Race Report: Psychosis 25th Anniversary

With gratitude, the Golden Cycling Club would like to acknowledge that the trails we recreate on are on the homelands of the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc people and the chosen home of the Metis Nation Columbia River Society.

Photography: Joe Roberts, Nathan Skillen, Jake Paddon
Words: Golden Cycling Club, Jake Paddon

The Psychosis 25th Anniversary, where do we even start? Coming into this event, there was an unexplainable energy in the Golden, B.C. air. A feeling of excitement and nervousness, mixed with the memories of years past. Psychosis, the world's wildest downhill race was back, and this 25th Anniversary celebration was going to be like no other!

For those who need a quick history lesson, Psychosis was first raced in 1999. It quickly gained fame as one of the most physically demanding and technically challenging downhill races in the world. Over the years, legendary riders like Chris Kovarik, Stevie Smith, Sam Hill, Tyler Morland, and Claire Buchar left their mark on this treacherous course. It was a true test of man and machine. The course still resembles that of its early days, covering 7.3km with 1200m of vertical descent. It includes an 80-degree scree slope, a mid-run hike-a-bike, and fast, tight and high-consequence straights.

Leading into the 25th Anniversary event, the question on everyone’s mind was whether Chris Kovarik's 2008 course record of 12:35.14 would still stand come Monday. The overwhelming consensus was no, but nobody really had a strong idea of who it would be on top of the podium. Only time would tell.

Sitting at the summit of Mount 7, waiting for the countdown, is a feeling like no other. 3...2...1... and it's on! There's no time to warm up, no time to work into things. You are straight into one of the wildest chutes known to mountain biking; Dead Dog. Local legend Mark "Rabbit" Ewan had the honour of being the first rider to drop and lead out the 26er racers. As if this course isn't scary enough, this crew battled it out on small wheels and narrow bars. Steve Mitchell dropped in on what was quite possibly the coolest bike of the weekend, an old-school Devinci Big Bang. Rumour has it that not a single bike in this category had head tube routing - those were the days, aye! It was tight racing at the pointy end of things. Kieran Fraser took the win over Golden Local Alexander Schmidt by just 6 seconds, after a bonkers 14 minutes of racing! Fun fact: Alexander competed in every Psychosis from 2001 - 2010. What a legend!

The next crew to drop were the hardtail racers - quite possibly the bravest racers of the weekend. Nine brave souls dropped in, each of them earning honorary "legend" status just for making it to the finish. Sam Meghji held on for the fastest time, ahead of Jose Letelier, and Sandor Boros.

Things were starting to heat up! The Psycho Women were next, and they meant business! Chandrima Lavoie got proceedings underway and immediately set a blistering time that was eventually good enough for third place. Freerider Hannah Bergemann and Joy Attalla put their best wheel forward, taking fifth and fourth respectively. Golden Local Julie Marshal put down an impressive time, taking second place - is there anything this woman cannot do on two wheels? But the ride of the day went to Jenn McHugh, with an unbelievable time of 14:54.03. Jenn is undoubtedly one of the most composed riders on a bike. Nothing phases her. Congratulations Jenn, that was an impressive ride!

The course claimed its fair share of riders, but at the end of the day, the history books were re-written as the course record fell. Jonathan Helly crossed the line with an astounding 11:06.85, nearly a minute and a half faster than Kovarik's 2008 time. As a last-minute replacement rider, Johnathan dropped early and had a long, nervous wait as rider after rider crossed the finish line, unable to beat his time. The Psycho Men's field was stacked with previous racers. 2008's second-place finisher Nick Quinn was back for redemption, as well as Reg Mullet, Andy Bostock, Paul Kerfoot, Tyler Paksi, Ryan Anderson and so many others. The new generation was out to prove a point, though! Seth Sherlock, Luke Stevens, and Johnathan Helly were all separated by less than 10 seconds. An insane margin across such a long, physical course. It was clear what this win meant to Johnathan - a childhood dream come true!

Psychosis represents so much more than a race to everyone who gets an opportunity to be a part of it. It's a chance for each rider to test themselves against the mountain, a chance to see friends we haven't seen in far too long, and most importantly, a chance to ride our bikes downhill…because downhill’s not dead! This is a weekend we will never forget. It's not goodbye, just see you next time. When that may be, only time will tell.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Psychosis 25th Anniversary short film dropping soon!




















































About The Golden Cycling Club
The Golden Cycling Club works to promote opportunities for mountain biking in and around Golden, BC, while also acting as stewards of the trails. The area boasts 4 trail networks and a bike park. With such a diverse selection, there is truly something for every rider in Golden.

If you would like to donate to the Golden Cycling Club, please visit the website.

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