a load of work for everyone involved. But all of us are very passionate about this, we do it because we love it! What a lot of people don’t realize is that Vulture’s Knob is one of only a few, privately owned mountain bike destinations, that are open to the public year round. And our goal is to make sure that we can continue to enjoy this place for many years to come.
We’ve made a ton of changes and improvements during our first 3 years of operation there. And we plan to continually add and improve the trails and features to enhance the riding experience for all abilities. Some of our visions and ideas don’t become a reality as fast as we’d like them to, but we are definitely making progress. And we haven’t had to do it alone. We’ve been extremely lucky and very grateful for all of the fine folks who have lent a hand in making all of this happen. From all of the volunteers that help out on race days and trail days. To those who have had input with course design and trail construction. As well as all of our gracious sponsors and supporters and all the open riders who donate cash when they come down for a ride. Then there’s the handful of people that keep up with general maintenance, mowing and trimming, etc. And let’s not forget about the racers that throw it all out there on race day! None of this would be possible without everybody involved!
We welcome everyone to come out and enjoy a ride, a hike, a race. You can challenge yourself on one of our many trail features, camp out with friends, compete against the areas best mountain bikers on race day, break a sweat building a new trail section, even enjoy your first mountain bike ride with your son or daughter. This place truly exists for everyone to respect and enjoy.
It was a blast to shape Vulture’s first DH line last year, and you guys really pulled out the stops when you brought the digger in, so it looks like you guys have some big plans for us adrenaline addicts at the Knob. Can you give us a hint of what’s on the horizon?
Yes, it was a blast Aaron, and I’d like to thank you for your input and efforts on this project. As you know, we are really working hard to create legitimate gravity assisted trails and features down at the Knob. We are well on our way to completing the first phase of this trail system and hope to have it open for riding by the end of April. This first trail starts at the shale pit and will finish at the oil well down near McAfee Road. It includes several berms, rollers and jumps as well as a nice rock garden and a little creek gap. We’ve been trying to get down there and put the finishing touches on it for the last several weeks, but as you know, mother nature has not cooperated. Once the season gets underway, we plan to move forward with the second phase and would hope to have it dialed in by mid-July. The second phase would include the completion of two additional lines that would offer more advanced features, such as drops and gap jumps.
After that, the sky’s the limit, really. We have plans for a slalom course, dirt jumps, Super-D and even huge slope-style features! All of this will come with time, money and effort.
So if we’ve got a bit of time, money, or effort, what’s the best way to get in touch?
We schedule several trail days throughout the year, typically in the spring and late fall. We advertise these dig days on our website, Facebook page and through Gamesnake. We like to think that when you come out and help, you’re not only giving back to the sport you love, but you’ll also receive some good ole’ trail karma!
Finally, rumor is that there is going to be some DH racing of some sort at the Knob, starting this spring – give us the scoop!
Yep, we’re going to take a shot at putting a couple of downhill races on the schedule this year. Our first will be held on Sunday May 1st, which will coincide with our first XC race of the season on April 30th. So there will be a festival of sorts going on all weekend with bike demos, kids races, camping, the Muddy Paws Bonus race and of course, our big party with bonfire, DJ and frosty beverages on Saturday night. We’ll hold the second DH race on Sunday July 17th with the idea of having a second course completed and utilized to create our Double Down event. Each racer will get to take one run on two slightly different tracks and we’ll combine the times from each run for their overall score. It’s going to be a lot of fun and shouldn’t be missed!
DH developments at the Knob
So have you seen what they’ve done at Vulture’s Knob lately? If not, then let me fill you in downhill fans, because we now have a third gravity site here in Ohio thanks to the great guys at 331 Racing.
If you’ve been to VK, then you’re probably thinking, ehhh, downhill, yeah right. Not enough vertical. And you’d almost be right. But we got creative, moved a section of the XC course, and managed to make a 1:30 track! Yes, most of the track is pretty flat and requires some pedal power, but it gets steeper when it drops into Fern Gully.
Last spring we hand built the lower half. It was pretty lame until we had a build crew out this fall to finish the berms. 331 also rented a big Bobcat for 2 days and Rick sculpted an incredible line for the top half. Rick comes from a motocross background and is an ace with heavy machinery.
That left us with a roughed out line starting at the unfinished slopestyle / dual slalom area and finishing down by the smelly oil tanks – a fair stretch. The weather turned shortly after we got the new section in, so we’ve not had the chance to properly bed in the machine built portions and shape all the jumps. We’ll finish things off once the ground thaws out. We’ll have to see what drainage is like, as the trail might not be rideable in the wet seasons.
The line starts with a blind jump into a rock garden, followed by some small jumps. The terrain forced a small uphill into the trail shortly after before you get into the middle section which has some BIG jumps. They are nearly motocross size, but are all rollable. We’ll chisel them to perfection once we see how the line is riding. The important thing is that the dirt in place. It then drops into the woods for some berms before finishing.
It’s going to be fun enough to warrant the push back up, which is steepish. But it will build your leg muscles and make you faster at the races! At this point there is not really a viable shuttle road.
Hey, it's me! Pic by Sean McDermott, mtbgeartech.com
The future? More downhill trails! We already have an expert line roughed in with flat corners down the steepest side of Fern Gully. It can be ridden by jumping off the XC trail at Oh Sh_t! And there will be room for a third trail as well, which will place Vulture’s Knob solidly on the map of gravity destinations in Ohio.
What about the slopestyle / dual slalom you ask? Well 331 guys – Mike C, Jason R, and Kevin D – do have big plans for us aggressive riding types. The master plan also includes a super-D, dirt jumps, and some big hits in the shale pit area. It’s all a matter of time, man power, and funding. The 331 guys stay very busy, so they need folks who aren’t afraid of some hard work to step up and get some things done. They can be contacted through their website: 331 Racing
