Massanutten's Summer of Championship Mountain Biking

Press Release: May 3, 2010; Conshohocken, PA, USA

Massanutten Resort in McGaheysville, Virginia, is an increasingly visible part of the national mountain bike scene. The 4-season resort has planned a summer of championship mountain biking this year, playing host to both the Gravity East season opener and the final the U.S. Cup H2O Overdrive Triple Crown on Father's Day weekend, June 19-20.

Hoo-Ha! photo by J.R. Petsko . iPlayOutside

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Massanutten is located just 10 miles off of I-81 in the breathtaking Shenandoah Valley near the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. But while Civil war buffs tour battlefields and wine enthusiasts drink local wines, the four-seasons resort at Massanutten has been quietly building a reputation for bike riding and racing for over 15 years.

As the resort's cycling director, George Willets, said last year, "You can count the number of mountains in the world that have hosted both Downhill Mountain Bike World Cups and mountain-top road stage wins by Lance Armstrong on one hand; and probably still have enough fingers left over to hold a beer."

What started out as two small, oddly-named races for local riders have morphed into hugely important national-caliber races for both the gravity and cross country disciplines as Massanutten's management, many of them mountain bikers themselves, have gradually increased the priority of the Resort's races with increased staffing and budgets.

Yee-Ha! photo by Don Parks . iPlayOutside

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The Yee-Ha! Downhill, scheduled this year for April 30-May 1, has become the traditional season-opener for the increasingly important Gravity East Downhill Series. Taking place in the woods and boulder gardens next to the Resort's ski slopes, the Yee-Ha! annually sends an international field of competitors down a course once used in the World Cup series.

But this year, Massanutten's other annual mountain bike race weekend has also achieved national prominence as the 22nd annual Hoo-Ha! Cross Country and Super D races on Father's Day weekend June 19-20 will be this year's final race for the U.S. Cup Triple Crown of Mountain Biking presented by H2O Overdrive.

Professional racers in the Triple Crown will compete in three disciplines at Massanutten: Cross Country, Short Track and the Super D downhill time trial.

Also on the program is a huge program for regional racers who will compete in the accompanying amateur Super D, XXC endurance and Kenda Cup cross country races. In addition, regional racers will be competing for points in the new Mid Atlantic Racing Championship (MARC).

All of the weekend's races will share a common finish/parking/camping area near the village of Keezletown Virginia at the base of the western slope, where Massanutten owns 2,500 acres covered with over 25 miles of mountain bike trails that have been built to satisfy riders all ability levels, from Pros and Experts to novices using bikes from Massanutten's own rental fleet.

Yee-Ha! photo by Don Parks . iPlayOutside

The event starts with Massanutten's classic Super D on Saturday. Using a time-trial format, the Super D starts at the 2,400 foot overlook and sends rider on a 900 foot vertical drop cross country plummet to the finish.

Later in the afternoon and into the evening, a pro-only Short Track will take place as the second part of the US Cup Triple Crown, giving spectators a chance to see the stars up close and personal while giving pro riders another shot of the huge Triple Crown cash payout.

Sunday's Hoo-Ha! Cross County will start with the XXC endurance race at 9:00, followed shortly by the start of Category 3-4 race and Kid's Fun Races.

The Hoo-Ha itself will start at 11:30 with Pros getting their last shot at points and prize money in the 2010 US Cup H20 Overdrive Triple Crown National Championship and amateurs competing simultaneously in the Kenda Cup Qualifier to secure a starting place in the Specialized Invitational Finals September 11-12 in Bonelli Park, California.

More information about championship mountain bike racing at Massanutten Resort, including lodging information and links to on-line registration, can be found under the "Events" tab at www.MassResort.com.

Press Contact Information:

Gravity East
SpectaSport LLC; KenG@SpectaSport.com
Ken Getchell, Account Manager, 610-397-1950