Mountain Biking's New Competition - The Evolution of Hard MTB League 5

BOISE, Idaho, October 20, 2024 – Spearheaded by Braydon Bringhurst (“8600FT” film subject and producer), the Hard MTB League is creating the next evolution of mountain bike competition--a new type of event, and league, that will crown the world’s best all-mountain riders.

TESTING THE PROOF OF CONCEPT

From October 23-26, 2024, ten elite riders were chosen to come ride the courses and test the feasibility of the Hard MTB League concept.

THE FORMAT

Four courses: Trail, Slalom, Downhill and Climb. Each course will take under 30 seconds to complete highlighting an explosive display of technical riding on a compact, spectator-friendly hillside. Combined time determines the overall winner.

4 NON-TRADITIONAL COURSES, ONE OVERALL TIME

At Hard MTB League, pro riders are confronted with out-of-the-ordinary obstacles on every one of the four courses–from deliberately placed logs in the apex of off-camber turns on the Raw Slalom course, to technically challenging rhythm sections with multiple options of timing and jumping on the Technical Trail, to hybrid log-and-rock-garden drop sections on the Gnar Downhill and a punishingly-difficult Climb Course–Hard MTB League is designed to be different than any traditional form of mountain bike course in existence today.

THE RIDERS AND FEEDBACK:

Conquering all facets of the sport–from winning at Red Bull Rampage to Dual Slalom and Enduro National championships and Crankworx victories–this elite group of mountain bike riders invited include Kyle Strait, Mitch Ropelato, Luca Cometti, Olivia Silva, Bas van Steenbergen, Eddie Reynolds, Amy Shenton, Austin “Bubba” Warren and April Zastrow.

WHAT IS THE PERFECT BIKE FOR HARD MTB LEAGUE?

Two categories of men’s and women’s competition: Traditional & E-bike. The perfect bike? “I’ve ridden the Hard MTB League course on my Canyon Spectral and Spectral:ONfly,” says course designer Braydon Bringhurst. “But for 2025’s events, I’ll choose the Spectral. Light weight e-bikes are amazing, but my Spectral is the fifth generation of the platform and it is absolutely the most refined MTB I’ve ever ridden in terms of balance and capability–I feel like I can climb and descend anything on the Spectral.”

HARD MTB LEAGUE: 2025

In 2025, there will be a qualifying event on May 13-17, 2025 with riders advancing to Finals on October 21-25, 2025. For 2026, Hard MTB League plans to host a multiple-event series, locations TBD.

PERMANENT HARD MTB LEAGUE COURSES

While the 2024 “proof of concept” test event was created to test the limits of professional riders, one of Hard MTB League’s goals is to create permanent courses–accessible to all skill levels–to help build the sport in fun and challenging ways.

For more information, to submit an entry for 2025 or inquire about a Hard MTB course being built in your area, visit www.HardMTBLeague.com and follow Hard MTB League’s Instagram.

• photos by Justin Olsen