All hail, the Silver Kings!

KELLOGG — This past weekend, Silver Mountain was the center of the hard enduro universe as 538 racers representing all 50 states and several countries descended upon Silver Mountain Resort for the annual Silver Kings Hard Enduro races.   

The world of “hard-enduro” style racing is not for the faint of heart.  

It’s extreme terrain, challenging courses, physically and mentally draining and the weather doesn’t always cooperate.  

The three-day event started Thursday as racers paraded through Kellogg, making their way to the summit of Silver Mountain to check out the racecourse and kick off the event.  

The event is open to dirt bike enthusiasts of all ages and walks of life, but it also features the cream of the crop from the hard enduro world. Professional riders Trystan Hart, Ryder Leblond and Will Riordan made their presence known, finishing one, two and three, respectively, in the men’s pro gold division.  

But it wasn’t just the professionals who showed out, local racers Josh Haynes, Cory North, Asher Goodner, Aiden Figueroa, Ty Cheney and Boden Glindemann all finished inside the top 10 of their respective classes. 

North, who finished second in the men’s bronze 40+ division and 11th overall in the bronze division, marveled at the race’s difficulty. 

“Silver Kings has made the course harder every year,” he said. “I love competing in it each year because of the challenges and changes that come with every lap.”  

Silver Mountain Marketing Coordinator Gus Colburn has been heavily involved with the Silver Kings race for the past few years, growing it from being just another stop on the U.S. Hard Enduro Series, to being the biggest hard enduro race in North America.  

“Silver is honored to be the host venue for the biggest hard enduro race in North America and one of the top events in the world,” Colburn said. “The Silver Kings team is very professional and put on a great event. Silver Mountain is looking forward to the continued growth of this event through the hard work of many volunteers, organizers and racers.”  

This time around, Silver Kings changed a few things up to make the event the most successful it has ever been, including adding live timing to help keep tabs on races and racers, as well as expanding the event from two to three days.  

“Silver Kings brings a lot of people into the valley from all over the world,” Colburn said. “Just in the top five, there were people from Hawaii, Spain and Canada. Some of the biggest names in the sport participate in this race because of the reputation of being one of the best venues on the globe for hard enduro. It is pretty special that for one weekend a year, Kellogg becomes the hard enduro motorcycle capital.”  

While the event does bring thousands of spectators into the area, it’s the locals who seem to have the most fun. Whether it’s putting their skills to the test against the very best riders in the world, or just sharing the race weekend with friends new and old, Silver Kings has placed itself near the top of many locals’ favorite Silver Valley events.  

“It is amazing that we get to race locally,” North said. “Silver Kings are all about the community and getting good, hard competition.”