Cannonball MTB Festival Day Three: Pump Track Fire and Downhill Seeding Shake-Up
Sunset pump track battles and a brutal downhill seeding shake-up
Photography by Clancy Kelly
Day three at the Cannonball MTB Festival in Thredbo delivered two very different flavours of chaos. Sunset pump track intensity followed by a brutal five-minute downhill seeding run that reminded everyone just how physical this mountain really is.
Oakley Pump Track Challenge Lights Up
The Oakley Pump Track Challenge rolled into last light, with riders charging the sculpted course under a tightly packed crowd. Even with just one lane, the racing didn’t lack drama. When margins are measured in hundredths of a second, every pump, manual and exit speed matters.
The atmosphere built as the final riders dropped in, with the festival’s depth of talent on full display. In the end, it was ex and current Pump Track World Champions Ryan Gilchrist and Sabina Kosarkova who claimed victory, proving once again how well that explosive power translates.
Ethan Aleckson looked on track for a strong result but took a heavy slam in the deteriorating right-hander, a reminder that even small mistakes can bite when the course starts to break down.
Downhill Seeding Sets the Tone
Earlier in the day, attention shifted to Downhill seeding. Riders weren’t quite at full tilt, but on a track pushing five minutes in length, even a controlled run takes its toll.
In the Elite Men, Troy Brosnan set the benchmark, with Pivot Factory’s Dylan Maples slotting into second. Maples raced here in 2024, but this time it was his teammate Jenna Hastings who stamped authority on the hill.
Hastings owned the women’s seeding run, putting a full two seconds into Sian A’Hern, with Elleni Turkovic not far behind. The women’s field remains stacked, and with the Queen of Cannonball title still up for grabs, every run counts.
Remy Meier-Smith seeded ninth despite limited practice laps, finishing five seconds off the top time. With the top five Elite Men all inside the same second after nearly five minutes of racing, tomorrow’s finals are shaping up to be tight.
In the Under 19s, Team High Country’s Ryder Wilson made a statement, putting three seconds into the next closest rider despite not having the luxury of home track knowledge.
With seeding done and pump track titles decided, Cannonball heads into finals day with everything still to play for.
