Three DH Races, Nine Days, 5 Podiums for Jack & Gabe

Three races. Nine days. Countless kilometres on the road. Jack Menzies and Gabe Neron took on the Dunbar Summer Series, racing back-to-back in Fernie (July 11–12), Kicking Horse (July 14–15) and Sun Peaks (July 17–19).

For Gabe, the series marked his long-awaited return to racing after spending a full year away from competition being injured.

"First race back after a full year off was nerve wracking. My heart was pounding out of my chest even for the practice laps."

As the laps added up in Fernie, the nerves slowly disappeared and the speed returned. Even after crashing during seeding, Gabe pieced together a strong race run to finish 4th, proving to himself that he hadn't forgotten how to race.

Jack's weekend couldn't have been much tougher. While practice was going well, a crash on the road to the track left him with a broken helmet and plenty of road rash before racing had even started. Sore and bruised, he battled through the weekend before a dropped chain wrapped around his cranks during finals, ending his race before it really began.

There was little time to dwell on the setbacks. Just two days later, the series rolled into Kicking Horse.

The rough track immediately clicked for Gabe.

"By the second lap I felt like I was flowing really good and hitting the right lines. From that point onwards I knew it was on for a potential win."

He qualified third while saving energy for finals, then delivered when it mattered most. Crossing the finish line in first, he watched rider after rider fall short of his time to claim his first major victory since becoming Canadian National Champion in 2022.

"Hung on to the win and wow did it feel good! About as good as when I won Nationals in 2022."

Jack was still feeling the effects of Fernie, making it difficult to hang on through one of the roughest tracks of the series. A few small mistakes in finals left him in third, but with Gabe on the top step it was a memorable day for the team, putting two RAAW riders on the podium.

The final stop at Sun Peaks would decide the series on one of the longest tracks of the summer.

For Gabe, the weekend almost took another turn after a heavy crash during practice shook his confidence. Race morning brought thunderstorms and lightning, forcing riders to rush up the lift before operations stopped. Minutes later, the skies cleared and the track was almost untouched.

Despite a few close moments, Gabe put together another strong run and crossed the line knowing he'd left everything on the hill.

Jack arrived at Sun Peaks finally feeling healthy again after an extra recovery day between races. The track suited his riding style perfectly, and after setting the fastest seeding time, he earned the honour of dropping last for finals.

The night before, he'd made a prediction.

"I said I didn't know who was going to win, but the winning time would be a 4:58. Someone was going to go under five minutes."

When the dust settled, he'd done exactly that, laying down the only sub-five-minute run of the day to take the win, while Gabe claimed second to secure another double podium for RAAW.

Reflecting on the series, Jack summed it up perfectly.

"The Dunbar Summer Series is awesome. They're all about having fun while still putting on seriously competitive racing. The atmosphere has been unreal."

After three races in just nine days, both riders leave the Dunbar Summer Series with plenty of momentum. Gabe has shown he's right back where he belongs after a year away from racing, while Jack bounced back from crashes and mechanicals to finish the series with a dominant win.

There's little time to rest. Both riders remain in Sun Peaks this week for the 2026 Canadian Downhill National Championships (July 24–26), with the elite downhill finals taking place on Sunday, July 26. After building confidence through one of the busiest stretches of the season, they're ready to take on the country's biggest downhill race.

Photos: A.J. Barlas