Young rider Ruby Ryan, pictured on the attack at the New Zealand Schools Mountain Bike Nationals in Rotorua last week. Photo/Fraser Britton
Young rider Ruby Ryan, pictured on the attack at the New Zealand Schools Mountain Bike Nationals in Rotorua last week. Photo/Fraser Britton
To say the New Zealand Schools Mountain Bike Nationals competition has been a huge hit in Rotorua would be an understatement.
The event, showcasing the country's talented biking youngsters, was part of this year's Crankworx Rotorua festival - enabling the schools championships to run as a standalone event for the first time.
With around 400 riders from 80 schools represented, in the competition that finished on Thursday, it was not only a reflection of the draw of Crankworx but also the work that has gone in to the grassroots of the sport for many years by dedicated volunteers.
Crankworx event director Tak Mutu described the three-day event (including the downhill, cross country and relay) as "awesome" and said he hoped it would remain part of the local festival for future years to come.
"It's been absolutely awesome and all the young riders have smashed it," Mutu said. "Here at Crankworx we have been able to give kids international exposure on the biggest level - how great is that?
"It isn't nailed down to remain part of Crankworx Rotorua because there is talk about alternating with one year in the South [Island] then one in the North but it's something we would really love to have here."
Crankworx event director Tak Mutu. Photo/File
Rotorua celebrated much success in the schools competition. This included Rotorua Boys' High school student Finn Parsons, who made the most of local knowledge to win the under-16 grade in 4m 23s, which proved the second fastest run overall in the downhill competition.
The girls' field suffered a higher attrition rate because of the weather but local rider Jenna Hastings from John Paul College, competing in the under-14 category, took the fastest time overall.
Another local rider, Skye Follas from Rotorua Lakes High, clocked the second fast time overall and won the under-20 title in the downhill with third place overall going to Mia Callingham from Mount Maunganui College, winning the under-16 category.
On Tuesday, almost 200 riders lined up to represent their schools in the cross-country races. The senior boys race came down to a photo finish with both Rotorua's Hamish Dodds and Taylor Johnston given the same finish time but Dodds was awarded the gold medal.
Trident High School from Whakatane was rewarded with the Top School Award after a strong showing across the cross-country and relay.
In the relay on Thursday, Tauranga Boys' College showed their strength with two of their teams making the on podium in the senior boy's category. Epsom Girls Grammar dominated the girls' categories with victories in both the senior and junior.
In the downhill Auckland's Liam Bethell, from Michael Park School, clocked a swift 4m 05s time to take out the gold medal in the senior grade and the fastest time of the day. Wakatipu High School's Sam Robbie claimed the silver medal ahead of Josh Oxenham from Saint Kentigern College - both members of the Mountain Bike National Performance Hub in Rotorua.
And in the senior girls' cross country race the title was taken out by promising junior rider Phoebe Young from Mt Aspiring College in Wanaka, on Tuesday. Young, a member of the newly formed Cycling New Zealand Mountain Biking Performance Hub, dominated from the start. She won convincingly over fellow Mountain Bike Hub rider Liv Bishop from Marlborough Girls College with third place to Epsom Girls Grammar rider Dayne Haythorne.
Kevin Searle, chairman of Cycling New Zealand Schools, said he regarded this year's competition as a "huge success".
"School cycling sees itself as the breeding ground for the future of cycling. We provide the opportunity for the kids to learn to compete. That's why the events are challenging, but not so challenging that a kid will go, oh I can't do this," he said.
"The opportunity for these hundreds of kids to be in and around not only the world's best mountain bike riders but also their heroes is priceless for these guys and you will be hard pressed not be inspired over this week of events and want to continue in the sport."
