Kids the winners as Maydena Hardline mountain biking event gets charity edge

It’s billed as the world’s toughest mountain bike event, drawing thousands of spectators each year and reaching millions globally. It’ll happen outside of the UK for the first time.

Mountain biker pro rider Darcy Coutts. Picture: Chris Kidd

It’s billed as the world’s toughest mountain bike event, drawing thousands of spectators each year and reaching a global audience of 40 million viewers.

Now, the decade-old Red Bull Hardline will be run outside the UK for the very first time, at a purpose-built track in Tasmania’s upper Derwent Valley next weekend.

Maydena Bike Park managing director, Simon French, said his team had been in “full blown” preparation mode for the last three months to host an event that until now has only been raced in the Dyfi Valley, Wales.

Mr French explained that Hardline had been founded by international mountain biking’s royalty family – the Athertons – to push the limits of what is already the most extreme of sports.

Joe Smith performs at Red Bull Hardline July 2023, Dinas Mawddwy, Wales. Picture: Nathan Hughes.

“Their view was that World Cup racing wasn’t pushing riders as far as they could be pushed,” Mr French said.

“So Hardline was created to take things to the very limit of what is possible on a bike.

“Red Bull have been trying for quite some time to bring the event to a second venue, and they found us.

“It’s massive, and is far and away the biggest mountain bike event ever held in Australia.

“There’s an amazing list of athletes from all around the world, both male and female, who are the cream of crop in downhill and freeride.”

Mr French said the Red Bull creative team was always hunting for the best visual elements possible, and found them in the stunning temperate rainforests and steep terrain of Maydena.

Once the unique event was confirmed for Tasmania, Mr French’s Maydena Bike Park crew went into overdrive to design and build a course from scratch.

And the specifications were nothing like the experienced track-builder had ever seen.

“It’s very rare that you get a brief that says ‘take things to the absolute limit’,” Mr French said.

“The design is groundbreaking, and is definitely the most progressive and extreme downhill racecourse in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the most extreme in the world.

“There are huge jumps, big drops, high-speed sections, there’s a 25m jump over a creek, and another one over a road.”

Dan Booker at Maydena Bike Park. Picture: Ryan Finlay

Star Tasmanian rider Dan Booker has returned from his New Zealand training base to take his place among the Maydena line-up, and said he was equal parts excited and nervous to take on the world’s best at Hardline.

The 26-year-old said could not believe the new track when he saw it, describing its scale as “insane”.

“It’s hard to wrap your head around how it’s going to feel riding jumps that big,” Mr Booker said.

“But the course looks awesome and the guys who have built it have done an amazing job.

“For Tassie this is event huge, and growing up here I didn’t ever dream that something like this would come here.

Tasmanian Dan Booker celebrates his second place finish in round one of the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup in Maydena. Picture: Dan Hearn (UCI World Mountain Bike Series)

“So Tasmania is definitely on the map now.”

Mr French said the 2.5km long course had been built on a previously logged section of hillside, resulting in a greatly reduced environmental impact.

Up to 15 locally based staff have been employed during the construction phase, with a 50-strong event crew signed up to deliver what is expected to be a sellout event next weekend.

And the track was not the only thing that required construction ahead of Hardline’s Tasmanian debut.

“Maydena is a tiny town, so a lot of things we have just had to build from scratch,” Mr French said.

“The athletes are all in a purpose-built glamping village, and we’ve had to put together electrical grids, a laundromat, and all manner of things.”

One of those local builders will also be stepping into the saddle next weekend after being named as Tasmanian wildcard entrant.

Mountain biker pro rider Darcy Coutts. Picture: Chris Kidd

And Darcy Coutts will be backing a very worthy cause as he careers down the mountainside.

Mr Coutts said he first met Run For Kids founder Tim Blair at a recent 24-hour charity ride at Maydena, and decided he would use his appearance at Hardline to help raise the charity’s profile.

“At first I was just going to wear the Run For Kids logo on my jersey, but then my sponsors donated $6000 worth of prizes for a raffle as well,” Coutts said.

“All money raised will go to the foundation.

“Tim is the most genuine guy, and I want to help him out as much as I can.”

Mr Blair said he was especially grateful for Mr Coutts’s interest in the Run For Kids cancer research charity, and for his support in wearing the organisation’s gold logo next weekend.

“Darcy approached me and asked what he could do to help out with raising money and awareness for the foundation,” Mr Blair said.

“I was absolutely blown away, because he will be on the world stage.

“To have someone of Darcy’s calibre want to get involved is pretty special to be honest.”