Gravity East Series Comes to Highland MTB Park
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (derailedonline.com) - What would you do if you suddenly had the means to indulge your passion for cycling? No doubt, every rider has done some “window shopping” for dream bikes that they couldn’t afford. But when Mark Hayes found himself in just that position following the sale of a family business, he didn’t just buy a mountain bike. He bought a mountain.
On July 11 and 12, New Hampshire’s Highland Mountain Bike Park will be invaded by the fastest gravity racers in North American as it hosts both the Gravity East Downhill Series and the Gravity East e.thirteen Dual Slalom series. It’s only fitting that Highland Mountain hosts the largest gravity racing series in North America. With new additions and continued expansion, the focus of Highland Mountain’s staff and management is on building a world class bike park that changed the way East Coast riders perceive lift accessed mountain biking.
To be sure, Highland Mountain Bike Park changes every year. But it is almost unrecognizable from the dilapidated remnants of the Highlands Ski Area that greeted Hayes and riding buddy- turned-business partner Will Gaudette when they started in 2003. According to the New England Lost Ski Area Project (www.nelsap.org), Highlands Ski Area opened in the mid-1960’s, although the mountain was known to have been used for skiing as far back as the 1930’s. Skiing continued through major expansions in the 1980’s until closing somewhat mysteriously in 1995 as a result of, “a broken snowmaking system and due to the worst winter in the Northeast's history.”
Relying on the “one passion” that continues as the park’s motto to this day. Hayes, Gaudette and their staff, riders all, revitalized the facilities, dropped skiing from the program and set about turning Highland Mountain into one of the most well known and active mountain bike parks in North America. The 2009 season features no less that 17 different races and jump contests, countless photo ops and 15 MMR staffed camps in addition to July’s Gravtiy East weekend. It may be one passion, but lift-assisted mountain biking comes in many different flavors and sizes says Hayes, “Highland truly is a place for beginner to advanced level riders. Many of the pictures and video, online or in print, make it appear that we’re too extreme for the masses. This is just not true. We have something for everybody. Hosting a Gravity East race weekend is just one more way for us to reach out to new riders. Hopefully these new riders will spread the word that Highland has a lot to offer in lift access riding.”
More information on the Gravity East Downhill and e.thirteen Dual Slalom race weekend can be found at either www.HighlandMountain.com, www.GravityEastSeries.com or by calling Highland Mountain Bike Park at (603) 286-7677. Highland Mountain Bike Park is located just off Highway 93 in the central New Hampshire town of Northfield, approximately 90 minutes northwest of Boston.
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Posted on Jul 6, 2009 15:36:56 -0400 by Brady.