2018 Kamikaze Bike Games Enduro Stage Descriptions
Words by Michele Charboneau with Matt Guntert, Brianne Spiersch, and Julie Kanagy
Photos by Kasey Carames
Note:
Expert /Pro riders raced in order: Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (Expert/Pro only)
Beginner/Sport riders raced in this order: Stage 3, 4, 1, 2
Stage 1: Brake Through/Flow/Smooth Operator
After a pedal transfer to the top of Stage 1, riders headed out on Brake Through, a rocky yet fun traverse across part of the mountain. Part way down this run, riders veered off the trail to cut through the Chair 20 face, an extremely steep and loose chunder field. It’s no picnic once through this challenging section onto Flow as it’s a straight shot through a gnarly rock garden (go around option available). The terrain on Flow is different from the typical “kitty litter” on most of Mammoth’s other trails; pumice mixed with dirt makes for a powdery and drifty run through tight, tree-lined singletrack. A wood ramp – known as Flow Drop – allowed for a long launch or low send into a super high speed shred; a go-around option was also available. Riders who chose to take Flow Drop had the potential to save up to eight seconds on their run. Shortly after Flow Drop, riders took on a log roller to a wall ride and plenty of jumps along the way. From the bottom of Flow, it was a sprint up to Smooth Operator, a fast jump trail that culminated in a section of slippery, porous reddish dirt.
Stage 2: Upper Skid Marks/Roma’s Road/Bridge the Gap/Lower Skid Marks/Lincoln Express/Follow Me
It was a pedal and lift transfer to the top of the mountain for Stage 2, where riders got a good taste of the gusty winds and austere moonscape Mammoth is well known for. Riders struggled to stay on line as they took on Upper Skid Marks with its exposed technical switchbacks and sprints out of moondust corners. They then veered off Skid Marks part way down to hit up Roma’s Road, a very exposed and windy fire road that challenged riders to stay upright. Once pointed down, it was a straight, fast rip to the bottom, then a singletrack traverse back to Lower Skid Marks on Bridge the Gap. Riders got into the flow on this mellow singletrack, then took on the tricky Lincoln Express, a tight, narrow traverse bench cut into the slope. As if exposed and narrow wasn’t enough, riders had the added challenge of navigating between tight trees and rocks. Lincoln Express ends on a little punchy climb, then it was a quick hard turn onto Lower Follow Me, a smooth track boasting whoop after whoop to the Follow Me downhill section at the top of Chair 8. Steep and dusty, this section is a charge through rock gardens and trees on dirt unlike much else on the mountain. Riders exited down a steep rooty bit that’s the cherry on top of this burly stage.
Stage 3: Sunset Strip/Velocity/Twilight Zone
Another pedal and lift transfer, this stage dropped riders onto Sunset Strip’s series of exposed switchbacks before shooting them into the trees on Velocity. This highly anticipated challenging run got progressively rockier until riders faced a series of stair steps that shot them into a steep downhill rock garden. The bottom rock launched riders off a drop onto a wooden ramp that ended in a sandpit followed by a wooden wall ride (for those who could maintain momentum through the sand anyway!). From there, it was another rocky section, where riders had the option of several different lines. The smoothest, fastest line took riders right along “The Spine” of this rock section and over a healthy gap between rocks. A couple of go-around options were available; either ride around the rocks but navigate a nasty root, or bypass the entire technical section. Sport/Beginner riders had go-around option that bypassed the entire rocky section. The stage continued with a fun bermy paver section with tabletops, followed by a wooden bridge hugging the side of the hill with a drop off to the right, then a series of tables and rollers to the finish.
Stage 4: Kamikaze/Shock Treatment (Exp/Pro only)/White Bark/Richter
A pedal and lift took riders back to the very top of the mountain for this stage … and down the legendary Kamikaze – a ridiculously fast and furious fire road descent on which speeds of up to 55 MPH on enduro bikes have been clocked. Savvy racers set up nice and high for the corners and were strategic with braking on this track. While Sport and Beginner riders continued on Kamikaze to White Bark, Pro and Expert riders veered off Kamikaze to pick up Shock Treatment, a short but sweet, steep and deep pumice field that threw in rock garden corners to keep riders on their edge. White Bark put ear-to-ear grins on exhausted riders with its flowy contours and ideally positioned paver berms. Those grins temporarily disappeared as riders sprinted a climb of approximately 50 vertical feet before hitting up Richter where the stoke happily returned as riders dropped into “S” paver turns then crossed Kamikaze onto a rocky pumptrack-type run. Back for a sec on Kamikaze, it was an uphill sprint to a step-up then a return to Richter for a fabulous root- and jump-filled stage finish.
Stage 5: Chain Smoke
Pro and Expert riders took a lift to their final stage of the day — the demanding and technical Stage 5. Ten seconds out of the gate, riders took on a puzzling rock garden which offered a multitude of options. The day’s fastest riders took the steepest, roughest, most direct lines, while others chose longer options that although still challenging were a bit safer to navigate. As riders raced towards the finish, they encountered one more “stepped” rock feature — again with several line options — before the final crescendo into Mammoth’s signature “Rock Waterfall,” an intimidating rock roll. A go-around line was followed by a hesitant few, but many riders overcame fear and successfully tackled the surprisingly forgiving obstacle. With the “Big 3” obstacles complete, racers negotiated the final berms, high speed boards and table tops to a grueling finish line sprint that left many a racer completely gassed after an incredible stage.
