Well into their sixth season, you can feel the excitement from the Galbraith Gravity Racing (GGR) team as they congregate in Galbraith’s South Side parking lot.
Participants mingle and play on their bikes, doing “parking lot jibs” and “no dab” games as they wait for coach Eric Olsen to lead them onto the mountain.
The youth riders split into two groups, with the under-15 members (U15) pre-riding the racecourse before the coming weekend, while the U18s are tasked with a bigger ride: Going up and over to the top of the mountain and back down to the parking lot, with skills and drills in between.
Olsen, World Cup Enduro racer and owner of JANK Components, leads the U18 athletes at a driven pace up the mountain, stopping briefly to regroup with the 15 riders in tow. Tor Weiland and Wells Tanner, local professional riders and GGR coaches, take up the rear of the group and make sure none of the riders get left behind.
Just out of the parking lot, an over-excited 16-year-old takes a tumble in the crosswalk and forces his handlebars loose. Further up the mountain, a student’s chain falls off his drivetrain. With a group this talented, it’s not a problem for the riders to catch back up to their peers once they’ve fixed their bikes.
As Olsen chats with riders on their way up the mountain, he makes note of the program’s beginnings.
“[GGR] started as a way to offer race-focused youth downhill and enduro mountain bike coaching in Bellingham,” Olsen said.
Previously, the Washington State Cycling League (WSCL) offered cross-country-focused racing and coaching. But in Bellingham, that’s not what the local youth athletes were interested in.
“The type of terrain we have here is unique,” Olsen said. “Cross-country mountain biking wasn’t appealing to the kids and parents.”
Bellingham is home to Galbraith Mountain, a training ground for hundreds of local riders and dozens of worldwide mountain bike racers. With a focus on gravity racing, GGR doesn’t pull any punches on its development goals for youth athletes.
“We’re a race-focused program,” program director Matt Shepherd said, “but we offer kids the ability to advance into coaching or other opportunities with GGR. It’s a great way to balance the demands of racing and what the kids are naturally drawn to. We’ve even got athletes who have expressed interest in taking photos and videos instead of racing on the weekends. For many of these kids, anything they do for us outside of practice and racing is their first job. It’s an awesome community to be part of.”
The program is volunteer-managed, donation-funded and emphasizes giving athletes a positive experience on the mountain.
“We’re not necessarily trying to emulate the traditional club sports model,” Olsen said. “Burnout from club sports is something I’ve experienced in my past, and it’s easy for kids and parents to fall into the same trap.”
Instead, Eric focuses on experiential learning and uses his experience as a World Cup enduro racer to guide athletes through challenging scenarios and race obstacles.
“A lot of our athletes are involved in organized sports during the school year or vacation with their families in the summer,” Eric explained. “We have to find a balance between what GGR offers and the other activities the kids do.”
On weekends through the spring and summer, GGR hosts youth races, allowing kids from around the Pacific Northwest area to compete against each other and the clock. During the week, programming is Monday through Thursday.
Older athletes often step up and express their interest in taking on coaching duties — something unique to the GGR program.
“We encourage and help some of the high school students obtain their certifications and coach the younger groups,” Shepherd said. “It shows them there’s more to do in the sport than just race.”
GGR focuses on events like Crankworx in Whistler, NW Cup downhill and Race Cascadia enduros throughout the PNW. The NW Cup is the largest downhill event in the United States, with more than 600 adult and youth athletes participating during race weekend. As defending NW Cup team champions, GGR takes pride in seeing its athletes shine at local races while setting them up for success in national competitions.
Some of GGR’s athletes and coaches move on to professional teams or advanced programs throughout the world, like coach JT Fisher. Fisher races for Yeti bicycles out of Colorado, and placed second in the U21 category at the Finale Legure World Cup Enduro race in Italy May 10–12.
“Seeing results like that on the world stage is huge,” team president Dave Simeur said. “It’s a big part of why there’s so much excitement surrounding the program.”
Worldwide racing isn’t the only thing GGR athletes are exposed to. Some older athletes will raise their hand for optional coaching sessions, where Olsen takes a few riders on longer and more challenging trails — similar to those encountered during unfamiliar racecourses across the continent.
“Coaching the kids is a great way for me to stay sharp on my skills. I have to practice what I preach,” Olsen said as he led a small group into steeper terrain.
With an eye for increased competition, GGR is helping to start similar youth development programs throughout the PNW.
Running GGR isn’t without its challenges, but COVID helped propel the program from a group of 20 youth riders to more than 60 by the end of its third year. The program has more than 100 riders today.
“Biking was one of the only things people could do [during COVID],” Simeur said, “and we’ve embraced the energy and enthusiasm the kids and their parents bring to the table.”
GGR offers youth athletes an affordable 14-week spring program consisting of skills, drills and race-specific training.
Those interested in getting involved or signing up are encouraged to visit GGR’s website. A buy-and-sell community exists within GGR to give youth better, more affordable access to the bikes that make racing possible.
Casey Griesemer writes monthly. Email: caseyg2014@gmail.com.
