Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128119
(Left) Travis WhiUock passes through the 7S0-foot mark en route to the Open Exhibition Hillclimb win. (Above) The freestyle exhibition was a big hit at Donner. motocross) to ride what is essentially a dirt bike with road race tires on a course combining paved and dirt sections and a lot of turns. Absent in 2000, but back for 2001, was the Invitational SuperTrials, bigger and better than ever. Bigger in this case didn't just refer to the fact that there were six of the top 10 North American Trials riders there, but also to the sections. Fresh from the World Round in Goldendale, Washington, Geoff Aaron put together five world-class sections, including one stadium-style section adjacent to the main lodge, which challenged the riders and wowed the spectators. On Sunday, the Streetfighter BattleTrax event took over the main parking area in front of the lodge. Open to riders of all ages and abilities, it is an "autocross" style contest in which participants negotiate a tight course, riding against the clock. In between Super TT and Battle Trax sessions, Freestyle MXers Ryan Hansen and Matt Buyten from nearby Carson City performed fantastic aerial stunts to thrill the spectators. Things got rolling early Saturday morning as the staff at the Donner Ski Ranch completed final prepara- tions for the weekend's events. Before the sun had touched the roof of the lodge, competitors in the Paved and Dirt Hillclimb pits had rolled their machines out and begun their ritual of tuning and preparation. As the pings around the Donner Ski Ranch, is particularly well-suited to Trials competition. This year's event featured four natural-terrain sections and one man-made stadium-style section. Twice, all six competitors rode each section both days, and the stadium section was ridden four times (twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon). All of the sections except number five were within walking distance of the lodge and other events. Section five was accessed via Ski Ranch transportation from the main event area. Easily the most scenic and dramatic section of all, spectators at section five were also treated to a close-up view of the pavement sounds and smells of motorcycles drifted across and out of the pits, the first spectators began to arrive for a weekend full of racing and excitement. If you like motorcycles, this is one event that you should make it a point to attend. But this could have been the last one. DONNER INVITATIONAL SUPERTRIALS The site of two World Trials rounds in the early '90s, the granite outcrop- Geoff Aaron was the SuperTrials overall winner. cue I e n e vv S • AUGUST 29, 2001 41