The folowing photo's provided by our amazing photographer Reilly Kintzele of Reil Shift Media!
With the season winding down the NW Cup made it's 6th stop at the rocky slopes of Stevens Pass. As this race fell on the same weekend as National Champs it made for a less competitive turn out. We saw this as a perfect opportunity to capitalize on some solid results. With Trevor in 1st, Victor in 2nd and Evan in striking distance of the top 3 the new team goal was now all about claiming a 1-3 overall finish for the season, in whichever order they fell.
Upon arriving Friday morning we were greeted with some much welcomed rain. It had been 2 months since moisture had graced the tracks at Stevens, and needless to say it was long overdue. The result, a near perfectly tacky track. One that was filled with a multitude of line choices, something the 2 previous NW Cup venues lacked. So with line choice comes experimentation, and after a long day of track walks and shred sessions, we headed down the mountain to the Tye River to set up camp site for the weekend.
Saturday brought the heat. The tacky goodness from the day before had quickly become the dust that all Northwestern's fear. Good thing we have a lone Cali rider on our team in the form of Evan Geankoplis. As we took to the hill late in the afternoon, our "experimental" lines became solidified and it was time to pick up the speed. Gapping sections of trail became the trend and the phrase "inside line" applied to almost every corner. And because each of us have such different riding styles, we all played a part in finding the fastest route down the track.
Like many Sundays this season, the Team was ready to do business. As we took to the hill for qualifying the plan was a freehub sweep. Which would have nearly happened if not for Victor suffering a flat tire at the top of his run. But in true "Sick Vic" fashion he was ready to skunk us all in finals. The downtime between qually's and finals was filled with leisurely chairlift rides up and down the mountain, providing a chance to heckle racer's below. Trevor and I decided to take a warm up run down the "Lychin It" trail to get our flow on. After getting our mind right we made it to the top just in time to see our teammate Victor take off for his run. Unfortunately he suffered yet another flat atop the course and his skunking mission was ended. Needless to say he will return to the 7th round with a vengeance. I also had a mishap of my own about mid way down the track, sliding out and adding to my resume of terrible race runs. But it wasn't over for Freehub. Trevor tore down the track and took over the hot seat. Now all eyes were on Evan and the #1 seed of Kevin Littlefield. As expected Rev came flying across the finish line after having the run he was looking for. Soon after, Littlefield came coasting across the line after suffering a dislocated shoulder mid run and had to bow out. It appeared to be a Freehub 1-2. But once the timing was sorted it was rookie pro Kent Billingsly that took the unexpected win with Evan and Trevor right behind him. A bitter sweet moment as both guys wanted their first win.
After 6 great races at the NW Cup the team now shifts its gears to Crankworx where Victor, Evan, Britney and myself will compete in multiple events all week long. As well as Mont Saint Anne, Quebec where Trevor will make his World Cup debut. This will be our first chance since the "Underworld Cup" to compete in a proper international field! Send the shred vibes our way and stay tuned!
- Lando
RACE RESULTS
Evan Geankoplis- 2nd place
Trevor Parson- 3rd place
Victor Smith- Mechanical
Matt Orlando- Crash Out
Britney White- 2nd place
We would like to thank our Sponsors:
Transition Bikes, Race Face Components, Royal Racing, Smith Optics, Five Ten Footwear, Continental Tires, SR Suntour, Park Tool, Voke Tab, One Ball Jay, Answer Products, and last but certainly not least Shuttle Nuts Bike Racks.
Special thanks to the NW Cup for hosting the most badass race series in existence.
