Snowmass NORBA National - Day 1

Thursday marked the first day of competition at the Snowmass NORBA National in Snowmass Colorado. The event opened with the Marathon event where racers ran 2 laps of 25 miles each with a total of 7600 vertical feet of climbing. Are these people human?

Thursday also marked the first day of practice on the cross country, and downhill courses. The cross country racers are racing different numbers of laps on the same 7.4 mile course with 1400 feet of climbing per lap. The number of laps raced depends on the racing class of the rider.

Both of the Snowmass downhill courses are relatively tame. The beginner/sport course is decidedly more fun, with more cornering and a bit less brake bumps. The pro/expert course is more open and high speed, with one technical chute and plenty of brake bumps and dust puddles.