The Main Characters of the 2024 North American Enduro Cup

Bike racing is inherently silly. We put on our speedy little outfits, pack our fancy snacks, and pay money to ride bikes around in the woods, all while ostensibly “taking it seriously.” And that’s fine. Bike racing, and bike racers are great.

But it’s not the act of riding bikes against the clock that makes racing great. Instead it’s all about the culture. And that culture is created by the parents and partners who sacrifice their weekends to support their racers. It’s created by the volunteers who stand around in the cold all day instead of riding bikes. And it’s created by the spectators who lurk in the woods, cheering and heckling racers through all the highs and lows of each stage.

That’s why we were so excited to partner with the NAEC to reward the best hecklers with the Main Character of the Race Award . As I wrote in my race report, the conditions this year at the NAEC were quite challenging. Snow, canceled stages, wet costumes and bedraggled racers and spectators abounded. But despite the adversity, a bunch of awesome folks stepped up to bring the party to the racecourse.

Main characters rarely think that they’re main characters. Leaders don’t need to tell everyone they’re leaders, race winners get recognized with podiums. So we spent the weekend interviewing hecklers, getting their thoughts on racing and spectating, and rewarding the loudest ones with cash prizes thanks to 5-hour Energy.

After practice wrapped up Friday evening, we set up shop near the registration tent, handing out costumes, noise makers, and 5-hour Energy to spectators and racers alike.

As the racers pedaled up to Stage 1, Sean and I hustled up the Gondola, and rode quiet bike park trails down to meet them. We were startled when two horse-headed men accosted us part way down. These guys were stationed as volunteers on Stage 3, and were already bringing the party to the mountain first thing in the morning.

At the top of Stage 1, volunteers were cooking up pancakes for racers, and sending them off down their inaugural descent in style. We worked our way down the stage, rewarding everyone who showed up to make some noise.

Meanwhile, at the top, the Cannondale Farm team set up their inflatable arch, donned their Under the Sea themed costumes, and waited. It started to snow. Still, they waited, bringing the vibes. It snowed more, and started to stick. They held strong in their costumes. Eventually, Stage 2 was canceled, and all the racers, volunteers, and spectators made their way back down to the base area, but this gang’s story was just beginning.

After Saturday’s weather, some might have expected a more subdued energy from spectators and volunteers on Sunday. Luckily, that wasn’t the case. The aquatic squad set back up at the bottom of Stage 6, minus the inflatable arch, which, regrettably, didn’t survive Saturday’s blizzard.

Stage 6 at the NAEC is one of the longest continuous enduro stages around, and most riders are fairly gassed by the bottom. That makes the last real jump on the course a perfect place to post up, and yell at people to try harder and be better. The gang also served up a few devastating silent heckles, which were quite unnerving.

At the end of the day, we crowned our winners, our loose voting committee unanimously chose the Stage 3 Headed Horsemen as our co-winners. They got their time on the podium complete with champagne (well, actually 5-hour Energy) shower, and took home the coveted GOLDEN CHAINSAW!

This event was a great reminder that mountain bike racing is nothing without culture, and people build that culture. The NAEC is a challenging event to spectate. The course is big and spread out and remote. But this crowd of spectators and volunteers brought the main character energy to the woods of Northern Idaho last weekend.

Thank you so much everyone who raced, volunteered, heckled, and organized this event. You all are the best, and we’re so thankful to get to play a tiny part in this spectacle. Stay tuned for next year, let’s see what we can do with more than a week of advance notice!

Finally, a special thank you to Shaun Webby, our indefatigable host and stoke master. Shaun helped cut in the fresh trail for the racecourse, helped set the course, ran our silly event with precisely the right energy, and brought the stoke up with every interaction. He then went on to place second in Sunday's Full Pull race, all while juggling a million responsibilities. Shaun is the kind of person who makes biking better wherever he goes, and we're so thankful to him. He's the real Main Character in our hearts.

And, if you’re racing the Cascadia Dirt Cup’s Raging River stop next week, pack your best costumes and stay tuned for a special announcement!