Today the first official MTB Endruo Race was healed with about 200 participants. For results please click here and for more photos check out Facebook Page.
We would like to share some thoughts from the day.
NORTHSTAR has been running Mountain Bike tours for the past 7 years with cooperation from the Norikura Kogen Tourism Association and also the local Yough Committee. We are working hard to help mountain biking grow in Norikura.
Four years ago Matsumoto City funded a project to create a MTB Park inside the former Igaya Ski Resort (Igaya Recreation Land). The local Youth Committee and Tourism board have been working to think of ideas to help create new business markets here and thats where the Norikura Bike Park Project started. With some planning help from our friend Mashi (Trail Cutter) we were able to build beginner and intermediate lines.
This event was originally planned as a “free” local event but eventually was made into sponsored event as it got picked up by Transition Bikes via their Japanese importer LOVE BIKES and the event management company Dynaco. Ryo Uchijima (Dynaco) played a big part in getting the first official MTB Enduro race to happen in Japan.