Kurt Gensheimer
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The inaugural CCOR was epic from beginning to end
by Kurt Gensheimer

Better Trail Brian Geddy

After a 22 mile climb racers were treated to amazing views. Photo: Brian Leddy

The inaugural Carson City Off-Road was held on June 17-19, and judging by the sellout crowd and smiles all over Nevada’s Capitol City, the event was a huge success for this historic frontier town only a 20-minute drive from the emerald shores of Lake Tahoe.

The city fully embraced the event put on by Epic Rides, an event management organization based out of Tucson, Ariz., known widely for good times on knobby tires like the Whiskey Off-Road and the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. The Carson City Off-Road was the final stop in the three event Off-Road Series, including the Whiskey Off-Road held in April and the Grand Junction Off-Road held in May. The $100,000 cash purse for Pro Men and Women is the most lucrative in American mountain biking, and over the course of the three events, overall Off-Road Series Pro Female champion Rose Grant took home a grand total of $15,500; not a bad payout for three days of work.

More notable was the positive economic impact the event had on Carson City, with hundreds of local and out-of-town mountain bikers patronizing local restaurants, bars, hotels and other stores throughout the weekend. The city was ecstatic with how successful the event was in its first try, and is looking forward to next year already.

โ€œThe inaugural Carson City Off-Road exceeded every expectation in regards to number of participants, community support and overall acceptance in the region for this event,โ€ said Joel Dunn, Executive Director at Carson City Visitor’s Bureau. โ€œThe positive feedback of how good the course was pays tribute to all those hours dedicated by our trailbuilders.โ€

The Carson City Off-Road featured 15-, 35- and 50-mile options, with the 15-mile doing a loop on the King’s to Ash Canyon trail, and both the 35- and 50-mile backcountry events climbing all the way to the top of Marlette Peak on the iconic Tahoe Rim Trail โ€“ nearly 20 miles and 4,000 vertical feet of climbing โ€“ before descending back towards Carson City. The course offered stunning views of both Marlette Lake and Lake Tahoe, and with somewhat windy and cold weather for Saturday’s amateur events, the experience was made all-the-more memorable. Add in a snow drift the size of a football field that people had to run across, and the day could easily be regarded by many as an epic ride.

Photo of the ASJ booth. Photo by Matt Niswonger

Photo of the ASJ booth. Photo: Matt Niswonger

Events like this make people happy! Photo: Matt Niswonger

Events like this make people happy! Photo: Matt Niswonger

Katerina Nash brings it to this inaugural event. Photo: Matt Niswonger

Katerina Nash brings it to this inaugural event. Photo: Matt Niswonger