• Preview
• Cross-Country
• Short Track Cross-Country & Dual Slalom
• Downhill

Pounding rain left the courses slick and the sweet smell of mud in the air, here in Mount Snow, VT. The second stop of the NORBA National Championship Series is stirring and the riders are taking their practice runs. It isn't a matter of who's fastest, but who can surf the mud.

The steep sections of the Downhill course are treacherous, while the Dual Slalom track looks like a mud wrestling pit. Fallen riders suddenly find themselves calf deep in syrup, scurrying to get back in the saddle. Spectators aren't immune either. Those who venture close enough to the course get a mouth full of porridge as the riders squish past.

The previous NORBA stop was in sunny So Cal, where the courses were fast but not as technical. The slick roots and mossy rocks aren't easy to navigate here in the Northeast and the mud should determine who's graceful.

The team trucks have rolled in, the SoBe is flowing and the soundtrack is Sublime. The sun wants to show its smiley face and the Cross-Country takes its mark tomorrow afternoon. Don't be shy...come check it out.

— Lucas Kane, slipping and sliding for MountainZone.com