The buttery aroma of thane filled the moist February air of San Clemente this Sunday with a San Diego Downhill Racing League event known for its technical gnarness. The rolling neon green saturated hills popped beautifully from the dark clouds and bright wheels of hopeful racers. With hearts pounding, helmets strapped, and eyes on the prize racers set for the competition.

It all started with an hour drive from L.A. with some good friends Aaron and Cooper. Cruisen down we were worried about the rain as immanent dark clouds encroached on the staging grounds. When we arrived on the scene riders were already practicing for the course putting everything into their practice runs just trying to make a good line on the course. Many washed out, ripped jeans, and smiled the whole time.

The course was short and sweet starting off on a flat you could get a good kick into a left elbow at about 15-20 mph. From there you speed down into straight bomb and through a sweepy right 90 degree where you pick up some speed. That sets you up for, the crash corner of the day, a 35 – 40 mph full 180 hairpin left where there was about 100 foot line of burned thane lines in the road preceding the turn. After which you bomb straight for a short while into a dual apex right with the finish line in the second part of the right.

Finally the race was on, with everything in order Tye Donnelly and his team were in place and ready for action. Racers all received numbers from 1-45 and paid ten bucks a piece. With unlimited push from the top racers had three chances to score times, with only their best time counting in competition. Then the quarter finals narrowed the top ten riders, followed by semi finals with the top five riders and the finals with the top three riders. It was hot racing indeed with lots of pre drifting and oblong wheels ripping the course to shreds. In the end it was Louis Pilloni in third (riding his last few heats on a broken board!), Evren Ozan in second, and the Swede Erik Lundberg taking first place.

After the race the whole crowd of hooligans and outlaws met at the local park for some good ol’ Bar-B-Q. The boys busted out the freeride boards and the football for some good times at the park. Also during the barbecue there was a buttboard race on a nice straight bomb out near the park. It ran in two heats a full Chinese downhill and a six man final where my boy Aaron Baygell took first prize.

Heading home from the event not one left without a smile. Thanks to Tye and his crew for continuing to put on great events every month.

by Peter Eubank

This entry posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 6:40 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.