WHILE some of Australia's best elite mountain bike riders were pushing themselves to the limit downhill at Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Park on Sunday, it was a four-year-old that had people talking.
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Hastings youngster Beau Hall created his own piece of history as the youngest-ever rider in the Fox Superflow Championships.
Set to celebrate his fifth birthday next month, he was invited to compete in the event by director Martin Wazata the day before riders lined up at the starting line.
"His dad called me and said he loved riding the trails, but was he allowed to compete and what was the minimum age," Wazata said.
"We didn't really have one, but I thought as long as he was comfortable on the trails and didn't get pushed too hard (there was no problem).
"It was to see how it went because I didn't think he could do it, but it was a lot of hard work for dad."
Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Park is in the early stage of its development in terms of infrastructure, but you can see how much work goes in there.
- Fox Superflow Championships event director Martin Wazata
The event director, however, said the invitation extended to the Hall's wouldn't result in organisers making a new junior division in years to come.
"It's not something where we'll have an under-seven age group because that would push it a bit far," he said.
"But it was great to see a four-year-old race next to a World Cup elite racer on the same day on the same trail."
The newly-formed electronic mountain bike (e-bike) division was one of the other success stories on Sunday and Wazata was looking forward to its continued growth.
Port Macquarie's David Poulton took out the win by five minutes ahead of Tyler Gauci and Craig Jarrett.
"The e-bikes are really taking off," Wazata said.
"They're not huge yet but they're growing from race to race. It was the biggest e-bike contingent we had at this race and it opens it up to more people."
Graeme Mudd took out the elite male category in a high-quality shootout with Glen Goggin by one and a half minutes while Melanie Gibson was too good for Laura Renshaw in the elite female division.
But it was great to see a five-year-old race next to a World Cup elite racer on the same day on the same trail.
- Martin Wazata
"The most important thing for us is how good the trails are and that keeps people wanting to come back with friends and the guys from the club have done a lot of work," Wazata said.
"Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Park is in the early stage of its development in terms of infrastructure, but you can see how much work goes in there."
Wazata said it was pleasing to have the support of the local community which made their decision easier to make on whether to come back.
They will return again next year.
"The support we get from the local club is really where it all starts for us," he said.
"Having the support from Port Macquarie council and the Chamber of Commerce shows people appreciate when shows like this roll into town."