SNOWSHOE, W.Va. (WBOY) — Snowshoe Mountain is hosting one of the top mountain bike competitions in the entire world this week, and officials say that “the mountain is buzzing.”

The UCI Mountain Bike World Series is set to start Wednesday, Sept. 27 and will run through Sunday, Oct. 1.

The excitement around the event is justified as Snowshoe is the only U.S. stop on the circuit. With that, people can expect fans and top mountain bikers from all across the world to make their way to Pocahontas County.

“Fans come from coast to coast all over the world really to see this event,” Snowshoe Mountain Marketing Director Shawn Cassell said. “Any event that brings people from all over the world to our little corner of West Virginia is really cool.”

This is the fourth year that Snowshoe has hosted a stop on the tour and this will be the second-to-last stop on the 2023 schedule. Cassell, who is among those who have experienced every jump on the tour, said that he isn’t surprised that Snowshoe is hosting a stop on the tour once again.

Mountain Bike World Series (Courtesy of Snowshoe Mountain)

“I think anyone who has mountain biked here in Pocahontas County is not that surprised because our trails truly are world-class,” Cassell said. “Once folks come here and try the mountain biking out and see the trails we have around here, we’ve got them, they’re hooked, they’re coming back. So that was a big part of us making the push to get world cup as we knew if we can get people to try this once they’re going to come back.”

Cassell also gave some pointers for anyone who is attending a mountain bike event for the first time.

“Bring some water, bring some good hiking boots. It’s not like sitting in bleachers watching a football game,” Cassell said. “You’re hiking down the trail and you’re along the course and rest your voice up. It’s a lot of yelling, I think that’s one of the hallmarks of mountain bike fans. [It] doesn’t matter if it’s your favorite racer or not, you just kind of cheer for everybody and it’s just a really cool scene to be a part of.”

A full list of events can be found here. Tickets for the event can be bought here.