More than one hundred racers took to the challenging course at Skibowl in the Oregon State Downhill Mountain Bike Championships.

Multiple categories highlighted the competition held Sept. 23 to 25, and there was a no more intriguing winner than 5-year-old Braden Delzer of Gresham. The diminutive downhiller rode his custom bike to first place in the Cat III (8 and under) division, drawing cheers from the crowd
as he pedaled across the finish line.

The youngest competitor in the event took the crown with professional ease.
“This was fun and I loved it,” Delzer said. “I’d like to do it again.”

Delzer’s bike was built by his father and sponsor, Brad Delzer, of Shiloh
Cyclery in Gresham. Brad was unable to race due to a broken leg so he turned
his attention to his son’s first race, and subsequent victory.

The weather turned from glorious blue skies on Friday and Saturday to
drenching rain on Sunday making for some challenging jumps and drops on
the slick, wooded trails.

Peter Kakes, owner of Hurricane Racing and the Olympic Ski School at
Skibowl, has been the race director of this event since 1989.

“It’s a great venue here on the mountain with 1,400 vertical feet,” Kakes said.
“And it is lift assisted. Other mountain bike races in the Pacific Northwest have
to shuttle the riders in vans, but here you can get on a lift. So this is pretty
unique. And, you have restaurants here, too.”

Competitor Eric Loney of Longview, Washington, sponsored by Project
529/Santa Cruz, began mountain biking seven years ago to stay fit.

“I used to race motor cross and started mountain biking to stay in shape for
that,” Loney said. “But now I have a great time just racing bikes.”

In the Pro Men & Women category, Loney placed second being nudged out of
a first place finish by Mikey Silvestri from Sierraville, California.