Recap: California Enduro Series Round #1 — Battle Born Enduro

Words by Matt De Young, Photos by Scott McClain, Called To Creation

The 2014 California Enduro Series kicked off the season with the Battle Born Enduro on Peavine, Mountain, just outside Reno, Nevada. The course featured some classic high desert riding with exposed, scrubby terrain and loose drifty dirt popularly described as having the consistency of kitty litter.

A racer testing traction in the turns on Peavine Mountain during practice Saturday. Many of the turns had faux-berms, that is a pile of sand that looked deceptively like a berm. One racer commented on the number of golf balls that had been lost in the turns on course.

Ryan Gardner (Kona) was getting a feel for the loose dirt in practice on Friday. This was his first race coming off an ankle injury, that has left him a bit leery of dropping a foot and getting sideways in loose tight turns higher on the course. This didn't keep him from laying down some solid times. Gardner finished out the race in sixth place in the Pro class.

Marshall Eames was beaming Saturday morning before the race, with a kit that bright who wouldn’t be? Unfortunately, he suffered a mechanical on course and had to bail out early.

Registration for the race was full-up, with 275 racers on course Saturday. Smiles for miles.

Casey Coffman (Felt, SR Suntour), local Reno pro ripper and all-around stand up guy, put in a solid day of racing Saturday taking third, even after flatting and bending a rotor on the final stage. Casey was happy to share his local knowledge during practice, showing out of town racers around, organizing shuttles, and walking lines with the masses.

Megan Melack on the gas.

Emily Forsberg, mashing on stage 2 for a second place finish in the Sport Women class.

Danny Mollineda given’ er. Kenda supports Danny. Kenda supports the California Enduro Series. Thanks Kenda.

Ryan Thym (Black Rock Bicycles) is another fast Reno guy. He rode to a fifth place finish just behind Jason Moeschler (WTB) who came up the hill from Nevada City for the day.

Amy Morrison (Mike's Bikes) raced to a second place finish in the Pro Women's field. While she couldn't close the gap on Stetson-Lee for the first four more physical stages, she was right there on the last technical stage, less than half a second back.

Battle Born was Brian Astell’s (Marin Factory) first Enduro competition. With a background in XC he was amped on the Enduro format and is looking forward to a full season of racing.

Don Morehouse (Kill Trail), a former Reno local yoke, showed up to practice Friday morning fired up. Palpably so. After crashing in the first two stages he reined 'er in a bit and finished out race day strong.

Nick Ducharme (Formula 4 Speed Suspension Personalization/G2 Bike) with the grimace.

Ariel Lindsley (FOX) laid down solid times for the day, and kept it gangsta, pinning with his locs on.

There were some quick kids out there. Teddy Hayden, who is accustomed to riding tacky Marin County dirt, took a bit to figure out the loose soil in Reno, but prevailed and came out with a second place finish in the Junior Boy's category.

Liam Ruff throwing down some steeze for the camera. This young blood is in it for the glamor and glitz.

Ryan Gibson (Giant, Bike and Bean) had a solid day on the hill. Gibson is the man behind the forthcoming Stafford Lake Bike Park in Novato. He put together a fundraiser to jointly benefit the Bike Park and Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz who are building a Flow Trail in Soquel Demonstration State Forest (home of CES Finals). A new 2015 FOX 36 will be auctioned off at each event to benefit these two projects.

Doug Thayer (Cyclepaths, Rocky Mountain) made the trip from the other side of Lake Tahoe to take on a stacked pro mens field. He came out on top with just over a second on Gregg Stone of Truckee. Doug is stoked on his season opener.

Teal Stetson-Lee finished the day with a commanding lead in the womens pro field. Her choice to run her short travel XC whip with a dropper post paid off on the first four pedally stages and didn’t seem to hold her back on chunder-riddled stage 5.

Lauren Gregg (FOX) charging the rocks on stage 5.

Lauren Gregg (FOX) seat up, hammer down.

The Poedunks, the local Reno Bike Advocacy Group, who helped to put on the race made sure that racers were taken care of after the race.

An impressive number of Juniors—33 young men and 1 young woman—took on the Battle Born Enduro.

Racers checking out their times. Bike Monkey delivered spot on timing for the event.

Pro men podium. 1st Doug Thayer, 2nd Gregg Stone, 3rd Casey Coffman, 4th Jason Moeschler, 5th Ryan Thym.

Pro women podium. 1st Teal Stetson-Lee, 2nd Amy Morrison, 3rd Megan Melack, 4th Lauren Gregg, 5th Allie Donovan.

Friday night’s racer sign-in at Silver Legacy Resort.

Battle Born Enduro results

Series Standings

CES Round #2, the VP EnduroFest at China Peak, is coming up June 20-22.

More information: californiaenduroseries.com