MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Spring 2018

40 ML BLUE SPRING 2018 “We tossed around format ideas with the trail crew and everyone loved the ‘jam format’ concept where all riders were given a window to get in as many timed runs as they could. We had 40 to 50 racers show up that first season which was at least double the cross-country following.” Erik Downing has witnessed first-hand the transformation of the Tuesday Night Series. He started racing the cross-country in 2012, before moving to racing downhill full time in 2015. “What piqued my interest in the Tuesday Night Series was the growth in my riding that I knew would come with grassroots racing. What has kept me interested is the organizers and the riding community surrounding it,” he says. Keith Grant came from a downhill background at the Cup level, and found the Tuesday Night Series at Blue as the shine of racing started to wear off for him. “The amount of time and energy invested versus the amount of riding you actually got to do over a race weekend [at the Ontario Cups] wasn't adding up for me anymore,” says Grant. “I found myself far more interested in just going out and riding with friends.” He adds that the Tuesday Night Series allowed him to race in a more relaxed setting. “In one evening you can get in the same amount of riding as an entire day at a bigger race weekend. And there's always time for two or three timed runs instead of only one,” he says. “The jam format allows racers to convene a bit more during the race, and if you mess up on one corner the evening isn’t a total wash.” ABOVE Ruairi Duggan,The Ridge, 2017. BELOW Jane Thomson, Fresh Air, 2017.