BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Interscholastic Cycling League finished up their fall season Saturday, as teams and fans packed Bogus Basin for the Mountain Bike Racing State Championship.
Middle and high school kids came from all over Idaho and beyond to compete one last time this fall in this relatively new competitive sport.
"It has been amazing, there were just a few teams five years ago and now there are more than 700 kids," Coach Jason Dykehouse from Wood River said.
A racer from the McCall Composite team says they started practicing in the beginning of the summer, and racing requires both mental and physical attributes.
Spectators were also impressed with the venue at Bogus Basin, helping to fuel the racers.
"I mean it is a great experience you have, to go to some big national levels to get this big of a group and this much cheering," McCall sophomore Alden Fisher said. "It is a great experience to be able to do this in high school."
The sportsmanship on display proved mountain biking is more about camaraderie and developing young athletes than it is about winning.
"Our main goal is just to instill a love of cycling for the kids and that they learn that this is a lifetime sport," Dykehouse said.
To really get a feel for what the state championship was like check out the video.
Here is a linkto the Idaho Scholastic League's website where you can find the results from not only the state championship, but every race this season.
