Round two of the Pro Downhill National Series roared into action at the legendary Mountain Creek Bike Park in Vernon, New Jersey. With over two decades of history, this venue is considered one of the top downhill spots in the U.S., and it did not disappoint.
KHS Pro MTB rider Shane Leslie on track at the second stop of the National downhill series at Mountain Creek NJ.
In the Elite Men’s category, Shane Leslie represented the team with a strong performance, securing an impressive top-20 finish. Remarkably, this was Shane’s first time back on a downhill bike in over five years, and he was quickly finding his pace. This return to form bodes well for his future in Enduro, where we expect him to be a serious podium contender.
KHS Pro MTB rider McKenna Merten on track at the second stop of the National downhill series at Mountain Creek NJ.
Our Elite Women also delivered stellar results, with both Bella Nodding and McKenna Merten holding it down. McKenna powered her way to an 11th-place finish, while the weekend’s big headline was Bella claiming 3rd place—earning a podium spot for both herself and the team.
KHS Pro MTB rider Bella Naughton on the podium at the second stop of the National downhill series at Mountain Creek NJ.
With some of the world’s best international downhill racers in attendance, this national round was a major success and a proud moment for the entire team. Next up, we shift gears and head to Round One of the Big Mountain Enduro Series, taking place just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Stay tuned!
Pro Downhill Series Round 2 was last modified: May 14th, 2025 by Flick
The KHS Pro MTB team has had a strong start to the 2025 season, having already completed two national events and showcasing impressive performances across both. With riders fine-tuning their skills and strategies.
KHS Pro MTB rider Bella Naughton in the hot seat at the Tennessee National held in Windrock.
“The Tennessee National at Windrock Bike Park was awesome, the course was fast and technical with a lot of big features at the bottom. The women’s field was so stacked with people from all over the world including many top World Cup racers.” -McKenna Merten
KHS Pro MTB rider Bella Naughton at the Tennessee National held in Windrock.
Three days after the team finished up in Tennessee, they were off to the first stop of the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series at Ride Rock Creek.
KHS Pro MTB rider McKenna Merten at the Tennessee National held in Windrock.
“I was excited for this race as the weather was awesome and I was building more confidence on the bike. The track was gnarly and high speed with lots of lines to figure out.” Bella Naughton
KHS Pro MTB rider McKenna Merten out on the track at the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series at Ride Rock Creek.
The KHS Pro MTB team has had a strong start to the 2025 season, having already completed two national events and showcasing impressive performances across both. With riders fine-tuning their skills and strategies, the team is now focused on the upcoming Sea Otter Classic this weekend in Monterey, California. The Sea Otter Classic, a premier event in the cycling world, offers a mix of thrilling competitions and an expansive expo, making it a crucial point in the season for the team to continue building momentum. As they head into this iconic race, the KHS Pro MTB team is ready to compete, connect with the cycling community, and set the stage for the rest of the 2025 season.
Race Season is Back! was last modified: April 8th, 2025 by Flick
Round 3 of the Big Mountain Enduro Series took place at Sunrise Park Resort in Arizona. This venue is always a proper enduro, racing above 11,000ft on long physical downhills. Day 1 started with an hour and a half pedal to get to the backcountry where we raced two brutal but super fun raw stages before heading back to the bike park for the last stage of the day.
KHS Pro MTB rider Bella Naughton takes 3rd place at round 3 of the Big Mountain Enduro series at Sunrise Resort, Az.
Day 2 was mostly in the bike park with 4 top to bottom stages that really got the arms pumping and tested all the fitness that I had left after day 1. I was happy to get a stage win on stage 6! After 40+ minutes of racing I finished 3rd overall in Pro Women. I am motivated to continue to improve and get faster. Next up for the team is the North American Enduro Cup in Kellogg, Idaho! -Isabella Naughton
KHS Pro MTB rider Bella Naughton on the course at the 3rd stop of the Big Mountain Enduro series that was help at Sunrise Resort, Az.
Sunrise BME is a great venue with a mix of raw bike park stages and “rough cut” backcountry stages. 2 physical days of racing at elevation on long rough tracks make for tough weekend. I was very excited for a dry race close to home. Day one started with two back country stages that I finished 3rd on both to start the day.
KHS Pro MTB rider Jackson Wicklund takes 3rd place at round 3 of the Big Mountain Enduro series at Sunrise Resort, Az.Screenshot
Then e-bikes went straight into an uphill “power stage” that was a very steep hill climb with log and rock obstacles. We Ended the day with a top to bottom bike park stage that I finished 2nd on. With all stages raced on day one I finished the day in 3rd place 15 seconds away 2nd place. Going into day two I was planning on pushing hard to get into 2nd place.
KHS Pro MTB rider Jackson Wicklund on the course at the 3rd stop of the Big Mountain Enduro series that was help at Sunrise Resort, Az.
The day consisted of 3 bike park stages, 1 backcountry stage and 1 uphill stage. I ended up getting 3, 2nd place stage finishes but didn’t quite make up the time I needed. I’m happy with how I was riding on the second day and to finish the weekend healthy in 3rd place.
KHS Pro MTB rider McKenna Merten on the course at the 3rd stop of the Big Mountain Enduro series that was help at Sunrise Resort, Az.Screenshot
I was very happy with how my new SR Suntour suspension paired with Kenda tires handled the dry rough stages. I was running a new Duralux 38 fork with 170mm of travel and a Kenda pinner up front and the new Black Diamond tire in the rear. -Lucas Cowan
KHS Pro MTB rider McKenna Merten takes 3rd place in the women’s downhill at round 3 of the Big Mountain Enduro series at Sunrise Resort, Az.Screenshot
Super fun weekend with the team! Stoked to finish third in my first Big Mountain Downhill race on a really technical and physical course. Overall a great weekend of racing and cheering on everyone in the Enduro. Thanks to the KHS Pro Team and co-sponsors for the support and helping me chase my dreams each weekend!
–McKenna Merten
Big Mountain Enduro Rd 3, Sunrise Az. was last modified: June 14th, 2024 by Flick
I had a great time at Rock Creek for the first-ever Monster Pro Downhill Series race this past weekend. I drove into North Carolina on Thursday and headed up for a track walk while Jon at SR Suntour serviced my fork for a big weekend of racing. Scoped out all the different sections and lines and was so excited to get on track the next day.
KHS Pro MTB rider McKenna Merten at the Monster Downhill series round one.
On Friday morning, we practiced bright and early in the morning. Did a solid six laps learning and dialing in the course. The race track was running so well; there were a lot of technical rock sections mixed with fresh cut steep loam bits and quite a few fun features throughout the track; Neko Mulally and the guys at Rock Creek did an awesome job at putting a killer race course together for us. I chilled the rest of Friday, knowing we had a lot of work to do on the weekend. We went to the mountain on Saturday morning, got another four solid laps in on the course, and went right into seeding afterward.
KHS Pro MTB rider McKenna Merten at the Monster Downhill series round one.
I had a good and smooth seeding run, which slotted me into seventh place. Race day came before I knew it, and I couldn’t wait to see what I could do racing against some of the best ladies in the world. Got a few good practice runs in and waited for my drop time. I did my pre-race warm-ups, and then it was go time. By the end of the weekend, the course was a little blown out, so I felt pretty loose in my race run but held it together enough for a solid sixth place, only 0.2 seconds off of a podium spot and beating my seeding time by over a second.
KHS Pro MTB rider McKenna Merten crossing the finish line at the Monster Downhill series round one.
Tight times across the board, but I am very happy with my progress and performance. Working and training hard every day and being that close to some of the top girls in the world feels good. I am so excited to head out to the Sea Otter Classic in a week and do some dual slalom racing. Thank you so much to the KHS Pro MTB team and all the cosponsors for the support. My bike and entire setup is perfect, and I am so happy and lucky to be a part of such an awesome team.
Monster Pro Downhill Round 1 with McKenna Merten was last modified: April 10th, 2024 by Flick
