CDC Bellingham Enduro Finale

Seth Burke makes easy work of this root section at the 2013 Cascadia Dirt Cup Bellingham Enduro

Words by Stephen Dempsey photos by Konrad

Bellingham, the perfect stage for the last of the Cascadia Dirt Cup series. Riders flocked in heavy with the parking lot filling up before the racers’ meeting at 7:45 am. The air was electric with excitement. Riders had their bikes prepped and the course dialed, with many groups pre-riding for several days before the event. The weather was perfect for the day. The temps were crisp in the morning with clouds eventually breaking to sunshine, then becoming foggy again. Volunteers ensured the Chuckanut trails just south of Bellingham were primed and ready for the riders to enjoy. Unfortunately, the beautiful views of the San Juans were spotty, for the mountains were socked-in and ominous. The showing of racers and supporters was phenomenal, with great cheering sections located all over the stages, getting riders stoked for their next descent! Regardless of the speed of their race runs, riders arrived at the finish line with pure, uninterrupted smiles. The Kulshan and Ninkasi brews made sure to dull any pain associated with the substantial amount of climbing or falls sustained during the race runs. James form CDC made sure we earned each and every descent. It was the perfect close to the series, saving the best trails for last!

Here are my race notes:

Stage 1
Two tight turns followed by a firm couple of climbs. I sure did not remember that from the last time I rode that 2 months ago. Once the downhills started, the only interruptions were in the switchbacks.

Stage 2
Totally blew up here. Crashed in the high-speed section of Madrone Crest, which set the tone for the rest of the run. Off the bike twice more made for a frustrating day.

Stage 3
Fresh cut and slick rocks. A short run, but of the most fun. Really had a good time navigating the rock slicks and chunky roots.

Stage 4
The sun was shining and the air was sweet. The most enjoyable stage of the day. Try to keep it wide open until shutting it down for the corners. Dirt was sticky and primed. Only a few roots caught you off guard and the only climb in the stage was short and sweet. Wish I could have run it again and again...

Check the final Chuckanut Results and the CDC Series Overall Standings.

The inaugural year of CDC was a huge success raising $15,000 for our beneficiaries (Cold Creek Mountain Bikers, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, Friends of Capitol Forest, Olympic Dirt Society, Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition. With a lot of momentum and knowledge gained, work has already began on 2014. A huge thanks to the hundreds of volunteers that made the series happen. It simply couldn't be done without you.