Only a few days before the 1st ever Kona Mash-Up event kicks off at the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre in Afan Forrest, Wales on Saturday the 30th August 2008.
The brand new Kona Mash-Up is coming closer and closer and is inviting riders across the board to join this unique challenge on the 30th August at the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre in Afan Forrest. From XC whippets to the most technically gifted downhill riders and every breed of trail warrior in-between the Mash-Up breaks down traditional riding boundaries, encouraging a step out of regular comfort zones to go against the clock on seminal sections of Glyncorrwg's trails.
Confused? Let us explain – the concept:
For the Kona Mash-Up we will be using the Whites Level and the July Trail (part of the Skyline trail) at the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre near Part Talbot, Wales. On the two trails we will have chip activated timed sections set up. Most of these are on the much loved swoopy single track and downhill sections plus one on the uphill sections of the Whites Level trail. Riders go through these sections as fast as they can with their accumulated time determining their position within the event. Besides going for the fastest overall time riders will also compete against all other riders (no matter what category) for the fastest time in individual sections – so an XC rider who entered the Enduro Category (see below) might be hot on the heels of the local downhill specialist on some of the single track sections. The in-between sections can be ridden at ease or even walked if you prefer – no rush.
A little more detail - the categories:
Enduro - you have to ride the Whites Level loop (excluding the black run) plus the July trail (total riding distance approx. 40km) and your time will be taken on all the timed sections. So you will be timed on a climb and the several single track and downhill sections.
Technical - you have to ride the Whites Level loop (including the black run) but your time will only be taken on the single track sections and the downhill sections. You are still riding (or pushing) up the climb but the time that takes you is completely irrelevant for your overall time.
Age restriction:
Due to the enormous amount of requests we have had from younger riders we have now lowered the age limit to 16 years rather than originally 18 years. So if you are a young up-and-coming trail warrior then come along and join the Kona Mash-Up and go for the Mini Masher.
The supporters:
Kona Bicycles the main power behind the Mash-Up will be on site with a selection of their latest test bikes. Fronted by the latest Kona Magic Link range (
www.konaworld.com/08_tech_magic.htm) the guys will bring a selected range of the finest Kona machines out there for you to take out on the challenging courses around the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre. Besides that, we will have Torq on site looking after the riders with feeding stations, special offers and lots of advice how to get the most out of your training and energy food intake. We will also have a Cycle-Ops warm-up corner in the start and finish area, as well as up on Windy Point (start of the Black Run) so that riders can hit the timed section properly fired up. Skyline Cycles, Sombrio, Torq, Saris, CycleOps, Sun Ringle, Pro-Tec and MBUK are supporting the event alongside Kona Bicycles, and will all contribute to the huge prize fund.
Entries and Camping:
Entries to the event have been going strong, and in particular the last couple of weeks have been very busy. However there are still places in both categories up for grabs, and we also have plenty of camping space available around the Mountain Bike Centre. At the moment it looks unlikely that we will have entry on the day so make sure that you get your entry in as soon as possible. Please be aware that there may be few days delay in getting the confirmation back to you as the whole team will be out on the TransWales '08 (16-23rd August ’08). As long as you enter before the 22nd August you will definitely be in. Simply go to
www.konaworld.uk.com/mash-up/ for further details on the event, and the downloadable entry form.
The weekend:
The event kicks off on Saturday (30th August) morning, and will run throughout the day. There will be a broad range of companies showing off their products and services and will have test products available for the day. Once the riding comes to an end, the finishing party and prize presentation will be held at the Drop Off Café, and go on late into the night.
