Rain, mud make Arctic Valley Downhill all the more fun

But Kevin Murphy bombed down the Arctic Valley from the top of Chair 3 in a little more than four minutes to easily capture the inaugural Arctic Valley Downhill Mountain Bike Race on Sunday.

"It was definitely muddy after a day of rain," said organizer Miguel Ramos, 25, who was born and raised in Homer. "As it got more ridden in, it got muddier and muddier. But there were some lines where people got traction and were able to stick on the bike path."

The race was a first for the Arctic Valley Ski Area and signals a blossoming of downhill biking in Southcentral. On Sept. 19, Alyeska Ski Resort will open its tram to mountain bikers for the first time. The tram will carry riders up the 2,200 feet between noon and 5 p.m.

Ramos rode at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., a team that won three collegiate national mountain bike championships while he was there, competing against two dozen other schools in a sport not sanctioned by the NCAA.

Now Ramos is trying to help grow the sport in Alaska.

"There seems to be a gap between a real downhill course and a more cross-country-oriented course," said Ramos, who thought some riders weren't prepared for a downhill that included a steep section and an off-camber rock section - but no jumps.

"If anything, it's a fairly intermediate or beginner course. In fact, it's one of the tamest courses I've seen - even though it was steep, loose and really fast," Ramos said. "What made it hard is the muddy conditions."

Some 23 riders took the plunge on Sunday, taking two trial runs before racing.

Murphy finished in 4:09, with Jeremy Howe (4:27) in second and Ahannon Dixon (4:29) third.

"He definitely had a downhill specific bike, which helps a lot," Ramos said of Murphy. "We had some people with cross-country-style bikes, who weren't too happy with the terrain. That's just not the weapon of choice."

Downhill bikes typically weigh 35 to 42 pounds and feature full-suspension and frames that lean back farther than other mountain bikes.

Downhill bikes also ride much lower than cross-country bikes, enabling them to be more stable at higher speeds and corner well. Ramos suggested some riders lower their seats to better approximate a downhill bike.

Despite the newness of it all, Ramos considered the day a success.

"After the rain we had the day before, I was really impressed with the turnout," Ramos said. "I can only imagine what it would be like if it was a beautiful bluebird day."

Arctic Valley Downhill Mountain Bike Race

Sunday at Arctic Valley

1) Kevin Murphy, 4:09; 2) Jeremy Howe, 4:27; 3) Ahannon Dixon, 4:29; 4) Randy Burnham, 4:55; 5) Jason Mudal, 5:02; 6) Adam Hoke, 5:22; 7) Mike Jenson, 5:26; 8) Allen Garrett, 5:30; 9) Jacob Young, 5:35; 10) Rory Marenco, 5:41; 11) Allen Hanson, 5:59; 12) Adam Johnson, 6:02; 13) Joshua Dearnley, 6:03; 14) David Fredrickson, 6:21; 15) Brendon Carroll, 6:25; 16) Mark Elfstrom, 6:37; 17) Brent Andrews, 6:56; 18) Mathew Garrett, 7:09; 19) J.P. Lee, 8:05; 20) Jessie Donahue, 8:11; 21) Cory Kucora, 8:41; 22) Jed Ullrich, 8:45; 23) Doug Gray, 10:05.