Time, and bikes, fly when you're having fun. The Maxxis Eastern States Cup race series is entering its 15th season of gravity racing on the East Coast and continues to set the standard for regional race organization. Before we get into the details of the coming season, let's take a moment to highlight some Eastern States Cup highlights from the past 15 years of racing.
It all began in 2010 when George Ulmer and Rich Rude launched the new series with a handful of downhill MTB races at Mount Snow and Plattekill. The first season's overall DH champion was none other than Richie Rude Jr., who would go on to dominate enduro racing on the world stage. In the following years the series continued to grow with more races at more venues with more athletes.
In 2013, enduro joined the race party, and the Maxxis ESC series opened up to a whole new breed of racer. Steve Battaglini was instrumental in getting the new format off the ground, and in the coming years, the sport took off with record-breaking attendance at events. The Maxxis ESC enduro series would go on to become a major player on the global enduro scene.
In 2016 the enduro season began with multiple sellouts, and the MAXXIS ESC introduced the ESC North American Downhill Team for Juniors. George Ulmer has always tried to open opportunities for young racers, and the team allowed some of the East Coast's fastest junior racers to compete in UCI World Cup events. The initiative was a great success, and two of the team’s racers qualified for the UCI World Championships in Australia in 2017.
In 2017, the Maxxis ESC ended its affiliation with USAC to simplify and reduce racing costs and began a multi-year collaboration with the Enduro World Series. Several EWS Gold Level Qualifiers and Continental Championships were brought to the East Coast through this partnership, and many of our local pros were able to step up to the EWS world stage through this effort.
The Maxxis ESC survived the global pandemic with 11 virus-free events in 2020. The series continues to innovate and adapt with new events like night enduro racing, junior cross-country, Enduro Lite races, eBike classes, and better racing experiences for racers with new timing equipment and seeding rounds. The long and short of it is gravity racing on the East Coast is vibrant and on a strong trajectory. Our own Chris Gilbert and countless volunteers have kept the Maxxis ESC series fun and professional during hundreds of events. Here's to the next 15 years! Now, let's take a look at how the 2024 season is shaping up.
Maxxis returns as the ESC's title sponsor. Maxxis Tires has demonstrated its commitment to grassroots racing for years, and its support keeps our series rolling. As a global tire giant, Maxxis's continued sponsorship is instrumental in keeping the Maxxis ESC series thriving. Their unwavering commitment to the sport ensures that riders of all levels have the opportunity to participate and excel in mountain biking competitions in the Eastern USA. We're deeply grateful for Maxxis' ongoing support, which plays a pivotal role in fueling the passion and excitement of the mountain biking community.
Kate's Real Food, makers of all-natural energy bars, returns for a 4th season. In addition to being a presenting partner, Kate's sponsors our Kate's Kids 12 and under classes. "Kate's Real Food is thrilled to be going into our 4th season as the "Presenting Sponsor" of the Eastern States Cup race series. The ESC continues to set the bar for mountain bike racing in the Northeast by creating a great atmosphere for riders of all ages to test their skills, and more importantly, to have a great time with friends. Kate's Real Food bars are loaded with protein and complex carbs, and are only sweetened with the finest organic honey, making them a top notch fuel source for big days out on the bike. We also have a little surprise coming this season with a new protein bar line that is going to help riders recover after a big day on the bike." - Jimmy Christensen, Senior Vice President of Sales
A quick shout out to our other series partners: Stans NoTubes, makers of time-tested tire sealants returns as our Enduro Series Title Partner. "The decision to partner with the Eastern States Cup was an easy one. High quality racing, fantastic venues, and camping with friends - what's not to like? Stan's is proud to support one of the premier gravity series in North America." - Stan's Marketing Director
Intense Cycles, a favorite of series racers since the start, is also returning as our Downhill Series Title Partner. Intense proudly presents the "Podium Payback Program," an initiative designed to reward the top-performing Maxxis ESC Racers with cash prizes.
Thule, maker of high-quality rack systems, joins us this season as our new Showdown Series Title Partner. "Thule is thrilled to be involved in the Eastern States Cup for 2024! Thule was founded in Sweden, but we have called New England our home since we opened our Americas HQ here nearly 40 years ago, so being a part of this amazing race series is a perfect fit. Riders of all disciplines have trusted our bike racks to get them to and from the trail for decades, and we are excited to be a part of ESC this year to introduce some of our new carriers and bags to riders." - Tyler King: USA Events Marketing Manager
We also have a new sponsor for our eBike Series with Canondale joining the party. Look for a ground-breaking new eBike from them in the near future. Box Components will again be our Number Plate Partner and Monster Energy will be our Energy Drink Partner.
We're excited to announce some updates to our racing classes! Introducing our new Expert Women's Downhill Class and an 8U Brat Class for downhill enthusiasts. Plus, we've adjusted the age brackets for certain junior classes. We can't wait to welcome everyone and hope for clear skies throughout the race season!
2024 STAN'S NOTUBES ENDURO RACE CLASSES
CANNONDALE E-BIKE
KATES KIDS 12U
KATES ENDURO LITE
YOUTH 14U
JUNIOR GIRLS 16U
JUNIOR BOYS 16U
20U WOMEN
20U MEN
21-29
30-39
40-49
50+
AMATEUR WOMEN
PRO WOMEN
PRO MEN
2024 INTENSE CYCLES DOWNHILL CLASSES
BRAT CLASS 8U
KATES KIDS 12U
YOUTH 14U
JUNIOR BOYS 16U
JUNIOR GIRLS 16U
AMATEUR 18U
AMATEUR 19-29
AMATEUR 30-39
AMATEUR 40 -49
MASTERS 50+
AMATEUR WOMEN
EXPERT 16U
EXPERT 18U
EXPERT 19-29
EXPERT 30-39
EXPERT 40+
EXPERT WOMEN
PRO WOMEN
PRO MEN
Get your calendars out, here is our lineup of races for the upcoming season. We're returning to some time-tested favorites, digging deeper into some more recent additions and as usual featuring a brand-new venue: Monteau in New Hampshire. Monteau is a defunct ski area near Haverhill that closed almost 35 years ago. Our overall mens pro enduro champion from last season, Adrian Hayden, has been developing the network in recent years and it promises to be an exciting stop on the enduro tour.
2024 Maxxis ESC presented by Kate’s Real Food Schedule
Intense Cycles Downhill Series
May 19 Powder Ridge, CT
June 23 Jiminy Peak*
June 30 Killington, VT *
July 21 Thunder Mountain, MA*
Aug 11 Mount Snow
Aug 18 Sugarloaf, ME*
Aug 25 Powder Ridge, CT
Sept 15 Blue Mountain, PA
Sept 22 Thunder Mountain, MA*
Oct 13 Jiminy Peak, MA Finals **
Stan’s No Tubes Enduro Series
May 5 Powder Ridge, CT
June 9 Glen Park, PA
June 23 Jiminy Peak*
June 30 Killington, VT *
July 14 Arrowhead, NH
July 21 Thunder Mountain, MA*
July 28 Burke Mountain, VT
Aug 18 Sugarloaf, ME*
Sept 8 Woodstock, VT
Sept 22 Thunder Mountain, MA*
Oct 6 Monteau, NH
Oct 20 Arrowhead NH **
Thule Showdown Series
June 23 Jiminy Peak
June 30 Killington, VT
July 21 Thunder Mountain, MA
Aug 18 Sugarloaf, ME
Sept 22 Thunder Mountain, MA
Cannondale EBike Series
May 5 Powder Ridge, CT
June 9 Glen Park, PA
July 14 Arrowhead, NH
July 21 Thunder Mountain, MA *
Aug 18 Sugarloaf, ME *
Sept 8 Woodstock, VT
Sept 22 Thunder Mountain, MA *
Oct 5 Monteau, NH
Oct 20 Arrowhead NH **
*Thule Showdown Bonus – All Showdown events carry 110% Maxxis ESC Series Points
**Series Finals Bonus – All Series Finals events carry 125% Maxxis ESC Series Points
Intense Cycles Downhill Series – Top 8 races by Series Points earned
Stan’s No Tubes Enduro Series – Top 10 races by Series Points earned
Cannondale EBike Series – Top 7 races by Series Points earned
Thule Showdown Series – Top 5 races by Series Points earned
2/24/2024 9:12am
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