“So much traction”, “So much dust”, “So easy”. These are all phrases that were not uttered once at this weekend’s grand finale of the POC Scottish Enduro Series in Ae Forest. The sixth and final round of the popular series needed to be a big one, and boy did it deliver. With crazy trails that only the Scot’s could love, lashings of mud, a fat slice of good humour and a pinch of old fashioned survivalism, the final showdown went off in style.
Scottish Enduro Series 2016: Round 6 – Ae Forest from Scottish Enduro Series on Vimeo.
With a packed field of over 300 racers, there was a lot at stake in the final round of the POC Scottish Enduro Series. Not only was there the chance to take on the formidable stages of Ae, a legendary location where the sniper roots are always angled and even the berms are off camber, but also the overall championship was still in contention. After great rounds in Dunkeld, Fort William, Glenlivet, Laggan, Dunoon and now finally in Ae, it has certainly been the best year yet, firmly cementing itself as the must-do series for a huge family of riders from every corner of Scotland. The SES is about more than just racing, it has become a showcase for the beauty of Scotland, highlighting amazing new venues like Dunoon to a global audience – while blending comedic technicality with an accessibility that has brought many new racers into the fold. The SES is certainly the most technical series in the UK, and while the muddy trails may have occasionally drawn out some real A-grade expletives (my ears are still burning), the series has forged strong friendships and bonds.
The stages of the day were certainly tough. Unseasonably dry weather had conspired perfectly with predictable pre-race rain to blend the once dusty surface into a kind of non-stick slime that threatened rider orientation at every corner. Brakes took on an entirely new purpose, brake hard in a straight line if you want to go faster, brake hard in a corner if you fancy an impromptu 180, I kid you not, more than one rider came past me at speed – backwards. Momentum can be a cruel mistress, but today it was vital, as soon as you fell off the sweet spot there was nothing else to do but deploy the outriggers and dance a merry dabathon all the way to the end. For many riders getting their first taste of enduro, Ae certainly raised a few eyebrows, but credit must go to the organisation and the builders for choosing stages that were scary but safe.
The race featured 5 stages that took riders all over the forest, each one featured a blend of steep, natural root and rock with the occasional hardpack trail centre pedal section to weed out those with hamster lungs. There were some big jumps too, huge props to the guy on the Commencal who sent the big sender and landed so sideways (we are talking 90 degrees here) that the impact tore his mech clean off while he clanked off down the trail – rowdy behaviour. While we are on shout-outs, we should also mention the amazing marshals who stood out all day in the rain and were the happiest bunch of forest folk you could hope to meet.
Those who woke for dawn in the camping field would have been rewarded with a sky that put an African sunrise to shame, but as we all knew, this was a Scottish enduro race, so the sun would be sure to ‘do one’ and it would start to piss it down. About 11AM the sun did indeed ‘do one’ and the heavens opened. Nobody cared, if anything it improved the grip as the dousing of water made everyone think they were Danny Hart – apart from on the off-camber grass, that was still crackers.
To all the racers who put down times today, ENDURO magazine salutes you, especially those giving it a go for the first time and finishing with a smile on their face. So what of the results. Going into the final round it was still all to play for in the elite championship, Chris Hutchens was a favourite on his Nukeproof Mega, as was Fiona Beattie, but both needed to finish well up in the pack to hold onto their lead, especially in the ladies where Roslynn Newman was charging hard. As the stages rolled on it was clear that both Chris and Fiona were pinned and would be finishing high up in the pack, both stealing second place, and enough to clinch the overall championships. The victory today though would be Roslynn who despite a huge crash on Stage One which frightened us all, lit up like a firework to steal the win, and in the men’s race big Ben Cathro showed his skills were sick enough to pinch the top spot from Chris. Credit must go to all the other racers in their categories who also put down committed seasons, Scotland can be proud of its enduro superstars.
Before the close of the season there had to be one final send off, and we were in for a treat. In memory of fellow rider Jacqui McCloskey, Roz had set up a charity arm wrestle between Chris “The Cherry Bomb” Hutchens and Michael “The Manimal” Clyne, raising over £250. Looking at them together it looked like a done deal, but legend has it that Chris Hutchens once had a street named after him, but it was changed because nobody crosses Chris Hutchens and lives. Also, Chris Hutchens once arm wrestled Superman for a bet, the loser had to wear his underwear on the outside of his trousers. There was some bite in this underdog.
The POC Scottish Enduro Series is now over for another winter, but while the racing may be over, you can be sure that hundreds of riders will go into the off-season with a ‘training plan’. Next year’s season will be tighter than ever. See you all in the spring!
Check out the next page to see 30 bikes from the race, and how much they weigh!
