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Before the race started, Finn Matrishon was already out scouting lines on a hill section of the course.

The Grade 12 F.H.鈥圕ollins student won the first school mountain bike race of the series three weeks ago at Mount McIntyre (hosted by Acad茅mie Parh茅lie), finishing the six-kilometre course in a stunning sub-20-minutes.

He impressed race organizer Manon Aubert, who called the performance, 鈥渞eally impressive.鈥�

Matrishon, who has been biking for about six years now, was absent from the second race, which was hosted by F.H. Collins High School and took place last week at trails around Schwatka Lake.

Instead, Matrishon was on Montana Mountain during the royal visit, coaching youth with Boreal Biking.

He impressed again last night at the final race of the High School Mountain Bike Series, coming in first over two loops of the straightforward course hosted on the trails behind Porter Creek Secondary School by teacher Trena Irving.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty fun,鈥� said Matrishon after the race. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty simple like double track and stuff, but it鈥檚 pretty fun, especially with the ending rocks.鈥�

The course was actually designed last year by a teacher from Victoria, who had flagged it out and decided it was a suitable track, said Irving.

鈥淭he trails are already there. He just went out and said this would be a good course,鈥� she said.

The 12 youth who came out to race seemed to enjoy it, with younger students completing only one loop of the course, while older kids did two.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good for the schools, with the Boreal kids I coach in the summer, there鈥檚 a lot of younger kids but they don鈥檛 really have a chance to race because it鈥檚 either a big boys race or a little kids race,鈥� said Matrishon. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see high school kids getting out. It鈥檚 definitely a positive thing.鈥�

The High School Mountain Bike Series was revived this year by three teachers: Aubert, from Acad茅mie Parh茅lie, Irvine from PCSS, and Christine Kirk from F.H.鈥圕ollins Secondary School.

Irving said the race series was active from around 2007 to 2009 and then the focus shifted from racing to rides. She said some 50 kids would turn out to ride at Grey Mountain. But the trio of teachers was ready to go back to the original idea.

鈥淲e wanted to bring back the whole race factor,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun and everybody likes to go fast.鈥�

The organizers are hoping to keep the event growing next year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just the fun factor,鈥� said Irving. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to do it again next year.鈥�