Words & Edit by Trevor Martin
Racing dual slalom on a mountain bike represents what an “alpine coaster” tries to re-create. However there is no greater glory than racing head to head with your friends through dusty trees and floaty jumps.
Grassroots Cycles of Grand Junction, CO continues to hold one of the fastest and longest slaloms in existence. Here is a quick video highlighting the pro/amature MRP “Super Slalom” race taking place at the 2012 Grassroots Ranchstyle event. Ranchstyle is an event celebrating high excitement mountain bike competitions at a private compound comprised of countless jumps, drops and an ever growing slopestyle venue. The slopestyle is the weekends main event however the lesser known slalom is a real spectacle.
This side of the event rarely gets any glory however it’s one of the finest slalom competitions to be held within the last decade.
Two separate courses weave their own path through the pinion trees, merging together for some high speed head to head jumps then split again, not to re-join until the finish. Due to the lack of precipitation in the area, many of the corners were full of “beach-sand” ready to grab your wheels if you misjudge the corner.
Mikey Silvestry took the overall win in Pro, edging out Brian Buell in the Final.
Grassroots will be holding another slalom race in October at their annual Huck-tober Fest.
The following video if from last years Huck-tober fest…