At points even walking the Gravity Nationals racecourse at Beech Mountain can be difficult. But those are the places most downhill mountain bikers would catch air as they push their limits on the narrow, mostly wooded track that traverses about a mile in less than 2 minutes and shaves off almost 850 vertical feet of elevation as it winds down to the finish line at the resort below.
More than 300 riders made the quick descent last year and race organizers expect an even bigger turnout July 18-22, when the Gravity Nationals return for the second straight year to Beech Mountain, an apt location since the small North Carolina town claims the distinction of being the highest town in Eastern America.
“We have riders qualifying from all over the country. We have some really good racers at the pro level and juniors as well,” says Kelli Lusk, national events director for USA Cycling. “We’ll have people that ride in the World Cup. We’ll have many of our top riders there. It’s really cool because we have so much going on.
“Both the downhill and the dual slalom are really fun to watch,” says Lusk. “It’s a great spectator sport because you’re constantly seeing different riders go down – every 30 seconds you’re seeing these racers hit the course.”
Traditionally people think of New England, California or Colorado for these big downhill events, but Lusk says last year when the race made its first-ever appearance in the South, the terrain at Beech Mountain Resort introduced a world of riders to the bumpy challenges of mountain tracks in the Southeast.