Pinnacle race series to close with a bang Friday

Show up and throw down in the cross-country race

It’s been a phenomenal summer of riding so far and the Pinnacle Race Series has been there all along to give local adults and kids an opportunity to go helmet to helmet with their peers.

This Friday, August 12, the series comes to an end, closing with the final race, a cross-country. The course is set and will be an incredible tour of the trail system Crested Butte Mountain Resort has to offer.
“It’s a classic cross-country,” says Evolution Bike Park manager Christian Robertson. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The course starts by heading up the West Side Trail before heading down Primer and Meander. From there, riders will head back up Prospector and then finish with a smooth and fast descent down Columbine and Warming House Hill.
“The trails are in great shape with the rain we’ve been getting,” says Robertson.
As always, there will be the Kids Shimano event as well, with a course set for little rippers of all ages.
The evening will conclude with fantastic food and prizes for participants that night, as well as some prizes for a few individuals who have been racing all summer long.
“There’re still great prizes left,” says Laci Wright, event and sponsorship coordinator for Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
Registration for the race will be on Friday at the 9380 deck from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The race will start at or around 5:45 p.m.
While that will conclude the official Pinnacle race season, Robertson and Wright are still working on one more event to close out the summer—the Gravity Slave.
The Gravity Slave is a three-stage downhill race utilizing three separate downhill trails on the mountain. The only rule: You must use the same bike on all three courses, so while a pure downhill bike may thrive on one trail, it may slog on another.
“Choose your weapon and hope for the best,” says Robertson.
The date of the Gravity Slave has yet to be determined but it’s looking like the end of August or Labor Day weekend, or in conjunction with the Fall Festival of Beers and Chili Cook-Off on September 10.