After a weekend away in Marlborough the Top of the south Downhill Series returned to Nelson and the Longest Downhill track in New Zealand – Fringe DH.
The Weekend Began with a track walk and lines clinic with Kieran Bennett who kindly spent two and a half hours of his Saturday morning showing a bunch of groms and not so groms faster ways down the hill.
Explanation.
Demonstration.
Practice shuttles were run all Saturday afternoon so racers could get some more time on track. It was warm and sunny and the track was in perfect condition after a week of sunshine and after a few runs swept the rubble off the surface was running sweet.
As it got dark on Saturday night the rain began and it continued for most of the night before clearing before dawn leaving us crystal clear blue skies but lots of fog hanging around keeping the moisture pinned down. First runs in the morning were a very sloppy mess.
Race organiser Hamish Berkett tries not to get distracted by the view.
After a slippery sloppy morning the track began to dry out and by race runs was running perfect. Kieran Bennett and Emma Bateup seeded fastest but the others were chomping at their Heels.
Kieran Bennett
Emma Bateup
Race runs were a slightly different story. Emma’s 7.11.47 Beat out a charging Deanna Elvines by three seconds. But in the Mens Guy Gibbs managed to sneak under the 5 minute barrier with a 4.59.16 to beat Kieran Bennet’s 5.05.11 though KB crashed on the Big old rootball about half way down.
Josh Clarke
Reuben Bensemann
Wizard of DME course creation Brendan Morton laying it in.
Jonas Meier.
The series now takes a weekend off before returning to Marlborough on the 8th of July for the season finale at Justin Leov’s Jentree farm in the Taylor valley.
Full results are available here (pdf)
