Several local youth “Ridge Riders” will be hitting the hills at a regional mountain biking championship in Elkton, Maryland, this weekend.

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is hosting the invitation-only competition and festival today through Monday. Student athletes from states east of the Mississippi will be able to race, take adventure rides, attend training sessions and meet professional athletes.

The seven local student-athletes competing this weekend have been preparing for the two-day championship, with some training largely with the team and others working additionally with outside coaches and racing teams.

This aligns with the spirit of the team, which prioritizes “meeting kids where they are” and allowing them to pursue their own “why,” according to Team Director Chris Gardill.

The mountain biking league in general provides a community for youth who may not feel a sense of belonging on more traditional sports teams, he said.

“You have in a lot of schools, and in a lot of areas, kids who are active and who are athletic but for whatever reason either don’t fit in or don’t like some of the traditional ball-and-stick sports,” Gardill said. “They never found a place and an outlet for that desire, so the league exists for them.”

Coaches try to support students in whatever their personal goals may be, whether they aim to place at competitions like the one this weekend, compete with their own times, or simply reach landmarks they set for themself on local trails.

The Ridge Riders meet two to three times a week and often split into riding groups based on experience level to ensure students stay safe on the trails and move at their own pace.

The team encompasses Wetzel, Marshall and Ohio counties in West Virginia and Belmont County in Ohio. All 20 teams in West Virginia are currently composite teams, but the sport is on a trajectory to soon be able to have independent, school-based teams, Gardill said.

Championship host NICA was founded 15 years ago in southern California, where the sport is more established. There, along with other states out west, mountain bikers can compete at a varsity level through their school. Gardill said the ultimate goal on the horizon is for West Virginia to soon follow suit.

Beyond the regional championship, the Ridge Riders look forward to next October when they will host the West Virginia NICA league’s last race of the season at Grand Vue Park in Moundsville.

Solidifying the new race location has required a lot of maintenance and enhancement work on the trails to ensure safety, and an appropriate challenge level, for riders. The race is expected to bring several thousand people, including 350 to 400 riders, to the park in 2025, according to team leadership.

The Ridge Riders participating in this weekend’s eastern regional championship are Kaleb Gardill, Bo Blake, Ella Games, Darcie Gardill, Jack Kenamond, Brayden Miner and Braydn Ruckman. Stella Himrod was signed up to compete but is recovering from a non-league injury and unable to this year.