Registration is now open for the first Angry Hawk Youth Enduro mountain bike race.

It's being held on June 11 on the Buffalo Bean on the Cochrane Ag Grounds for those ages 5 to 17. Ages 5 to 10 start at 9 a.m. and 11 to 17 at 1 p.m.

There are also strider and min pedallers races for those ages 4 and under. 

Registration has been capped at 100.

The enduro races are timed for the downhill section, not the uphill climb. 

There is a $30 registration fee and membership in Bike Cochrane is required and can be purchased if not already held.

The race falls shortly after the second year of a weekly mountain bike camp of Bike Cochrane, where youth have been learning the ins and outs of the sport.

Now in its final week, it's being led by Ryan Hopping, who created the community-level program that combines skill development and trail riding skills with games and competitions.

Eighteen youth were accepted last year and it sold out in under an hour. This year, he increased the size of the camp to 32 participants and it sold out within a half-day.

"I wanted to provide a community-level structured mountain bike program for kids. There are high-level mountain bike programs out there that are expensive for families that are already really into mountain biking, but there was nothing for the kids that like bikes, but maybe haven't seen it at a higher level."

Among the most popular games played after training is "Put Down." They start in a group riding in a large circle with the goal of not touching their feet on the ground. If you do, you're eliminated. As the group gets smaller, so does the circle until a winner is determined.

The camp has been held on Bike Cochrae's private Buffalo Bean Trail, a 2.5 km loop with a 120m elevation gain. There's a lower flow trail called Buffalo Junior, and a new flow line called Angry Hawks.

Hopping has been involved in the cycling world for 25 years and was quick to join Bike Cochrane when it was first formed. He and his family are also active in Cochrane BMX.

Angry Hawk poster