Report by: Quinton Spaulding

Photos by: Casey Fasset and Quinton Spaulding

“Puddle Jumpers” are scary to fly on! I guess looks can be deceiving though because this was the smoothest flight of the trip. We landed in Albany, NY Wednesday evening ready for our visit to Windham Mountain which was stop # 4 on the Pro Gravity Tour.

Walking the course was our first chore upon arrival and after doing so we were super pumped to ride it. The track was steep, high speed with tons of flow and had some well built jumps towards the finish to complete it.

The preparation that the Windham crew put into the 4X and DH tracks was very noticeable. It is easy to see why they are  hosting the World Cup Finals in 2010.

Jim Wannamaker is dubbed “the hardest working man in mountain biking”.  Over the years I have come to know Jim pretty well and trust me he lives up to every word of that title! KENDA makes great tires, and we are stoked to have them as a sponsor.

4X was first off Saturday evening and Binggeli qualified 1st. This was huge for his gate selection.

Binggeli owned this track!  I could sense we were going to get our first Pro GRT 4X win during the heat races.

In the final heat Binggeli initially had a little trouble out the gate and did not get the “holeshot”.  About halfway down the track he made the boldest pass ever, flat landing off a wooden bridge taking the lead and giving him the overall win, along with a stack of UCI Points and a little cash.

Smiles all around for Team KHS.

The winning KHS 4X bike dead center on the podium!

This was Binggeli’s first time on top of the podium at a National as a professional.

Champagne never tasted so good before for Binggeli and once you’ve tasted it … you want more!

Sunday mornings DH Qualifiers came up real quick! Binggeli had a big crash during his run, and I had a good get off myself, losing my shoe halfway down the course. We did however both go through to the finals.

The DH track in Windham was so much fun, we had a blast riding it and it had everything a track needed  in order to test a rider.

Binggeli had another consistently good final. He took the “hotseat” at the finish and had it for a good stint. After the final 10 Qualifiers came down Logan placed 6th, just one spot off the podium for KHS.

I was pleased with my performance, having a pretty clean run pushing pretty hard the entire way down the track. I earned some valuable World Cup Points with a 23rd place overall.

Pro Men top 35 DH Results

Casey Fasset (seen here on the chairlift) has been following our team since the beginning of the 2009 season. He is the official KHS Team videographer, and is doing a great job of capturing what we do on the Pro Mountain-Bike tour. Take a look below at a short YouTube clip he compiled for KHS.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnmAME4mBu0]

Next we are off to the final stop on the Pro GRT Tour at Whiteface in Wilmington, NY. This is the 5K Downhill that packs a punch and we look forward to getting there. We will be there in full force hoping to take home some medals, money and points!

“The KHS Team Sponsors”

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

Report and photos by: Quinton Spaulding

We rolled into Snowmass, Colorado on the Monday afternoon following Crankworx. The weather was fantastic and we were excited to get riding.

As the chairlift was not set-up to start until that Friday, we did a lot of XC riding instead. The trail we rode the most was a “cliff band” that enclosed the entire Snowmass area named “Rim Trail”

These trails were single track and very tight with lush surroundings.

Binggeli was back for this race after having injured his hand the week before… testing his skills with a GINSU Knife!

Our condo at the Laurelwood Lodge was surrounded by wildlife – this squirrel gained 2 ounces during our stay there!

We even had the privilege of a FOX walk directly into our Condo the one night, however, I had to explain that we were with MANITOU and felt conflicted trying to accommodate him!

The view of the background scenery seen between our tents was beautiful… “Rim Trail” can be seen here.

We were stoked once practice eventually started. We could now do our thing, which included long hours in the pits, working on bikes and just making sure that they were 100% ready to go.

4X was held Saturday evening and Binggeli rode flawlessly amongst the very best in the World… Jared Graves!!

There is no “I” in team right? Ulmer pushes Binggeli’s 4X bike back to the start for the next heat.

Binggeli raced well and went all the way to the small final on the day – this left him with an opportunity for a great top 5 finish.

During the small final, Binggeli seized the moment and won the heat convincingly taking the 5th place finish for the 4X overall.

PRO 4X Results

“An early nights sleep and text your mommy!” finish to the day. Those were team orders the Saturday night before the DH finals on Sunday.

Binggeli had a great DH final on Sunday finishing just short of a podium, he managed to secure himself a solid 8th place position. Binggeli has definitely elevated his game, featuring in the top 10 at any given race. Things did not go as well for Naish Ulmer and myself in the Downhill, we both “pinch flatted” at the top of the course during the finals. That’s how it is in racing, every downhill race has many variables that have to fall into place in order to have a solid clean run.

PRO DH Results

Next stop is Windham Mountain in New York, the home of the 2010 UCI World Cup Finals. We have heard so many good things about Windham and could not wait to get out there and experience it in person.

Our sponsors are a special group and we are  privileged to have this fine affiliation with these upstanding companies…thank you!

“The KHS Team Sponsors”

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.

Report by: Quinton Spaulding

Photos by: Monique Spaulding

On our way through Colorado headed towards CrankWorx, CO 2009.

Winter Park Resort is a great place to ride… they have endless trails and a very well maintained park.

This years event was plagued by rain, however, it did clear up for the main event being the “slopestyle”.

We kept warm and well fed during the week with our
“bring along BBQ”!

Those were the only rules!

I rode with David K this entire event… it was fast and a lot of fun!

Just off to the side of the trail, a HUGE deer!

The opportunity was too tempting for one rider, he charged the deer but was no match for its speed and agility.

The “Boulevard Trail” at Winter Park Mountain Bike Ski Resort.

Logan Binggeli was unable to attend CrankWorx, Colorado due to an accidental cut to his hand. He had to allow it time to heal before the Pro GRT race at Snowmass CO, the following weekend.

I was back after experiencing  a small hairline fracture to my left hand at a previous race, but unfortunately  I was not a 100%… I failed to qualify for the finals.

The “Hot Seat” was large and well constructed  – it dwarfed anyone who sat in it!

If you were this little guy… which way would you have gone?

We departed Monday afternoon for Snowmass, Colorado only to encounter some really hostile thunderstorms. This made the drive all that more exciting.

Off to Snowmass hoping to find a real downhill race track, with high speed, steep, testing sections… Report to follow soon.

“The KHS Team Sponsors”

Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.

All the best!

Q.