Blue Mountain, Ontario gets race on 2017 North American Enduro Tour
Seventh season of NAET features six events all of which are Enduro World Series qualifiers
The North American Enduro Tour (NAET) announced the 2017 schedule on Friday, Feb. 3 with a calendar that ventures across North America all the way east to Blue Mountain in Ontario. Events will also be held in the Fraser Valley, B.C., features a double header in B.C.’s Sea to Sky corridor with the Whistler Spring Classic and The Gryphon in Squamish B.C. and wraps up with rounds in Winter Park, Colorado and Kamikaze Bike Games in Mountain, California.
“NAET focuses its energy on bringing North American racing to the next level and we’re really trying to reach as many communities as possible to help racers and the enduro scene grow,” said Darren Kinnaird, NAET General Manager. The tour is considered a feeder for the Enduro World Series
The series begins at Vedder Mountain in Chilliwack situated an hour east of Vancouver for the Fraser Valley Enduro on May 7 which is the first event in the MEC Canadian National Enduro Series. The course is knowns for long flowy routes down the mountain that test riders endurance.
The next two stops are also in B.C. with the Whistler Spring Classic on May 27 and 28 which features rooty and potentially snowy singletrack and some of the worlds most sought after technical riding. The event for the first time spans two days and with the U.S. Memorial Day long weekend hopes to draw one of the seasons biggest events. The series continues in Squamish for five-stage The Gryphon Enduro on June 10 with the Howe Sound as a stunning scenic backdrop.
The fourth stop takes the series to new stomping grounds at Blue Mountain, Ont. situated two hours north of Toronto on the shores of Georgian Bay. It is the second event on the MEC Canadian National Enduro Series and will be hosted by the Eastern Canada’s Gravity Park on June 25.
“This race is expected to push boundaries with five to seven stages of rowdy downs and old-school classic climbs,” said Ted Morton, BC and National Enduro Series race director. “The race community has been asking for a stop out east and we’re excited to be able to make it happen,”
BME Winter Park in Colorado brings the series to the Colorado Rockies on July 8 and Mammoth Mountain, California hosts the final event on Sept. 17 with the Kamikaze Bike Games. The event also hosts a two-day 600-athlete enduro race which is part of the California Enduro Series.
“There is a great amount of momentum with the NAET/EWS. We are proud to partner with the series and be the host locations for the finals,” said Bill Cockroft, senior vice president, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.
Each stop on the NAET is a qualifier for the Enduro World Series meaning that racers accumulate points towards entry into the top series for 2018.
NAET 2017 Schedule
May 7 – Fraser Valley Enduro, Chilliwack, B.C.
May 27-28 – Whistler Spring Classic, Whistler, B.C.
June 10 – The Gryphon, Squamish B.C.
June 25 – Blue Mountain Enduro, Blue Mountain, Ont.
July 8 – BME Winter Park, Winter Park, Colorado
Sept. 17– Kamikaze Bike Games, Mammoth, California
