Echidna Park opens for riders as Geraldton hosts round five of the WA Gravity Enduro series

The WA Gravity Enduro made the trip north to Geraldton for round five of its State championships as riders of all ages took on the special Echidna Park course. The event saw an impressive turnout of nearly 400 riders. With the venue inaccessible to the public for the remainder of the year, the competition provided a unique opportunity to ride in one of the State’s most picturesque settings. Racers tackled a challenging 15km track consisting of eight technical stages with the weather conditions nothing short of perfect amid clear skies and a lack of wind on race day. Bailey Christie and Heidi Strickland took out the men’s and women’s elite State champ titles, respectively, with Christie backing up his win from the second Enduro event at Goat Farm. Several local athletes achieved podium finishes in their respective categories including Louise Turner and Fleur Bishop, who secured silver medals, while Bevan Orchard claimed a well-deserved bronze. Reflecting on the triumph of this year’s State champs, organisers expressed their commitment to elevating the event’s stature even further in the years to come. One of the organisers and local mountain bike rider Josh Phillips was delighted with how the event went. “It was an incredible weekend as much as I would’ve liked a medal to hang in the garage, the real reward for me was seeing so many people, from beginners to current Enduro World Series competitors having such a great time on our trails,” he said. “I was also pretty stoked with my fourth place in the Elite category.” Local rider Clare Mc Elhinney won the entry welcome women category in her first-ever competition. “As my first time competing in Enduro, it was challenging but fun, it’s a sport for all ages and more and more women are getting involved, we can’t let the blokes have all the fun!” she said. The series will now head back to Perth for its sixth event which will be held at Mt Brown.