By Parween Mascari
The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) racing series began four decades ago with the vision of one man, Big Dave Coombs, from Morgantown, WV. His vision was to hold a 100-mile motorcycle race in the scenic town of Davis, WV. That race, the Blackwater 100, began in 1975. The race track was 100 miles through the woods, so only the heartiest racers with the most stamina could handle it. Due to the tough terrain and endurance it required, the Blackwater 100 was billed as America’s toughest race. That original Tucker County race has given birth to an entire series of races. GNCC is America’s premier outdoor racing series and is still owned and promoted by the Coombs family. With a dozen races each year scattered throughout Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, New York, Ohio and, of course, West Virginia, the series continues to evolve and grow in popularity among multiple generations of riders and fans.
Photo by Parween Mascari
Known as the new toughest race, the 11th Amsoil Snowshoe GNCC took place this year on June 24-25 at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Pocahontas County. This grueling race is perfect for Snowshoe Mountain, nature’s mountain playground, with its 11,000 rugged acres and elevation of almost 5,000 feet. In fact, the Snowshoe GNCC has become the resort’s largest summer event, rivaling a busy ski weekend in terms of resort occupancy. This year at Snowshoe, there were nearly 1,400 racers and 7,000 spectators in attendance. Perhaps GNCC and Snowshoe are such a perfect match because Snowshoe was similarly born out of one man’s vision to transform a remote area, in this case an Allegheny mountain in a rural Appalachian setting, into one of the nation’s premier ski resorts.
GNCC and Snowshoe truly are a match made in Almost Heaven. According to Frank DeBerry, president and COO of Snowshoe, “The Snowshoe GNCC has had a tremendous economic impact on the community around Snowshoe for over a decade.”
Tim Cotter, director of events for Racer Productions, summed up this symbiotic relationship by saying, “The mountain provides extreme terrain for our athletes and top-shelf accommodations for their crew members and family. That, coupled with the hospitality of Snowshoe, is an unbeatable combination.”
Photo by Luke Nesler, Impakt Marketing.
The annual Snowshoe GNCC has become a favorite in the series for racers because the 20-mile course takes them through the woods, on the roads, over and under bridges and through the mud. The Snowshoe GNCC is a fan favorite as well because Snowshoe is a picturesque setting with plenty of activities available for families with children, including Segway tours, RZR tours, zip lining, hiking, swimming pools, arcades and lake activities. The Snowshoe GNCC is truly a family affair, with dads, uncles, cousins and siblings racing against each other in a friendly but competitive fashion.
In GNCC racing, the ATV races take place on Saturday and the motorcycles race on Sunday with multiple classes racing together. The youth and amateur riders race in the morning, and the professional riders race in the afternoon. After a rainy Friday night to kick off this year’s race, the rest of the weekend weather couldn’t have been better. The outdoor concerts were epic, including performances by Andy Ross, the American Rebel and West Virginia’s own Davisson Brothers Band performing in Snowshoe’s Village. “Country Roads” was played multiple times, “Sweet Home Alabama” became “Sweet Home West Virginia,” and there was the filming of Andy Ross’s latest music video with raucous mud pits like Howard’s Hole leaving both racers and fans caked head to toe with mud. The video footage could not be more appropriate for his song “Playing in the Mud,” and there isn’t any dirtier good clean fun to be had. As with all professional races, there was a church service and the military was honored, and at this GNCC, there was also a ceremony honoring all of the recent graduates—from elementary school to university grads.
The next West Virginia GNCC is scheduled for September 23-24 at Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, WV, located in Preston County.
About the Author
Parween Mascari is a lawyer with Bailey & Glasser LLP, executive director of the West Virginia Farmers Market Association and owner of West Virginia market stores at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Mascari serves on boards and committees for the Snowshoe Foundation, Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council, Brickstreet Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, West Virginia University College of Law, Philanthropy West Virginia and the Benedum Foundation.
