EWS on track despite landslip
• The significant landslip in Derby wiping out popular trail Air-Ya-Garn late last month. Image Jeff Jennings.
By Taylor Clyne
November 02, 2022
The Enduro World Series (EWS) is set to go ahead in April despite more than a half a million dollars’ worth of damage on the Blue Derby mountain bike trails caused by multiple landslips last month.
The three worst hit trails included new green flow tack Hazy Days that was yet to be opened, Axe-Head and the bottom half of Air-Ya-Garn which won trail of the year in 2019.
EWS event organiser Ian Harwood was in the town last week to assess the site, meet with key community members and the Premier.
“Prior to the 2017 EWS Derby event we came here in late 2016 and changed a lot of the trail planning, so that all got delivered in a short amount of time – this will be no different,” he said.
“There is already planning for one new trail underway, and the World Trail guys will be on site shortly to do that.
“As far as the repairs to Air-Ya-Garn and Hazy Days, Hazy Days won’t be a racetrack for us and was never going to be as it’s beginners trail.”
Mayor Greg Howard said Council is having discussions with state and federal governments about acquiring funding for repairs to the trails.
“This was an extraordinary event, caused by an extraordinary amount of rain but we will still need some engineering advice as to how best to stabilise the landslip and re cut the trails,” he said.
“The estimated cost at this point in time is in excess of half a million dollars which would place significant pressure on Council funds if we had to pay for ourselves.”
A second landslip occurred above the steep face of the Briseis Mine Hole just last week, with large rocks plunging down to the trail and nearby Floating Sauna.
Derby’s head of trail maintenance Pete Coleborn said 90 percent of the trails were looking fantastic and held up well.
“A large portion of Hazy Days will be salvageable, and we hope to have the better part of lower Air-Ya-Garn open by summer.
“We will soon be putting the new alignments in for the EWS, it’s going to be pretty exciting.”
“We have lots of events coming up this season kicking off with the Trans Tas, Dragon Trail, EWS, Derbyfest, Enduro, Devils Cardigan and hosting the National Gravel Championship.
“They are all an expansion of the offering here in the North-East and diversifying the product and visitor to the region,” he said.
Mr Harwood added that a new model of mountain biking across Australia would be rolled out this year.
“Chris Paul who is the head of EWS, his company ESO Sports have been brought out by Warner Brothers Discovery.
“That conglomeration now has all the rights to mountain biking for the next eight years.
“That’s all form of mountain biking including downhill, cross country, enduro, etc.
“2023 will see the first roll out of the whole new model of mountain biking.
“What it will look like here in Derby is some changes to the format but as far as what the spectators see it will just raise the production level again,” he said.
“The community can expect a couple hundred of the world’s best riders coming, all the pro teams, all the elite teams – the mountain biking world will be watching Derby.
“This town has grown so much since last time so there are a lot more offerings that will help support the event and the ongoing tourism.”
Alongside the racing the EWS, planned for April 2-3, 2023, will boast live music, food trucks, kids’ events, amateur racing
and more.
EWS event organiser Ian Harwood with Blue Derby Foundation chair Chris Café and head of trail maintenance Pete Coleborn.