Breckenridge, Colo.– The Colorado State Championships is coming to Granby Ranch, SolVista Ski Basin and SolVista Bike Park August 1-3. 2008 brings a whole new venue with purpose-built courses for DH, SD, DS and XC, and a sneak peek at some of terrain that will be a part of the 2009 National Mountain Bike Championships. This is the weekend where champions will be crowned in all events including The Momentum Trail Concepts Moustache Cup, The Dale’s Pale Ale Beer Crit, and the unofficial Pump Track World Championships.
Registration deadlines will be strongly abided to so we can ensure races start on time. Please make sure you show up to registration with more than an hour before your start time. DH and SD practice will be open Thursday and Friday and on-site registration and packet pickup begins Friday at 9 a.m.

What to expect for courses?

The DH course will have two tracks, one for Sport and Beginner and another for Expert and Pro, so there will be double the practice and new sections to highlight the best sections of the new downhill trails the folks at SolVista have diligently built and improved over the past few years. The crew is proud to also present the best Dual Slalom track in North America, and this year the show will be extended into the night with lights crowning the winner.
The XC course will consist of 5-7 miles and approximately 1000 feet of elevation gain per lap. With a end-of-lap parade ‘mini-loop’ and riders coming through about every half and our, this will be the best XC spectator race of the season. The Super D course will be a mix of singletrack and double track scattered through the course, which winds its way down to the bottom of the DH course for the last whoops, berms and table top to the finish line.

The Moustache Cup?

The Moustache Cup will be the prime event of the week as participants have been training for weeks. Classes include senior men (17+); junior men (16 and under) and women. Points will be awarded for fullness, style, creativity and creepyness and awards will take place with the Dual Slalom awards on Saturday at 8 p.m. A live band, Beer Crit and super-raffle will keep it rolling into the night. The Pump Track World Championships will commence Saturday afternoon prior to Dual Slalom State Championships.

Lodging Available

There will be camping available adjacent to the base area. It will cost $10/car for the entire weekend and include potable water, a wash station, portable toilets and trash facilities, however no RV hookups. RV Campgrounds are available nearby in Granby. SolVista has plenty of accommodations on site and great deals available all weekend. Call 80-926-4386 for Resort Management Group and 888-878-3077 for The Inn at Silver Creek.

State Championships and Series Championships Gear Program

We’ve got a whole new MSC Series and Colorado State Champions gear program up and running. The good folks at Primalwear have designed a complete line for all you knuckleheads. If you win a series or state title at either Sol Vista (DH, XC, SD, DS & SS) or Eldora (STXC) you get to order a jersey of your choice at no cost and are also eligible to order additional championship gear (thermal jackets, arm warmers, leg warmers, feather boas, skinsuits, wonder bras, etc) from Primal.
Each winner will receive an order packet detailing the program. There are more details posted on the homepage at www.racemsc.com. Several other series sponsors will be participating in the Mountain States Cup Champions Gear Program and will be slipping their proforms into your order packets at the conclusion of the season. We’ll even make some proforms available to folks who make the podium.

Mountain States Cup Photo Contest
Presented by Devon Balet Photo and Mountain Flyer

Image capture is a huge part of cycling’s culture. From the lines of suffering and 1000-yard stare etched on a cross-country rider’s face to the roost of dirt kicked out the back as a DH’er exits a turn, people with cameras always seem to be there to record the essence of our movement, grace, vitality and yes, suffering of our sport. Digital cameras have made a journeyman of the rank and file. Some of the stuff we’ve seen from your lenses has ignited our passion, both for the bike and for the camera. Now we’re asking you to let us see the MSC through your eyes.

Categories:
- Action: DH, DS/MX, SD and XC
- Lifestyle: capturing the lifestyle/vibe of mountain bike racing
- Photoshopped/Photochopped: get your digital freak on

Rules:
- Minimal to no post production. We want to see what your camera captured. For those who love their Photoshop there is a category for you
- Contestants don’t get photo credentials. Please stay off the courses and be conscious of racers, especially when using flashes.
- Work with other photographers, media personal, event staff and spectators. We’re all here to have fun.
- Contestants must submit their images no later than 12am midnight Monday, September 8th

Judging:
Winners will be judged on the following criteria: exposure, focus, cropping and capturing the moment. Mountain Flyer’s staff and Devon Balet will judge the submissions and select the winners.

Fee:
$25 gets you six images, ONE for each category. Fee is set, no matter if you enter one or all six categories.

Prizes:
We’ve got a JBL Ipod dock plus a generous grab bag of goodies from MSC sponsors like Yeti, Crank Brothers, Santa Cruz and more. Winners will also receive a lifetime subscription to the Rocky Mountains finest MTB publication, “Mountain Flyer”. Winners from each category will be featured in the December issue of Mountain Flyer.

Image Submission:
File transmission details to follow. Submission guidelines are as follows:
- We will accept digital images only. If you shoot slide or print film, you will need to provide a low-resolution scan for judging and a high resolution scan of the image for print if your image is selected.
- Original Photos must be shot at high resolution. 5 mega pixel minimum at high quality jpeg or RAW setting.
- First round image submissions must be submitted as follows: Jpeg 300dpi, reduced to no more than 600 pixels in the longest dimension OR max file size of 3MB, whichever is smaller.
- Winners will need to submit full resolution images for publication.
- Please do not “save for web” as it will create loss of image quality.
- Your submissions are judged as submitted

Terms and Conditions:
- Photo files should be titled in a way that briefly describes the content of the image.
- You must properly credit the actual photographer.
- Contestants agree to submit only photos they themselves have taken.
- Submission of plagiarized material will result in a contestant being banned from further contests. And the MSC. And Valhalla. And Candyland.
- Decisions of the judges are final. You big dummy.
- By submitting a photo, contestants agree to grant one-time rights to Mountain Flyer Magazine, Secret Agent Publishing LLC, Mountain States Cup, and Big Foot Productions for the publishing of the image in Mountain Flyer Magazine and/or display of photos in web galleries on racemsc.com and/or mountainflyer.com. Web galleries may remain posted for as long as contest organizers deems appropriate.
- All other ownership rights remain the property of the photographer.

source: Sarah Rawley