Early Thursday morning Phil and I (Crappis) boarded are plane heading to Cleveland, OH for the Rays MTB 3ride contest. Phil had a chance to go visit Rays while filming for the Atomlab video and was happy to be going back. This was my first time going and couldn’t wait to get there. After a couple of plane rides we were in Cleveland and Getting are bikes put to gather and heading over to the park.

Driving up to the park you would never know anything like this would be happening in this building. When you walk in you see all kinds of wooden structures and a giant wooden berm in the middle of the small box jump rhythm. Then you see the Moen course full of wooden berms and bridges. Then there are the big box jumps that surround the Moen course. Then in the back corner lays the skate park. This place has some thing for every one from all levels of riding.

Tech Tip from Phil Sundbaum…

#1 Use a hockey bag to transport your bike and pay $0.00 dollars

#2 To save the frame from getting pinched, use a threaded rod and wingnuts.

#3 Use Towels to pack the frame and take off rotors.

Friday morning we awoke and made are way to the park to practice. It was a fun day of riding the whole course and getting your lines picked out in the skate park and box rhythm. Also getting more practice riding the pump track and sports course. After practice we headed back to the hotel for dinner and rest.

Saturday the contest started with Moen sports courses. You had to drop in from the rafters down a roll-in to different wooden structures that included teeter totters, bridges, berms, and rope bridges. The goal was to race fast as you could to the finish without hitting the floor and getting a five second penalty. The last skinny was marked with five, three and one second penalty. Phil’s first run was very good witch included a three sixty on a box in the middle of the course. He ended his run strong with a good time and only a couple penalties. My first run was ok and I got five second penalty on the last skinny. Phil’s second run was fast with only a one second penalty witch put him in the top fifteen. My second run was fast with only a three second penalty witch was good for the top 20 people. Lopes was the winner with the fastest run of the day and no penalty’s!

Next was the pump track, which was putting your pumping skills to the test. You had to take one run on the out side track and one on the inside track. Then your times were put together getting your overall time. Every person had to qualify then the top sixteen were put in to brackets to race head to head. I missed qualifying by a couple spots while Phil made the top sixteen only to lose in the first round. JD Swanguen was able to knock off Brian Lopes in the finals in a very close race. That wrapped up the racing on Saturday which moved us over to the skatepark Sunday morning.

The skatepark was very exciting with lots of big flips and three sixties. Adam Huack was flowing the park with several big tricks ending his run with a wall ride to tail whip nailing the pedals. My run was more flowing around the park with a couple big tricks and I ended my run with a tailwhip from wedge to wedge but missed my pedals and did a turn down lander which gave me a case of swell bow. Phil had a monster sized run that included flip tire grabs and alley-oop wall rides over the spine.He ended his run with big three whip over the box. JD Swanguen was able to blow out a light with his tire while big transfer. Phil’s runs held up and took first in the skatepark, and then it was off to the box rhythm for the last contest.

For the box jumps you hit a six foot drop out of the rafters on to a landing then pedaled down a long hall into a berm then hit the red bull box. You then hit a hip to the left followed up by two box jumps then a wall ride. My first run was good after I almost died on first box but the rest of the run was good. Phil’s first run was good with a big three, tailwhips, and no footed cans. My last run I did tuck no hander to suicide no hander. Rolled on to a 270’d over the hip. Then a tuck no hander the no footed can and a table over the last hip. Phil’s last run was the crowd pleaser. He 3’d the drop in then pedaled to the box jump and 720’d the box perfect only to have his tire blow out after he rode away. He still walked away with the win; make it a clean sweep of Sunday events. In the end the results were as follows.

Overall Results -
1. JD Swanguen
2. Greg Watts
3. Phil Sundbaum
4. Kyle Strait
5. Adam Hauk

Speed Trials -
1. Brian Lopes
2. Kirt Voreis
3. JD Swanguen
4. Jeff Lenosky
5. Greg Watts

Pump Track -
1. JD Swanguen
2. Brian Lopes
3. Cody Warren
4. Greg Watts
5. Cam Zink

Street Park -
1. Phil Sundbaum
2. JD Swanguen
3. Adam Hauck
4. Omar Romero
5. Greg Watts

Big Air -
1. Phil Sundbaum
2. Omar Romero
3. Adam Hauck
4. Greg Watts
5. Kyle Strait
Thanks to Straitline.com for the Pics and go there for more content.