麻豆社区

Local mountain biker Justin Mullan is ensuring Mount Sima will host a downhill bike race next weekend after all.

When news broke that AFD Petroleum Ltd. was pulling its Gravity Cup event off the schedule due to a lack of chalet and chairlift, Mullan decided to take action and ensure local bikers were treated to a race.

The local ski hill operators, the Great Northern Ski Society, recently decided to close the hill and dissolve its board after city council voted down a request for $610,000 to keep the facility open.

The Gravity Cup then became the first major sporting event to be cancelled post-closure.

That is when Mullan decided to pull Sima Slamfest out of retirement.

Prior to AFD's involvement, Mullan had organized Slamfest for three years, from 2008 to 2010. The following year, Mullan handed the reins to AFD, who organized "basically the exact same event,鈥� he said.

"They changed the name and put more funding into it.鈥�

Mullan said having a race like this occur in the summer is important to the Yukon mountain bike community.

"There's not a lot of downhill events in the Yukon, and I think it's important, especially for youth,鈥� he told the Star.

"That's kind of the area where kids get interested. I think it's important that we get out there, and it gives Sima some positive exposure.鈥�

The two-day festival will run July 20 and 21, starting at 10 a.m. each day, and will feature two main races.

Despite the lack of a lift and chalet, Mullan said Slamfest will feature canopy tents and an off-road van and trailer that will transport bikers to the top of the hill.

"We've got a lot of support from within the mountain bike community,鈥� Mullan said. "It's going to be more grassroots. It won't have all the glitz that the Gravity Cup had last year ... It's more Yukon style.鈥�