Twelve riders, one wheel — the desert race for $10,000 takes on an air of mystery this year. Nobody knows where the race will take place.
The Race for the Rail Onewheel event isn’t taking a year off. Despite the pandemic, Future Motion, makers of Onewheel, will go ahead with a 12-competitor Onewheel race at an undisclosed Utah ski resort.
And organizers haven’t even told the competitors where they’re going. Even the state is in question:
“The location is TOP SECRET, but we can tell you it is in Utah… or is it?” Onewheel teased on the official race page.
All details of the event, which fans can watch live online, are being kept hush-hush. You know, for safety’s sake. To keep safety at the forefront, no crowds will be permitted at the event and racers won’t be informed of the location until 2 days before the start — August 16.
All participants will need to sign an NDA agreeing not to disclose the location and wear a mask during races. All racers and staff must also produce a negative COVID-19 test result before entering the event.
Race for the Rail 2020: Secret Onewheel Competition
During the event, the fifth iteration of the race, riders will race a mountain bike trail at a ski resort with winnings of $10,000 available. The invite-only event includes nine of the top riders from last year’s Northstar Edition of Race for the Rail and three community-nominated wild cards, chosen by Onewheel’s social media audience. Races will be paired in brackets and run boardercross style.
“It’s so exciting to watch the best riders in the sport come out and compete against each other down ski slopes,” said Jack Mudd, Onewheel “chief evangelist.” “Onewheeling has grown so much; it’s reflected in the amount of talented riders around the country and the stakes of the event.”
The 3-day Race for the Rail event will culminate in a live airing of the finals on YouTube at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, August 16. Production will be handled by Transition Productions, presenter of Spartan Games, World Surf League events, and the US Open of Surfing.
Onewheel will also give away prizes and swag to viewers during the livestream.
“We’ve invested heavily in on-site safety measures for our riders and in our live stream capabilities for fans,” Mudd confirmed. “We know everyone could use a little entertainment and we are thrilled to be able to bring folks to the race through our YouTube broadcast and crown a champion.”
To tune in, learn more, and see who’s racing this year, check out the Race for Rail page here.
