Gracey Hemstreet could have been anywhere during the summer break between World Cups. Instead she was deep in the Squamish woods, riding with Brett Ward; her longtime World Cup mechanic, travel companion and close friend. The two were aboard Norco’s Sight VLT CX e-bikes, slipping through tacky corners and sharing laughs as the summer rain brought life to the hero dirt.
There was no pressure. No tape. No split times. Just laps for the love of it. An afternoon of flow between the chaos of travel, airports and international race weekends.
Let’s see what happens
The video is a short film, but it captures something that often goes missing in elite sport: the why. Hemstreet and Ward ride like they’re ten years old again, like they don’t have jobs in a factory race tent. “One more lap” turns into three. Trees blur past. They pull off the trail smiling, muddy and better for it.
It’s a vibe check before the final exam.
From contender to favourite
Because make no mistake: Hemstreet isn’t just riding for fun right now. She’s riding to win. With three World Cup victories this season and not a single finish outside the top eight, the 20-year-old from British Columbia is in the form of her life. She’s only 59 points behind reigning World Champion Vali Höll in the overall standings. And with the downhill World Championships happening this weekend in Champery, Switzerland, Hemstreet is no longer just a contender: she’s a favourite.
She won in dust. She won in mud. And she’s proven she can win on a day when everything goes wrong.
Roll that confidence into this weekend
The big one is this Sunday, September 7. Finals day at Worlds. Champery’s legendary track is steep, technical and slick from alpine weather. It’s a course that demands everything from a rider. Especially when there’s a rainbow jersey on the line.
But if this video reminds us of anything, it’s that Hemstreet has already found the formula: confidence, flow, and just the right people around her.
Let’s see what happens.
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