In the only event of its kind, mountain bikers get to fulfill their childhood dream of riding inside.
Off the Chain...
Although the skyway system of St. Paul was built to keep pedestrians out of the Minnesota cold, Red Bull Ride the Sky completely transforms it into a demanding, mile-long downhill mountain bike course. Riders take over the hallways, navigating narrow passages, steep staircases and even a step-up/step-down jump. They pass through eight buildings in downtown St. Paul, from the Lowry Building to the Union Depot, tearing through at break-neck speeds.
This year, that proved more literal for some of the competitors than for others. But, there was only one broken collarbone versus countless thrills and unmatched excitement among the 48 amateur riders taking on the challenging and unique course.
Riders from throughout the country competed, with a heavy contingent from the Midwest. But, the night belonged to Tom Miller (Robbinsdale, MN) with his course time of 2:30.22 topping the field. Usually seen on the mountain biking trails of Minnesota, Miller was thrilled with the performance, “It was awesome, one of the coolest events I’ve done.”
Hot on Miller’s trail were Mile Schrosen (St. Cloud, MN) in second place with a time of 2:30.54, and Justin Wendorf (Jamesville, WI) in third with a time of 3:31.87.
Not Your Normal Trail...
With the addition of two staircases (one gapped), the step-up/step-down jump, several other built-in obstacles, and a more downhill route, this year’s course upped the ante in more ways than one. Adventurous riders were able to try and live up to the challenge by trying to clear the entire gapped staircase in one jump, with a few almost succeeding.The new features were well received. “Flying down that final flight of stairs was awesome, something you’ve never been able to do, but always dreamed of,” said 8th place finisher Jed Olson (La Crosse, WI).
For press information, please contact Michael Stewart at 323-866-6081 or michael.stewart@mslpr.com. Event images are available at www.redbull-photofiles.com
Ride the Sky
Ride the Sky
Ride the Sky
