Sneak peek: Deer Valley’s Fox US Open downhill course takes shape ahead of Sept. 11-13 race

US Open co-founder Clay Harper points out Niagara, a rock section preserved from the original early-2000s NCS track. The classic feature now flows into a rebuilt exit with a larger, faster berm Photo: Photo: Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series / Instagram.

PARK CITY, Utah — The downhill track that will host the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking Sept. 11–13 is taking shape at Deer Valley Resort, and event co-founder Clay Harper offered a first look at the rebuilt course in a video walkthrough posted this week by the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series.

The course is a modernized version of the resort’s NCS trail, the dedicated mountain bike track built in the early 2000s that hosted NORBA-era national racing. Harper said crews have widened the track, cut new sections and added features while preserving signature pieces of the original course.

“We’ve taken the framework of that track, we’ve expanded it, we’ve done some reroutes, added some features, opened it up so it could breathe a little, but we’ve also kept some of the classics,” Harper said in the video.

Similar Reads On TownLift

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series (@prodownhillseries)

Among the returning sections is Niagara, a holdover from the original course that now finishes with what Harper described as a larger berm and a smoother, faster exit. Another, known to locals as Whiskey Rock, will be approached from a new fresh-cut line, with riders given the option to jump the rock feature itself.

Not everything from the early 2000s made the cut. The original Bam Bam section will not be raced. In its place, crews have opened a new off-camber stretch that Harper said will be fast and rugged with multiple line choices.

The course will also deliver on a specific request from organizers. “We asked Deer Valley for some steeps, and they delivered,” Harper said, standing on a pitch he said he could barely stand on, describing a section with a big compression halfway down that runs out to a ski slope. “Steep, fast, and loose.”

The walkthrough ends at Psycho Spin, a section Harper said “struck fear in the hearts of racers in the early 2000s.” It remains steep and loose, but the track crew is adding a catch point in the middle, a new bench above and additional checkpoints below, turning it into what Harper called a wide open, super steep, super fast section.

Other work visible in the video includes a new rock feature with multiple lines near the start and a pile of lumber milled from trees removed during construction, which crews will use to build a new start house at the top of the track.

Harper said the series will post additional track updates in the coming weeks as construction wraps up.

How to watch
Racing runs Sept. 11 through Sept. 13, with pro qualifying and a Best Whip contest Friday, pro finals Saturday afternoon, and amateur finals plus a Next Gen Youth race Sunday.

All spectators will need a ticket, and Deer Valley is offering two options: a free spectator ticket, which provides access to the Snow Park base area with the ability to walk up the mountain to view the race, or a paid Pro Downhill Course Scenic Ride Ticket, which includes one ride up Silver Lake Express and one ride on Homestake Express to reach the race venue, with a walk back down to Snow Park afterward. Free tickets can be reserved through Deer Valley’s event ticketing page.

The Fox US Open is the fifth and final stop of the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series.