A Day at RedBull: Outliers
By: Jordana Clark
Photos – Eden Schell
Canada’s first urban endurocross came to the city this weekend and what an event it was! If you missed it here is small run down from a spectator’s POV of what you might expect next year (although there are whispers of changes, the races are sure to be just as adrenaline-packed)…
The one no one can ignore: Weather
This year was freaking cold but it made for the most epic Canadian backdrop we could have ever asked for! Even if the event does get pushed up in the season, let’s not kid ourselves – we live in the great Canadian North anything can happen with mother nature in command.
Carnage
This year everything was coated in a nice greasing of cold wetness, just enough to make each rider check themselves at least. But even in the dry, these obstacles that came straight from the event planners mind himself, Shane Cuthbertson had each rider second-guessing their lines. Right from the practice rounds, we saw bright orange plastic flying around the track, riders crashing, bikes flipping, you name it.
Adrenaline Packed Racing
With some of Canada’s best riders in the line ups, then chalked up with bigger name pros from across the border you never really know what can happen! We saw everything from neck to neck passing to unpredictable crashes that shifted all the finisher’s placements. At the end of the day, any rider walking away with some cash and one of those rad wooden crafted medals should be proud to say they survived Canada’s first-ever urban endurocross event.
Changes
With weather came unexpected changes to the event. Right up to the last minute we saw track workers adjusting the obstacles to ensure they were actually even ridable. Wood treads and metal grates were added for traction although it didn’t seem to help keep the riders on track. They were slipping and sliding all over the place – it was a great show. Sadly with the changes came the cancellation of day 2 due to our lovely early winter. Thanks mother nature. But day 1 did what it was set out to do, prove that this could be done in Canada, dreams can be a reality and if you build it they will in fact come!
Camaraderie
Not to sound sappy, but honestly, you will never see this more than at a race full of a bunch of Canadian off-roaders. Maybe not while they are out there on the track, that’s everyone for themselves or rider supporting rider because they are just that stuck, but in the pits it really is high fives, fist bumps, last-minute bike mods and just good old fashion smiles.
…and last but not least FANS!
Heck yeah! Who doesn’t like a good ole fashion dirt bike race – in the middle of the city – in the cold and snow! Crowds of people braved the weather to come out to Canada’s first urban endurocross! Riders leaving the pits from every class were greeted with high fives and little kids looking on in admiration. The best thing about this race for the fans was that after all the work that went into making this happen, it was still free to watch. How can you argue with that?
These organizers set out with a few goals but one that was highlighted in the riders meeting, was to change the stigma non-riders have about the dirt bike community. Shane Cuthbertson instructed the riders to ride with respect and show the city what we are about. It would be safe to say that at the end of the day people left cold, bikes left broke, riders left tired but everyone left smiling and stoked on the performance they saw at Eau Claire Market on September 28th.
See you next year Outliers!
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2019 Red Bull Outliers Schell Gallery
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