By Polly Lynn
KILLINGTON — Nearly 100 riders entered the 2015 Downhill Throwdown, held on East Mountain Road in Killington, June 6-7. Wearing leather jumpsuits, the racers lined up for qualifying heats to determine who could negotiate the two mile steep winding course the fastest.
Riders came from all over the world to compete at Killington, some as far as Australia and South Africa. In the end, however, it was Lessa, Pross, Charleson, Koch atop the podiums in their respective divisions.
Thiago Lessa, from Brazil, won the open skateboard division of the Downhill Throwdown with “a mixture of smart drafting, clean lines, and a willingness to take ‘tetanus’ corner with zero braking,” according to a review of the race posted by the International Downhill Federation on their website. Emily Pross, from Vernon, N.J., won the women’s division, while Alex Charleson, from Vancouver, Canada, won the Junior’s despite a seriously injured arm. In Street Luge Tim Koch, also from Canada, won after defeating all in a competitive round-robin series.
The track featured blistering speeds; the top speed in skateboard was set by Thiago Lessa at 66mph (110km) and in Street Luge was most riders hit 75mph (120km).
The three-day event was shortened to two days due to forecast of heavy rain, Monday, June 8. For more information and complete results, visit www.internationaldownhillfederation.org.
Photos by Paul Holmes
Watch all the action Here
