The 2012 Buffalo Bill Downhill Bloodspill went off last weekend on Lookout Mountain. Once again, an interesting crash made national news. Last year it was a helicopter crashing into the mountain, this time a rider crashed into a deer in the fastest part of the course. Apart from a couple minor hiccups, the event went smoothly and motivated riders got 30 runs in two days.
Rather than running separate women’s, juniors’, and masters’ classes, Justin Dubois, the organizer, created a new “Groms, Girls, and Geezers” class, a welcome development. California up and comers Byron Essert and Chance Gaul took first and second. Canadian old guy Frank “the Tank” Cote came in third.
This video is raw footage of all the open-class racing from the quarterfinals onward. Racing was close and competitive, with miraculous passes and upsets all the way through to the finals. At the end of the day, NorCal wunderkind Byron Essert won both the “Groms, Girls, and Geezers” class and the open class.
As riders and racing fans, we’ll continue to show up to Buffalo Bill as long as DuBois keeps putting it on. Colorado has good style.