North American Enduro & Rampage Prep

This past Holiday weekend was the North American Enduro Cup hosted in Kellogg, Idaho. This event is a one of the EWS ranked venues, hosting the most elite athletes from North America. The terrain and stages it holds are some of the most superb mountain biking has to offer in the north west. The racers from all around North America would only have Friday to hone in their skills and get a grasp for the seven grueling stages ahead, which would be hosted Saturday and Sunday.

KHS Pro MTB team rider Shane Leslie at in Kellogg Idaho for the North American Enduro Cup.
KHS Pro MTB team rider Shane Leslie at in Kellogg Idaho for the North American Enduro Cup.

It would be our Pro Enduro athlete Shane Leslie, who would be just coming off a practice injury with still some inflammation in his chest, but good enough to give it to go. Shane would have some work cut out for himself with all the top North American athletes racing this weekend. He would put all his effort into seven stages and over 6000ft of climbing he would come out in 11th Pl. He was still under the weather from his practice injury, and definitely is wanting to get on that podium . Shane and the rest of the team will have a week break until they head off to the Big Mountain Enduro series that will be hosted in Durango, Colorado for the third round!

KHS Pro MTB team rider Westynn Iverson getting in some practice in Virgin Utah. KHS Pro MTB team rider Westynn Iverson getting in some practice in…
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BME Round 2, Sunrise Resort, AZ

Round two of the Big Mountain Enduro series fired off at Sunrise Resort, located deep in the White Mountain Apache tribe land. The team would be competing in the Pro women’s EDR and Pro men’s EDR-E. It would be Kailey Skelton and Steven Walton holding it down for this national Enduro race. With Shane Leslie unfortunately having a practice crash just days before the event, he would be heeling up for next week’s Northwest Enduro Cup and Nate Kitchen already being over in the Austrian Alps for his junior pro World Cup debut.
KHS Pro MTB rider Steven Walton riding at Sunrise Resort in Greer Arizona at the BME.
KHS Pro MTB rider Steven Walton riding at Sunrise Resort in Greer Arizona at the BME.
There would be seven grueling stages at this weekend’s race. Saturday would entail three stages, more leaning towards back country and longer times and Sunday’s finals would be the other four stages which were shorter and more explosive stages.
KHS Pro MTB rider Kailey Skelton riding at Sunrise Resort in Greer Arizona at the BME.
KHS Pro MTB rider Kailey Skelton riding at Sunrise Resort in Greer Arizona at the BME.
Steven Walton would have three great stages and would be holding the lead going into Sunday’s finals with Kailey Skelton having some struggles and small minor crashes that would put her day one results in the top 10. With high elevations topping at 11,000 feet fitness was playing a huge part for all the athletes competing. Both athletes would be recovering for Sunday’s finals. Kaily who needed to bring back some time and Steven Walton on the…
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USDH Rd. 2 Mountain Creek

Mountain Creek bike park has been hosting the best DH events since DH history began. All three athletes Kailey Skelton, Steven Walton and Nate Kitchen would all be gunning for the top steps of the podium! After flying across the country the team would gather their bearings and build their team bikes Tuesday. Wednesday would be the official track walk for all athletes, the track was short with sections of steep rock gardens, fast ski slopes and all around a very explosive high demanding track! In most years past the track would see rain and make for slippery conditions but this year it was set to be bone dry. Day 1 practice would fire off early Friday morning with the track ever changing and the athletes finding their fastest line and running their race machines into the East Coast track. All athletes were taking well to the track and feeling confident for Saturday’s qualifying! The team couldn’t voice enough how much this overall bike park was put together and always a pleasure to ride! Saturday evening would intel of Nate Kitchen going P1 and feeling very confident for finals! Unfortunately both Kailey and Steven would suffer mechanicals and finish in the back of the pack for qualifying, but safe going into finals. Sunday finals would kickoff with Nate Kitchen dropping first for the junior Pro category with massive high hopes all maintaining his top qualifying and carrying that into finals, but unfortunately would suffer a mechanical towards the top of the track and finish 25th. It would be up to Kailey…
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Round 1 Big Mountain Enduro, MT NEBO, AK

It would bring the best North American Enduro racers from all parts of the continent to compete against each other on a very physically demanding track with weather temperatures hovering around 90° and 90% humidity with eight grueling stages divided into two days. KHS, Pro MTB would be represented in multiple categories. It would be Shane Leslie in Pro male Enduro, Kailey skeleton in Pro female Enduro, Steven Walton would be representing us in the E bike pro category and Nae Kitchen would be holding it down in the U21 Junior Pro category. Racers would arrive Wednesday to acclimate prep their bikes and get ready for a grueling two days of practice. Thursday would allow the first four stages for practice and training, the stages would be mixed conditions of pedally, slick, steep, and overall very challenging. Friday’s practice would hold the other final four stages, which were very similar in terrain. Overall it would be a very tough weekend, mainly physically demanding on the riders with such high humidity. 

Saturday was the first big day with the first four stages. A lot of action went down with the most noticeable being unfortunately, Kailey Skelton getting a flat tire and pulling out of the complete event due to her time that she had lost on that stage. It would be very hard for her to recover. Shane Leslie would have a slight crash and slot himself in eighth place going into Sunday’s finals. Nate Kitchen would have a great day sitting in six place going into his finals. And…
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