CALGARY – A brand new and completely free event is taking place on Saturday morning that organizers say is the first time a motorsports race has ever taken place in Calgary.
Red Bull Outliers, a head-to-head competition featuring professional and amateur motocross athletes, brings a different challenge to riders because it is the first-ever Enduro event to take place in a city landscape.
The track, built by local pro-rider Shane Cuthbertson, is a custom closed course that has a number of technical elements riders will need to navigate to win.
"We basically have taken any obstacle you'll find in nature and we brought it to the city and put it in a closed course. We have the racers trying to conquer Mother Nature's obstacles."
He adds the event is also supposed to showcase the sport in Calgary and Canada as a whole.
The snowy and wet weather is just another one of the challenges, he says.
"The course is actually quite simple when it's dry. As soon as the wetness get on the obstacles, that makes it about 50 times harder."
Over 200 riders are expected to participate for their chance at $20,000 in cash prizes.
The event is being held with the support of Tourism Calgary and the Calgary Downtown Association.
"This event is unlike anything we've ever hosted in the core of the city and we look forward to sharing it with Calgarians and visitors," said Carson Ackroyd, senior vice-president of sales at Tourism Calgary in a release.
The first day of the event runs from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Once the competition is done on Saturday, riders will go to another track set up near Dinosaur Provincial Park in Steveville, Alta. for the second day of the race.
Further information about the event can be found online.
