Northwest Notes June 22, 2021

Coeur d'Alene rider fourth at enduro dirt bike race

KELLOGG — Colton Haaker of Coeur d’Alene took fourth in the Pro Men's class in an enduro dirt bike race at the Stix & Stones Silver Mountain Xtreme Challenge last weekend at Silver Mountain.

Trystan Hart of Michigan and Kylee Sweeten of Oregon took first place in the Pro Men’s and Pro Women’s categories.

The Stix & Stones Silver Mountain Xtreme Challenge is the largest hard enduro race in North America and is now featured on the American Motorcyclist Association’s West Extreme Championship Series schedule as a qualifier for the Grand Championship at the Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro in Sequatchie, Tenn.

Hard enduro is considered one of the most challenging forms of motorcycle racing. It features an off-road format with extreme terrain and obstacles designed to push the world’s most elite riders out of their comfort zones.

Five hundred twenty-five racers from as far away as Brazil converged at Silver Mountain Resort for two days of enduro riding across Kellogg and Wardner peaks last Saturday and Sunday. The race started with a parade through town on Saturday morning as riders made their way up to the starting line at 5,500 feet.

The first class to race was the amateur class on Saturday morning of which the top 20 percent of times qualified for an afternoon hot lap with the pro class. The best 194 finishers were welcomed back on Sunday morning to race the pro level course that featured creek crossings, shale fields, and an endurocross skills section where spectators cheered on competitors as they navigated logs, tires, and mud. Out of the 194 who started the race on Saturday, 142 finished.

Mario Roman (Spain), Cody Webb (California), Haaker and Teodor Kabakchiev (Bulgaria) rounded out the top five in a competitive men’s pro class. Louise Forsley (Massachusetts) and Dayne Toney (Idaho) were part of the only three women riders to finish the pro course on Sunday.

A mere 10 seconds separated Trystan Hart and Mario Roman with final times of 105 minutes, 30 seconds and 105 minutes, 40 seconds, respectively.

The Stix & Stones Silver Mountain Xtreme Challenge first started in 2016, making this the fifth installment of the race after being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Pickleball tourney

in Coeur d'Alene nears

COEUR d'ALENE — The 2021 Coeur d'Alene Classic pickleball tournament is scheduled for July 8-11 at Cherry Hill Park.

The registration deadline is June 30. Register at pickleballtournaments.com. The tournament is hosted by the Inland Northwest Pickleball Club.

The free weekly round robin (rotational play) sessions are continuing during the summer and into the fall. Sessions are organized by skill level. All players are welcome. Sign up via SignUpGenius.com. Further information at INWPC.com

Weekly 2-hour coaching sessions for prospective players will resume for the summer session of 4 weeks from July 19 to Aug. 9. Instruction sessions are given from beginner to more advanced skill levels. Anyone wanting to improve his/her game is welcome to sign up through the Coeur d’Alene Parks and Rec department. The cost is $10 for 8 hours of coaching.

Information: INWPC.com