After a decade of drawing some of the world’s best downhill racers, and testing their skills, endurance and courage, the infamous Mt. 7 Psychosis race went dormant in 2008. That is, until the Crankworx Summer Series brought it back to life on August 5^th, with 25 courageous athletes taking to the challenge.

The fabled course drops riders over 1200 vertical meters over the course of 7 kilometers, including super steep and loose sections, gnarly roots, a climb (or hike a bike), along with mandatory rock drops and road gaps. It is certainly not a race for the faint of heart.

When the riding all was said done, Norco Factory Team DH athlete Henry Fitzgerald took home the win by nearly 10 seconds, setting the course record of 11:19.191 in the process and writing his name in the latest chapter of DH racing folklore.

“It was so hard. I felt like I was going to die ... Sat down a few times, but tried as hard as I could” – said a breathless Fitzgerald from the hot seat.  

“It’s so awesome being part of the rebirth of such a cool event. I was really impressed with how fun the track was to ride – even though it sent me deep into the hurt locker. I can’t wait to come back! (Kind of).” – Henry Fitzgerald

Henry’s teammates Lucas Cruz and Elliot Jamieson came down within one second of each other, to take strong 6^th and 7^th place finishes, respectively, while on the Women’s field, enduro specialist Lucy Schick reached outside her typical comfort zone to take a 7^th place finish.

"It was a real honour to race Psychosis honestly. I used to watch 'Seasons' on repeat as a kid, and the Psychosis segment always captured my imagination. To be a part of the first race down it since 2008 is one of the coolest things I've ever done." - Lucas Cruz

“One of the coolest races and days of my life! So hyped Lucas, Henry and I made it down smooth and we are all so fired up for Henry taking the win!” - Elliot Jamieson

The Clif Crankworx Summer Series concludes next week at the Sun Peaks Bike Park outside of Kamloops, BC. Hit Crankworx.com for more information on the remainder of the series.

Photography by Clint Trahan and Chris Pilling