2015 Race to the River:  Technical Guide

  June 28, 2015 (Canada Day – Long weekend)

Nitehawk Recreation Area is proud to present the Seventh annual Race to the River (NOT an ABA sanctioned event).

Register online at   ZONE4.CA

The Race

 This year we are running this DH Event as a local unsanctioned event. You can look forward to a day of fun, sun, and the most lift accessed vertical in Alberta. Course prep is on schedule, and racers can look forward to a variety of terrain including; tight forest single-track, switchbacks, drops, jumps, and a rock gardens.

If you’re looking to earn some extra cash to finish off the day Sunday, we’ll be hosting a FUN Bracket RACE on a trail of our choosing. We’ll have a$5.00 buy-in for this race with all funds going towards awarding the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place overall winners. For those not familiar with bracket racing, you are racing against your own time. Tell us how fast you think you can make your competing run and the rider that comes closest to their guessed time WINS. So that means even the slowest or youngest riders can win the cash prize.

Sweet video of our sweet trails

The Place

Nitehawk Recreation area is located 15km south of Grande Prairie, Alberta on the banks of the Wapiti river. With the hot July sun expected, guests should look forward to onsite camping, chilling in the shade, taking the short drive to O’Brian park to soak in the river, or enjoying the many amenities the region has to offer. At 450km north of Edmonton on Highway 43, it’s a solid road trip, well worth the drive.

Directions

From Edmonton:

Travel West on hiway 16 to hiway 43, approx. 45Km

Turn north onto hiway 43. Follow approx. 430km to Grande Prairie.

Travel south on hiway 43 into Grande Prairie turn west (right) at 116 Ave

Follow through town (on the bypass) as 116 ave. turns into hiway 40.

Follow hiway 40 approx. 15km south of Grande Prairie, across the wapiti river bridge

Turn first right toward Grovedale, first left at the T-intersection and follow highway up hill approximately 3km

Nitehawk Recreation Area is on the right hand side of the road.

From Hinton:

Travel North on hiway 40 approximately 310Km.

Turn right toward Grovedale at bottom of Wapiti river Valley, before wapiti river bridge.

Follow up hill approximately 3km

Nitehawk Recreation Area is on the right hand side of the road

Registration

Registration is only at Zone4.ca until June 26 at 23:59. All classes are $50.

Race day lift passes are included in registration fee.

All racers must hold a daily lift pass.

The BBQ will be cooking up a storm on the deck, during lift operating hours, on Sunday with Burgers, Smokies and Hotdogs, and a plethora of condiments and toppings for you to enjoy. Snacks and Beverages will also be available at the ticket office.

Schedule

The hill will be open Sunday 10:00 to 17:00. Fun Bracket Race on trail of our choice will be Sunday from 16:00 to 17:00 ($5.00 buy-in, with cash prizes being awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall).

Race day schedule as follows:

Sunday 

10:00                    Hill Opening
10:00 – 12:30        Practice.
12:30                    Pre-Race Meeting
13:00-15:00           Race to the River
~15:00                  Race Awards presentation at chalet
16:00-17:00           Fun Bracket Race

Categories

ALL RACERS RIDING UNDER A DAY LICENSE MUST RACE IN CITIZEN CLASS.

Citizen categories will be ran similar to licensed classes, depending on registration volumes. The main difference is that points will not be awarded to Citizen Class racers.

Classes are as follows:

Citizen class

We will feature Men’s and Women’s categories in each Class. In an effort to maximize competition, classes may be merged based on registration numbers. Racers may be grouped with other classes and/or categories for the race.

U13 racers will be riding a shortened/modified course to meet ABA guidelines.

Awards

Prizes to the top three in each category.

Accommodations

For those interested in camping, Nitehawk has a fully serviced RV park on site. Fully serviced, private stalls are available for standard rates. Be sure to mention the race when booking to ensure preferred rates.  Call 780.532.6637 Mon. to Fri., 9:00 to 17:00 to reserve.

For those who prefer hotels, the Stanford Inn is a friend of Nitehawk, Call 780.539.5678 or www.StanfordHospitality.com for reservations.  Be sure to mention Nitehawk.

Contact 

For more information Contact us at:
brettkstevenson@yahoo.com
Brett @ 780.897.3732
Tyson @ 780.876.7009
Johnathan @ 780.505.1457

Check out http://gonitehawk.com for trail map and more information

Nitehawk Recreation Area
Race to the River July 2015

 Race Rules

1.      Race officials are to be obeyed at all times.

2.      Any abuse of race officials WILL result in disqualification.

 3.      Any racer being overtaken on the course MUST yield the right of way and not impede another competitor.

 4.      If an overtaking rider is forced to slow or stop, he/she may request a rerun.

 5.      Personal recording devices (Helmet Cams) are NOT allowed during the race run.

 6.      Full face helmets are mandatory.

7.     Race Bibs must be worn with bib numbers clearly visible.