People Kept Telling Me To Ride This New Bike Park

[@topspot4834]

Pretty sure the crew at Highland helped build a lot of those trails. Looks promising. Loving the uploads this year Phil!

[@ragomtb]

They design and build most of the trails

[@Js12692]

Where is this park at?

[@ragomtb]

@@Js12692 loon mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire

[@EPIKDUCK-t9f]

Highland has fully stepped away, the last trail they worked on is open already (lower kingpin I believe) All the newer trails this year were loon only projects afaik

[@ragomtb]

@@EPIKDUCK-t9f nah they are working on new trails like crossbuck. They are not 100% but they are still there. I know a couple people

[@anem3218]

With Highland behind the creation of this park, I am exited to see what it will become in the coming years!

[@EPIKDUCK-t9f]

Highland has fully stepped away, the last trail they worked on is open already (lower kingpin I believe) All the newer trails this year were loon only projects afaik

[@PatrikLindgren]

That first sort of two-wheeled berm-drift was hilarious. Great stuff! I’ve done a few of those sort of unaware until in the midst of it, best feeling on earth when you get through it. 😅

[@RyanMeaderMTB]

It was really interesting seeing you experience Loon for the first time after I got back into park riding there last fall and have been there almost every Friday all season. The sandy kitty litter is definitely an issue (and moves every week!) but when you ride there a lot you learn to work around it. Getting the bikes straight on the lift is an art form! I’ve fallen in love, partly because I can’t find anything better within a 2hr radius of the Maine coast and you can get so many more/longer runs in than Highland.

[@hansbuehler]

“There is no shortage of green trails here” the most kind way Phil can put it. And “I’m just existing” while riding blue. 😂. Loon is perfect for my family outings, when we go to Bolton they end up riding green and blue.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Variety is key. I'd love to see some blues that have a little more character to them at loon. I think a good example is broken bridge at Bolton, its a blue that has good character to it.

[@mattjax16]

I have heard the same thing there was this one promising jump trail I saw this winter tho that I’ve been wanting to checkout

[@hansbuehler]

@@mattjax16 King Pin is a fun and worthwhile jump trail, pair that with the black tech trail from the top and it's a blast... worth like 10 laps on that alone. not quite like Hellion, Hawleywood, or Black Magic, but still really good.

[@WilliamLevesqueineX]

@@SkillsWithPhil Seems really hard to build a good fun Blue trail that doesnt just feel like *insert other Blue trail here*, since it really doesnt take a whole lot for a Blue to become a Black in most places... Especially anything tech related.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

There's a lot of good ways to build blues that don't suck, the ones i can think of off the top of my head: Cats Paw at highland, trillium at thunder; octopus/kraken at Vallee Bras Du Nord, Broken bridge at Bolton Valley. Two of those are more flowy, and two of those are a mix of tech/flow. Thats by no means a complete list, but each of those are memorable to me.

[@utopia2112]

I never want to see Our Hero in peril, of course, but I love me some Phil delivery of "Oh...MYGOD!" when things get spicy. 😂 There were several in this video.

[@dirtdigginjoe]

Interesting timing, as I'm literally headed there Sunday-Tuesday for the first time. Hopefully the little bit of rain expected will help a bit!

[@GelMibson-u2y]

Always making time for the fans. Good stuff Phil, you're always spreading the stoke IRL and in your videos.

[@SecretSpots]

My favorite thing about your riding style I identify with is your innate knack for those sniper side hits. 👌🤙

[@Ty-sm9cv]

I was just here for my first bike park ride, what an amazing experience. The lift is so quick we did laps for 6 hours straight! I could barely walk for a week lmao

[@richardhurley332]

i wiped out amd slid on my stomach on that jumped and it pulled the chain off 11:13

[@Get_Outside_Northeast]

"no special sauce," but the thing is Highland built the trails for them. And having ridden there a lot over the last couple of years, I would agree.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Being hired to build trails for someone else and building trails at your spot are two entirely different things. Naturally one will result in a better product. Also Highland is a MTB only destination vs loon is primarily ski resort that also does mtbing in the summer. The difference is Highland has free reign to do whatever they want on their own mountain and they don't have to worry about how it'll impact the ski trails.

[@EPIKDUCK-t9f]

Highland has fully stepped away, the last trail they worked on is open already (lower kingpin I believe) All the newer trails this year were loon only projects afaik

[@The2004NissanXTERRA]

i rode here the first summer they opened. a lot has changed, though they really need to sort out the dirt conditions and build up the berms better.

[@archlilim]

The dirt on that jump line looks so sketch lol Thanks for hitting this up. Been wondering about it but think I'll hold off for now.

[@kylehotchkiss7085]

It’s that white mountain kitty litter. I’m not sure what causes it but the riding over in North Conway is the same way. Makes for some sketchy riding!

[@RyanMeaderMTB]

I love Loon, maybe even a little more than Highland in some ways (even though the trail surfaces and shapes are mostly better). And the White Mountain kitty litter is more manageable with lots of practice but I really wish they’d prioritize raking it off more often and mining more clay to improve the surfaces. They clearly have the ability, as evidenced by the new Roundhouse build…

[@thomasnwa]

Surprised someone said you'd like Loon. Would love to see you ride Hurricane in NOCO.

[@TyBuzz]

The sandy soil ruined it for me. I am just getting into downhill after years of trail riding and a few hard falls here were pretty discouraging. It would be nice to see a progressive jump area too. Killington is my favorite so far, especially since I am a lot more confident on tech trails.

[@JT-hw6mq]

You just made that kid's day. good job!

[@lekinggamer6993]

Anyone has a OMG counter ? hahah Loved the video as always Phil, cheers !

[@dunkinking]

Damn I just missed you. Heading back this weekend can’t wait

[@dirtydogfpv1159]

Those trails are definitely geared to someone of my level.

[@BobbySchaffer]

Phil up your tank . Phil up your bank The skills are thrills Don’t shower , “Be Stank”

[@da-ka666]

Had fun last time I was out there. For sure about the soil,it's like riding on cat litter, subsequently it rode a whole lot better when it was raining.

[@tajoef]

Good to know that loon in the summer is the same as loon in the winter, no "special sauce"

[@playerzerothree9008]

Wouldn't be a Phil Kmetz special if it wasn't tokyo drifting the first corner 🤣

[@freerideWA]

Nice video Phill, always nice to watch 👍

[@1st2nd24]

5:39 this exact thing happened to me my first time at loon, it’s so goofy how the bike always tilts a bit right but i try and offset it by moving it a lil left

[@leafydialupking1]

After the kingpin lap and almost over shooting I’m hoping for you health you don’t take derailleur. The jumps alternate between hard to clear and hard to not over clear. With the big stepup after the big right berm the easiest to go to flat.

[@aurum_85none32]

How funny it is that Phil look behind him time to time to see if someone is coming faster… dude nobody will ever passed you hahahha

[@jaycobbs2212]

Awesome trails! Lacerated my kidney taking good crash on bandit there few weeks ago tho. 😅🎉

[@in2gravitylife]

"Special Sauce" that would make a good trail name. Lol

[@julianhein6219]

You should check out some of the Oregon trails

[@the_maine_line]

Slack Action and Kingpin Laps for days!

[@14MaddMaxx]

The squeaky brakes reminded me of the cheap bike challenge at Thunder and I started laughing immediately.

[@ragomtb]

5:53 I’ve always hated those racks

[@christyhilley88]

Thanks for another great video! Check out Jarrod's place if you ever find yourself in Georgia. I'd love to see some more videos of the advanced trails since I'm not skilled enough to ride them yet 😅

[@jckgoldness]

That's the one thing I realized about New England when I rode there, terrible signage. Great trails though.

[@goatkin3845]

Every time I’m not there bro, every time😢

[@JJ_MTB_15]

That first black trail looked sick

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Yeah, it was a pleasant surprise!

[@OmnieStar]

Seems like a lot of the trails have a ton of dead spots. That could have stuff but its just empty. Still cool! Hope it grows and they get some better dirt! lol

[@Bruel111]

Never been to a downhill park before, definitely want to make a trip up, seems like a great starter location

[@Shreadheads]

You should try Greek Peak Mountain bike park in Cortland NY it’s got quite a few good trails definitely would say it’s a little bit bigger than this one but the lift is worse bit you should look in to it!

[@TonightWeGrill]

Wildside is a cool one if you get down to East TN.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

A lot of the best builders from Vermont and Maine were down there building there this winter!

[@DGAFORLIFE]

Thanks for your time :)

[@josephking4461]

Love your videos

[@andymtb3212]

Looks just like our Colorado dirt surprised this is in New Hampshire!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

This dirt is misleading, it's not dusty, its the equivalent to hardpack with ball bearings dumped on top. I've ridden many place all over and northern NH is the only place ive run into this dirt.

[@tatumthetater-tot9556]

I need someone to settle this. How big is Gary's drop at 14:50?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

My guess is 8ft height wise, plus or minus a little depending on how deep you take it.

[@myleslaurin3051]

does your one up edc tool rattle around in your fork and stem?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Nope. Its a pretty snug fit

[@kolt4d559]

"Ya Mista Drifta, Shralp it!"

[@1st2nd24]

7:16 it sounds like your bike has a slight metallicy rattle

[@FantaMann42]

Hey Phil. You should travel to California, especially between July and September, most trails are dry and loose. The bike park you just ridden looks pretty Hero Dirt, compared to California Bike parks!!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

I have, if you're not familiar, I'm a former professional downhill racer. I've raced to resorts all over north America to race including California in the summer. Soil composition makes a huge difference. Rotten rock at loon is decomposed granite that feels like riding on concrete that was covered with a dump truck load of ball bearings. The grip is extremely unpredictable. Completely dusty turns are actually way easier to predict.

[@FantaMann42]

@@SkillsWithPhil make another trip!!!! It is soooo dry and loose!!!’

[@taol8258]

skills with celebrity phil

[@draggonhedd]

Loon isn't actually new as an mtb park! We have a bike in the shop right now that has old loon lift tags for 1998!!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

That's pretty cool to see! Anyway, that is possible, but both Hailey and I both learned to MTB in NH when we were teens and neither of us had ever heard anybody talk about it. I suspect it wasn't very successful. That being said, there were a lot of places that briefly offered lift service but never put in the effort to build out a bike park and ultimately failed.

[@ragomtb]

I was just there the other day, wonder if it’s the same day and I happened to miss you

[@JLawMTB]

What are your thoughts on the Contis now that you’ve ridden them for a few months?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Mostly positive. I wish they made a super soft enduro casing kryptotal front. I found them to be slippery on dusty rocks, but they seem to really have done a good job with them

[@nickmeyring7888]

you're like the 'one bite pizza' reviews guy but for bike parks

[@zsanterre]

What front tire are you running phill?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Continental Krytotal Fr enduro casing/soft compound

[@WilliamLevesqueineX]

Slack Action looks pretty cool, but only three blacks and no doubles ? Huh.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

You could probably make the argument that slack action is borderline double black. But yeah there's a big jump from blue to slack action and they could use more in between stuff and another slack action style trail. I think torpedo will partially fill that gap when completed.

[@MrTonka]

New trail condition rating system. How many OMG's does it get from Phil. LoL

[@kousinkoolaid]

Well. Seeing that I’m driving up to loon from Florida next week it sucks to see the sandy berms. This is going to be my warmup before highland. Sadly. I’m probably the demographic for loon 😂😂😂 Highland scares the hell out of me.

[@SkillsWithPhil]

You'll love highland, and dont be afraid, there's stuff for everyone. The people there really liked loon, and my opinions don't often align with others so take my opinion with a grain of salt

[@mysterious_tim]

Phil didn’t seem to be a fan of Black Bear in East Haven, so Loon is probably awesome for us mortals. Although loose sandy downhill does suck coconuts.

[@tinshield]

The berms have a bit of kitty litter quality to them in the morning. Usually towards the afternoon they get a pretty good line worn in.

[@crazykidksyt2848]

hellp phils with skill

[@johnholtan]

Phil, what advice would you give me for someone that has gotten their first downhill bike?

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Ride it and don't worry about scratching it :)

[@johnholtan]

@@SkillsWithPhil thank you!!

[@1st2nd24]

Loon has massive potential but their tech isn’t nearly as good as highland and loons berms and blue trails could be better

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Yeah, I dont want to be overly critical as they are just starting out and it takes time to dial things in, but as is i found myself to be uninspired. I do hope they continue to make a push, i really want more good bike parks to ride.

[@MrNamesjeff17291]

No loon for me. I’d rather just be at highland 😅

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Loon has potential but I'm 100% with you. There's glimmers of hope but overall it wasn't particularly inspiring. Slack action was great, I'd love to see more of that.

[@tinshield]

I get three times the riding at Loon due to the lift and no line. My 13 year old daughter likes Loon a lot more. Definitely a little better for families with varying ability.

[@E-ridesMTB]

@@SkillsWithPhilthey are building a couple more black tech trails this year to expand on slack action. They do need to fix the dirt quality as it is slick. Much more family oriented but no lines vs 45 minute lines is always nice. Overall def more towards your beginner and intermediate than highland. Know I can ride everything at loon with the kid vs highland restricted to a couple.

[@MrNamesjeff17291]

@@tinshield highland has changed a lot. No lift lines and a Central Park. Highland is king of the East imo

[@tinshield]

@@MrNamesjeff17291 was there two weeks ago on a Wednesday. Waited in line most of the day and rode 10 miles total. For the occasional park rider, that doesn’t do the huge jumps, it’s a bad value proposition. Phil hit the nail on the head regarding Loon’s audience. I can bring my daughter to Loon and we can do over 30 miles easily and it’s a lot safer for her overall. I’m not sure just how much Highland has changed. The lift still sucks and the runs are short and that’s the same as it was a few years ago. For advanced riders it’s great. Rode Killington last week too. We had a blast but it’s an hour further for us and more expensive.

[@Graham_editz_mtb_ski]

I’m on the loon freestyle team here for skiing

[@SkillsWithPhil]

I remember the terrain park at loon always had some of the best lips. Not sure if that's still the case.

[@Graham_editz_mtb_ski]

@@SkillsWithPhilyes they do still have awesome lips. I’m a huge fan of your videos.

[@josephking4461]

What’s up bro

[@coasterdragon155]

Man watching your videos has really motivated me to start biking again. I took a long hiatus because I wasn’t motivated and kinda busy, but seeing people have fun on the bike is pushing me to keep riding!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

Glad to hear it, have fun out there :)

[@STV3TA]

First? Yes I'll take a cookie please

[@BrandonWatkins614]

Fresh out of cookies... will a brownie work?

[@wilgotjohansson652]

beard

[@robalderman6979]

Those bike racks make Loon a no go for me

[@tinshield]

They're the best racks I've used. There is literally no issue if the bike moves sideways a bit unless you have really bad OCD.

[@RyanMeaderMTB]

It’s weird how the video makes them seem bad, but it just takes a little practice to get your bike 95% straight almost every time. And the whole Kanc 8 lift experience is the best I’ve had so far, though I live in Maine so I haven’t made it to the other northeast bike parks outside that 2hr radius yet (Highland, Loon, Mt Abram, upcoming Sugarloaf park).

[@iankoval2585]

Woah am I first?

[@tajoef]

Good to know that loon in the summer is the same as loon in the winter, no "special sauce"