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There's something more exciting about high altitude races. Maybe it's the lack of oxygen, maybe it's the intense sun burning through deep blue skies. Whatever the reason, the tradition of NORBA NCS races, where the air is thin and the crowds are thick, is as sure a mark of summer in America as, well, re-runs and BBQs. So it was appropriate that the most American of bike companies, Trek and their German sponsor Volkswagen (oh well) won big-time on Mammoth's hot new courses.

Mammoth Mountain, as any mountain biking neophyte knows, is the MacDaddy race for the knobby set. Since the mid-'80s, riders have taken on this thin- aired event, riding courses like the famed Kamikaze. This year was different, however, as the whole circus moved down the hill to the Canyon Lodge, closer to town and away from the main lodge's construction and residual snowpack. With the new courses and venue, everyone took a look around, shrugged their collective shoulders and got to the business at hand.

Along with Cheri Elliott (USA, Intense/Maxxis) and Chrissy Redden (CAN, Ritchey) winning the DH and XC for the women, Trek's Scott Sharples won the men's downhill event Saturday before teammate Travis Brown sped around the XC course for a big win the following day. Brown should have known he'd do well — the last time Sharples won a DH, Brown also won the XC. It was two years ago in Park City, but Sharpie was riding for DBR. Enough with the trivia, here's how the weekend shook out.

— Ari Cheren, Spinnin' Words and Photos for The Mountain Zone