Good bedfellows: NAEC and USAC—2025 National Enduro Championships in Idaho

It's an interesting life I lead. One day I am at sea level in the sweltering heat of the tropics, and a few days later I am riding North America's longest single-stage gondola to an elevation of 5,700 feet, swaddled into my Patagonia nano-puff hoodie. Sandwiched in between were two 100°+ F days in Lubbock and four flights altogether. It's crazy, but I'm certainly not complaining.

About six weeks ago, USA Cycling contacted me to check on my ability to act as Chief Referee for this year's National Enduro Championships, and my schedule allowed me to accept the assignment. Breaking from tradition, USAC this year was not the actual organizer of the race (as in the past at, for example, Mammoth, Winterpark, and Snowshoe, all of which had various Enduro issues). Instead, the race was farmed out to a well-established race series, the North American Enduro Championship, or NAEC. I had been in contact with the owners and co-race directors of this series, Tony and Melina, and the vibes ahead of the event had been excellent.

When I arrived on Wednesday (yes, two days after my delayed return from Guanacaste), Tony picked me up from the airport in Spokane, WA, and together we drove to the venue in Kellogg, ID. During the hour-long drive he filled me in on his series and how the symbiotic relationship between NAEC and USAC had come to life and how this championship was going to be significantly different, at least in the way of its administration and execution. No wonder that instead of a crew of six, seven, or more commissaires I was going to be able to rely on only my old friend Vicki from Alabama as well as two freshly minted officials who also happen to work for the NAEC. Their referee shirts were still in the mail.... You get the drift.

Local officials Josh (l) and Sean, as well as Vicki and Justin, who represented USAC
but was not a crew member

Let me be blunt: Tony and Melina are running an incredibly successful series, and the best thing that USAC, from my perspective, could have ever done was exactly what they did do: piggy-back onto NAEC. I've been around the block often enough to know when not to interfere with a race director who knows much better than I do how to run a successful event, and so it was easy to step back, keep my eyes and ears open, occasionally consult with Tony or Melina on certain issues, and otherwise look as if I had things under control without having to lift my fingers too much.

Melina and Sean, my Finish Judge

OK, that might be simplifying things a little bit too much, but in all honesty, this was one of the easiest assignments I have ever had with USAC. I had ample time to ride the gondola up the mountain to some of the starts and finishes (the Pro riders had to complete altogether seven distinct timed stages over the course of two days, and the amateurs had five total stages, also distributed over Saturday and Sunday) and enjoy the views from the top. That was especially true on Wednesday afternoon, after my arrival, and Thursday, with the weather slowly turning from deep blue skies and nothing but sunshine to high-cloud activity the closer we got to our official practice on Friday, when drizzle and then rain moved into the mountains.

Xerophyllum tenax, or bear grass

One of our stages on Saturday started at the highest point of Silver Mountain Resort, just below Kellogg Peak at 6,297 feet. It was the day of the summer solstice, but you wouldn't have known it up there: Fog and mist were blowing up the mountain side, and rime ice was forming horizontally on the windward-facing trees. Believe me, I was glad that I was not the starter up there!

This particular race in this particular location has been in existence for ten years, and it appears that it attracts moisture like a flame attracts moths. But the racers didn't seem to mind. They are a grimy, happy crowd who love epic conditions, and there's much story swapping while waiting in line for the gondola ride to the top or at the start line, or simply hanging out at the base once finished, PBR, Rainier, or an IPA in hand. Nope, this is not antiseptic track racing or prima donnas hunched over on skinny-tired road bikes. This is mountain biking pure, where self reliance, broken bike parts, and lots of bruises are de rigeur.

Vicki and I were joined by my long-time friend Justin, who was not part of the officiating crew but rather represented USA Cycling and its mountain bike program. Justin is the expert on anything that's somehow related to qualifications for nationals, the selection process for the World's team, and or how to fix problems with an online USAC account. Having Justin at a race means that we don't look like totally idiots because as "normal" commissaires we just don't have his daily exposure to the mountain bike world's problems.

Justin and Swissy, who is always with him when on assignments

Despite really not working much we spent most of our days at the venue from 7:00 a.m. to about 9:00 p.m. But the days went by quickly with answering questions, rubbing shoulders with event sponsors, high-fiving athletes who recognized me from previous championships, and in general doing a lot of good-natured PR work on behalf of USAC, which doesn't necessarily have the best reputation in the Enduro world. Without wanting to brag, I think we did a really good job at that. I heard not one single negative comment all weekend, and we had only two minor disciplinary issues that turned out to be unfounded duds. With a total of 483 race starts over the two days, that's pretty much unheard of.

The start area with a minute to go. Enduro is, let's say, laid back!

Racers slowly rolling out of town on their opening transition stage

The race director, Tony, addressing the rapt audience during the pre-race meeting.
Notice the safely tucked-away can of Rainier.

Good thing alcohol comes not only in the form of Rainier but also in
spray bottles to fix booboos on the oversized checks!

NAEC rules say that temps have to be below freezing
before Tevas and Birkenstocks are retired ...

All newly minted 2025 US Enduro champions, in all age groups and categories, with the happy race directors happily in the middle

So, to wrap it all up and get this posted before I make it back late tonight, the 2025 USAC Enduro National Championships were one solid success. From the time that I was picked up at the airport, throughout the five days I was on the ground, and my final good-bye this morning, it was the perfect race experience for me, and I can't thank Tony, Melina, their crew, and of course Vicki and Justin enough for such positive impressions.

Jürgen