2025 JH Downhill Championships
Race #1 of the JH Downhill Championships presented by Sweet Protection kicked off today with a bang—of speed and excitement! While race day stayed clear, bursts of rain earlier in the week left the course running perfectly, with a course just fast and loose enough that our 49 competitors were fired up to race and ready to have some fun.
This first of three separate series courses featured the familiar high-speed stretch of Solitoga, connecting into Lower Deer Jump via Teewinot Gully Speedway—a demanding section of flat-taped turns—before charging toward the finish line jump. Although the course was well known to returning racers, it still required precision and focus to maintain speed throughout. Spectators brought the energy, making the short hike to the finish to cheer riders across the line.
Five-year-old Nola Nardi had the honor of leading off the race day, and her fearless run set the tone for what became a high-energy event. Watching Nola drop in brought a wave of excitement that rippled through the rest of the field—and the crowd.
In the 12-15 Girls category, Sophie Colling represented strongly, laying down a strong performance to take the win, with Nola earning a well-deserved second place and receiving endless cheers for her effort. On the Boys side of the 12-15 class, Nick Brindisi put down a blistering time of 3:40.85, edging out Myles Nardi for first, who finished just 3.7 seconds behind. With eight riders in this class, Nick's commanding run helped him cap a killer weekend on his bike after a win on Saturday in Targhee's Colter Cup.
In the 16–18 Women's category, Ainsley Gentry showed out as the sole entrant, putting down a solid time of 4:37.80. On the Men's Side, Nicolai Santelices came out on top with a strong, composed run that would net him a podium spot in the pro category, finishing at 3.39.40. He was followed closely by Cameron Barlow, just 4.66 seconds back, and Malcolm Welch, only 7.7 seconds off the lead. With less than eight seconds separating the top three, this class delivered tight, exciting racing and showcased the rising wave of young talents showing out at Jackson Hole's Bike Park.
The Open AM Men's race was another deep field, with 12 racers battling for the top spot. Wyatt Moore came out on top, just 5.55 seconds ahead of Lucien Weisman, and continued to prove he's a significant threat in the series. Kylee Mecham took charge as the sole rider in Women's Am and laid down a clean run in the cheetah print pants that might have gotten her the award for most stylish racer of the day.
In the Pro Men, the times were incredibly tight at the top. Brooks Curran narrowly edged out Bridger Bybee by only 3.31 seconds, with defending series champion Triston Merrill just behind in third at +5.25. This category delivered some of the day's most competitive racing. On the Pro Women's side, Erin Kromis represented the Hoback Sports Bike Team well, dominating her race, finishing first, and building momentum heading into Race 2.
A special shoutout to Doug Lowham, who took the Men's Vet title with a healthy gap over a rare tie for second between James Charnesky and Eric Janssen, both clocking the same time.
Thank you to everyone who came out to race. This event could not have happened without you all. A massive thank you to Sweet Protection, Turtlebox, and Jackson Hole Sports for helping us put this on, including podium prizes, raffle prizes, rider packets, and registration!
With 49 racers competing across all categories and the course running smoothly thanks to the hard work of the JHMR Trail Crew and Mountain Patrol, it was a great start to the 2025 series. On to Race 2!