Under the hot bright sun this afternoon (Aug. 26), the Dark Horse Big Air session got underway at Revelstoke Mountain Resort to wrap up a week of Dark Horse events.
Now in its third year in a row, the Dark Horse Invitational hosted by local pro, Casey Brown, has become a staple in the late summer schedule for some of the best women’s mountain bikers in the world. After a week of events for the athletes, the big air session is the major spectacle that the community gets to witness, as the riders take on the impressive Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) jump line.
After a few days of rain early in the week, the smoke in Revelstoke lifted in time to make a stunning backdrop for the riders as they took on the RMR jump line.
More than 20 riders dropped into the course for the event when things got underway at 1 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 26).
Unlike other mountain bike events, the Dark Horse Invitational is all about progression. Host, Casey Brown, talked about some of the advancement that she saw as she waited for her turn to drop in.
“Heaps of girls have done stuff that they’ve never tried before, because we have the airbag and the mulch set up. So, it’s just been a really cool opportunity for all these girls to come and grow their skill set,” said Brown.
Before the big air session got underway, Brown and the other riders had a morning session where she got the chance to push her own limits, too.
“I did some backflips to the mulch jump, which was a goal of mine. So, I’m super stoked on that,” said Brown.
In her red shirt and matching red tartan pants, Emma Olofsson was one of the busiest riders of the day, always dropping in just moments after she got back up to the top. She stopped for a moment to discuss how this year was different for her from her first Dark Horse event last year.
“I feel way more confident on the course this year,” began Olofsson, adding “last year, I was scared to hit this, and this year I wasn’t scared and definitely trying new things.”
Getting to the event wasn’t easy for Olofsson with the wildfires burning in the Okanagan. Having to change her flight from Kelowna to Vancouver, the rider had to miss the first day of the event while struggling to find a way to Revelstoke.
With the fires burning in the Okanagan, it’s a testament to the event that more than 20 riders were still able to make it out. Brown explained that in the first year, there were a dozen riders and the number of participants continues to grow.
“We’re just improving every year and growing every year,” said Brown.
Whether it’s the growth of the participants, or the rider’s growth in their skill set, the Dark Horse achieved its goal of progression once again for the third year in a row.
READ MORE: Revelstoke Market Materials: Oat Gurl
@ZacharyDelaney
zach.delaney@revelstokereview.com
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EventsMountain bikingRevelstoke
