A story told by Vitor Büchli:
Welcome back to my blog series about the most exciting mountain bike events in Europe! This time I'm heading up north - to Norway, where I experienced two incredibly exciting events.
Huckfest at Hilbilly Bikepark – The end of an era?
Huckfest, which took place at Hilbilly Bikepark near Ål from August 8-11, 2024, had a special meaning this year: it was the last time the festival was held. The event had been held annually for fifteen years (I haven't even been riding MTB for that long myself). This fact gave the whole festival a unique atmosphere. Although the weather didn't play along - one day full of rain and the other with strong winds that made it difficult to really enjoy the big jumps - the atmosphere was fantastic.
By the way, I didn't choose the official campsite. After looking at the muddy field, I had my doubts about whether I would be able to get out of there again. And in the end, it actually turned out to be a wise decision, because I was able to relax in peace in the evening after the parties and didn't have to fight my way out of the mud at the end.
Moreover, luckily, Huckfest is not just about the big jumps. Events like the Huck-to-Flat and the Death Grip Challenge were absolutely worth seeing! And the evening concerts made up for the cold nights, especially Ash Olsen's performance was amazing! I took part in the Dual Slalom myself, but skipped the Fest session due to the unpredictable wind conditions. Instead, I enjoyed the upper sections of the bike park - the Tech Gnar trails alone are worth the 22-hour trip north. They always remind me of the Squamish Trails in Canada and make me feel like I'm riding a small version of the Tour de Gnar.
And the best part: After the event, some friends and I were able to extend our stay in the bike park. The next day we had perfect weather with blue skies and the entire park to ourselves. Magnus, one of the event organizers, even provided us with a side-by-side to shuttle ourselves up. A huge thank you goes to Magnus for this great opportunity! It was just brilliant to do a few extra laps and pull tricks on the jumps. We were able to enjoy the FEST line for six hours straight.
B-RAGE in Trysil – pure sun and action
Just three weeks later I went to Trysil for the B-RAGE session on the line of the same name. After all the rain in Norway I was so happy to finally experience an event in sunshine! Ironically I had left Switzerland just as summer was starting there, only to continue on in cold and rainy Norway - but it was worth it!
On Thursday I arrived and did a few leisurely laps on the B-RAGE Line to get used to the jumps. It was nice to see some familiar faces from Huckfest and other events I've attended this year. At Fru Skjæraasen I found the perfect place in Trysil to start each day with a delicious coffee and some great pastries. For the duration of the event, I probably became their most loyal customer.
Friday was all about training and having fun at Trysil Bike Park. We opened the new red jump line and in the evening enjoyed the riders' dinner at Barbaccoas, which was organized by the event organizers. After dinner there was an additional highlight: around midnight the Northern Lights suddenly appeared in the sky - even more incredible at this time of year and so far south because of their rarity!
On Saturday, things really got going with the B-RAGE sessions in the morning and afternoon. The line is amazing, you can ride it all day without getting tired of it. Only pushing it up takes a lot of effort. I am particularly proud of not having had any accidents and of having landed tricks like backflip variations, nac nacs and un-turn downs on the big jumps. After the awards ceremony and a well-deserved break, we went to the Trysil Festival to round off the event.
On Sunday I finished the weekend for myself with a few more easy laps and enjoyed the B-RAGE line one last time before I had to say goodbye to Trysil for at least a year. Unfortunately I will probably have to wait that long before I can return to Norway - far too long if you ask me! I still have some scores to settle with Norway and if the opportunity arises I will gladly return to these bike parks.
I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed driving. Norway really has a lot to offer and I look forward to telling you about the next events!
