Downhill dual MTB slalom event to premiere
at U.P.'s Chain Drive Fest, June 17-18
by Dean Woodbeck A downhill dual slalom on a ski hill ... Isn't that snowboarding?
No, that's mountain biking and it is one of the two new features at this year's Portage Health System Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival, which will take place June 17-18 in Hancock and Houghton, Michigan.
The dual slalom and a downhill event will premiere at Mount Ripley, the area ski hill, on Sunday, June 18.
The Chain Drive's traditional distance races, along with the Junior Chain Drive, are slated for June 17.
"We're changing the time trial to a gravity-fed event," explained Nelson Sommer-feldt, one of the Chain Drive organizers who helped dream up the event. The technical time trial, a format used for the past four years, will involve a twisting and turning singletrack with structures for stunts interspersed along the trail that drops 400 feet.
"Riders will race head to head down
a track filled with jumps, berms, skinnies, teeter-totters, bridges and a special custom-designed stunt," Sommerfeldt promised.
The most extreme line will be fastest, Sommerfeldt said. But novice riders will be allowed to roll over the stunt structures. The inclusion of two classes, beginner and sport, is meant to appeal to riders of all technical abilities.
Racers can also choose to participate in a downhill format. "The downhill is complete with tight singletrack, rippin'
open runs, big jumps and drops and technical sections," Sommerfeldt said.
The Chain Drive will again feature 16- and 32-mile point-to-point distance races on June 17. The cross-country races will begin at the Best Western Franklin Square Inn in downtown Houghton. The 10 a.m. roll-out will take riders through downtown Houghton and continue across the Portage Lake Lift Bridge.
The route takes participants to Hancock's challenging Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids trail system, with
miles of singletrack and plenty of elevation changes.
Food and other goodies will wait at the finish line – the Portage Health System campus in Hancock.
The Junior Chain Drive, for youths age 13 and under, moves to Saturday this year, with a 3:30 p.m. start at Portage Health System. Those age 7 and under will ride a half-mile nontimed race, with distances ranging from 1 to 3 miles for ages 8-13. Youths will ride on trails in the vicinity of Portage Health.
All
participants registered for Saturday's events, or for both days, will receive a free jersey. If you ride with your dad, you can sign up for the Father's Day Weekend Challenge with awards in the 16-mile and 32-mile races based on combined times.
Prizes will go to the top three finishers in each distance race category, with cash awards to the top five in the 32-mile expert category.
For more information, online registration, age categories, starting times and links to lodging
information, go to www.chaindrive.org or call the Keweenaw Convention and Visitors Bureau at 906/337-4579.
The Portage Health System Keweenaw Chain Drive promotes the sport of mountain biking through fun family events and supports trail preservation efforts throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula. All funds raised by the festival will go to trail improvement, access and acquisition projects in Houghton and Keweenaw counties.
Dean Woodbeck is the webmaster for www.KeweenawTrails.com, a website devoted to promoting silent sports in the U.P.'s Keweenaw Peninsula. | 
