The Snowies MTB Festival, held from February 7-9, has once again proven to be a successful event, drawing both participants and spectators to the Snowy Mountains from around the country.
PHOTO: Riders of all ages and skill levels enjoyed the Snowies MTB Festival CREDIT: In2Adventure
Organised by In2Adventure, the event witnessed fierce competition across various categories, showcasing both seasoned and local talent, all while providing a much needed economic boost to the area.
Event Director at In2Adventure Robyn Lazenby said while the numbers were a little down on last year, the Snowies MTB Festival was blessed with just a few spots of rain on what was a very wet day in places just down the road like Jindabyne.
“We were really happy with the numbers given the financial pressures and constraints people are experiencing with the cost-of-living,” Robyn said.
“Lot’s of businesses across the Snowy Mountains have reported a drop in numbers and it’s evidenced by the loss of some local events like the Snowies Classic, and The Australian Alpine Ascent.”
“It’s not just MTB related business though, the financial pressures are across the board, and particularly the multi day events that add additional costs like accomodation.”
“Despite the challenges we still had over 220 riders of all ages and abilities, families and groups of friends, which is what makes the event so special.”
Highlighted by the adrenaline-pumping Wild Brumby Stage Race, the festival featured five distinct stages, each offering unique challenges ranging from downhill descents to technical climbs. This year’s event attracted participants from diverse regions, with notable performances by local riders from the Jindabyne Cycling Club.
Kelsey Boreham and Nathen Berghammer delivered commendable performances, securing 10th place in the Elite category and 9th in the 50-59 category, respectively. Andrew McCosker also made his mark by finishing an impressive third in the eBike category.
Jindabyne Cycling Club described the Snowies MTB Festival as “5 stages of fun XCM racing over 3 days.”
“The weather gods smiled on us too, thanks In2Adventure for show-casing our beautiful region,” the club said.
Riders in the Elite category displayed top-tier prowess, Jon Odams from Team Giant emerged victoriously with a time of 3:18:43, closely followed by Reece Tucknott (3:20:23) and Toby Stewart (3:20:49).
The tight finish in the Elite category highlighting the event’s competitive nature with mere seconds between riders.
Michael Brown claimed victory in the eBike category for team Supavest Racing, finishing the Wild Brumby course in a time of 4:29:35. He faced strong competition from Dave Roberts of team Tiffen Cycling, who completed the course in 4:31:32.
The Snowies MTB festival isn’t just about the Elite riders though according to Robyn Lazenby, and the best part about the event is the focus on families having fun.
“The most heart warming moment of the weekend was watching fathers with sons, mothers with daughters, just families getting out on the track and having a go,” she said.
“One father got his son going on the bike and after a few runs round the track he was out in front saying ‘I’m going Dad’.”
Local charity The Fly Program ride the Snowies MTB Festival to further support Men’s mental health.
A spokesperson for the charity saying, “We want to make a massive congratulations to everyone in this team who wore The Fly Program colours for the last three days, racing over 110km of Snowy Mountain trails all with the goal of supporting more men onto programs through our scholarship fund.”
“These men and the many generous gift givers have raised over $15,000.00 through their efforts that will see those funds directly support more men onto life-changing retreats.”
PHOTO: The Fly Program team members CREDIT: The Fly Program
Winners of the Annual team Crate Race, were Supavest Racing, the event which is contested for a crate of beer highlighting another iconic weekend of MTB racing and fun in the Snowy Mountains.