SOUTHSTAR TRAILS BRING IN A BIG HITTING BULLDOG TO CLEAR A MINEFIELD

STOP PRESS ! I just got off the blower with Jeff Carter and he has sent me the goods to share with you good mountainbiking folk. It's going to be a great summer. Legendary filmmaker Stumpy has fuelled up his drone and blown the dust from his lense to bring you this edit.

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Brook Macdonald and Charlie Makea ripping the new Minefield trail in the Hawkes Bay

In between World Cup Downhill races Brook Macdonald is back at home in Napier training and preparing for the final two World Cup rounds and the World Champs. Charlie Makea is an up and coming young rider with some good results in last summers National Series. Charlie is training for the NZDH series, the first event of which is in Rotorua in October. Apart from the ride-testing by the trailcrew these are the first riders over the new trail. The trail has had some serious weather over the last month, but the HBMTC has just declared it’s open – so go and check it out! Just take it slow on the first run down as there are lots of features that could catch you out.

Minefield was an old underused track based on a skid road. The new track starts at the highest point of the park where this is views out to the pacific, includes a section on the re-worked original Minefield and then dives off into some steeper terrain exiting at the same point as Cannonball.

The Hawkes Bay MTB Club is New Zealand’s largest club with over 2000 members and their trail network in the Pan Pac forest continues to expand to cater for the growing number of riders. Following the popularity of previous years trail developments Grand Traverse, Mint, Olivers Twist, Wish u were Here, Cannonball & the Blowhole Climb, the HBMTBC requested a new style of trail.  Some of the features specified included big fall away ski jumps, off cambers with catch berms, rock features, that makes the most of the 300m of elevation drop available.

Southstar Trail’s trailcrew of Scott Taylor, Ryan Lovett and Gaby Tebib worked on the project, showcasing their skills of what can be achieved with a small digger and good operators in steep technical terrain. 

Brook Macdonald and Charlie Makea ripping new Minefield trail in the Hawkes Bay In between World Cup Downhill races Brook Macdonald is back at home in Napier training and preparing for the final two World Cup rounds and the World Champs. Charlie Makea is an up and coming young rider with some good results in last summers National Series. Charlie is training for the NZDH series, the first event of which is in Rotorua in October. Apart from the ride-testing by the trailcrew these are the first riders over the new trail. The trail has had some serious weather over the last month, but the HBMTC has just declared it’s open – so go and check it out! Just take it slow on the first run down as there are lots of features that could catch you out. Minefield was an old underused track based on a skid road. The new track starts at the highest point of the park where this is views out to the pacific, includes a section on the re-worked original Minefield and then dives off into some steeper terrain exiting at the same point as Cannonball. The Hawkes Bay MTB Club is New Zealand’s largest club with over 2000 members and their trail network in the Pan Pac forest continues to expand to cater for the growing number of riders. Following the popularity of previous years trail developments Grand Traverse, Mint, Olivers Twist, Wish u were Here, Cannonball & the Blowhole Climb, the HBMTBC requested a new style of trail. Some of the features specified included big fall away ski jumps, off cambers with catch berms, rock features, that makes the most of the 300m of elevation drop available. Southstar Trail’s trailcrew of Scott Taylor, Ryan Lovett and Gaby Tebib worked on the project, showcasing their skills of what can be achieved with a small digger and good operators in steep technical terrain.