Mountain bikers showcased their cross country cycling skills Wednesday at the annual Yukon Schools Athletic Association Mountain Bike Series.

This was the second week of competition in the series, which will wrap up on Oct. 1 with a downhill-style race on the Grey Mountain Road. Wednesday's race was held on the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Trails.

"We feel like it is building," said Bill Willoughby, one of the organizers of the mountain bike series. "It's not a really big group of kids, but there are kids that really love mountain biking."

The mountain bike series features four separate races and is organized by all four Whitehorse high schools, being F.H. Collins, Vanier, Porter Creek and Ecole Emilie Tremblay.

There are five separate categories of competition, including Grade 8, Grade 9 and 10, Grade 11 and 12, Open Girls and BMX.

Participating students earn points, which are valued accordingly to final placement.

Category winners are given 10 points and two points are deducted for every place after that. The points are added up at the conclusion of the series and awards are given out for top finishers.

This year's category winners will have their picture taken with the highly prestigious series trophy, which, fittingly enough, is made entirely out of mountain bike shocks.

Other awards include medals and prizes curtesy of Philippe's Bicycle Repair, which has continued to support the series over the years.

In previous years, some of the prizes donated by Philippe's Bicycle Repair have included helmets, gloves, pumps and other bike related accessories.

The bike series is a popular draw for participants and usually averages between 35 and 40 competitors.

So far this year there has been an increase in the girl's open category, which had seven participants on Wednesday.

Cycling guru, Kelsey Kabannack is currently on top of the standings in the open girl's category, finishing first at the two races. Kabannack, who attends Porter Creek Secondary School, has a commanding seven point lead over her next closest rival.

Casey McLaren, 16, has also participated in the first two races in the series.

McLaren, who is just two points out of third place, said this race series is one of her favourite school related sports.

"It's not a team sport, so it's more one on one and that's what's a little bit fun about it," she said.

She said she is happy about the increasing number of girls who are coming out.

"Last year there was only a couple girls and this year more showed up," McLaren said. "So it's good that people are starting to hear about it and get into it."

McLaren, a Grade 12 student at Porter Creek, said her only goal for the next two races is to finish.

"It's more something to do for fun, than actually compete," she said.

Lee Hawkins placed first for the second straight week in the Grade 11 and 12 category. Hawkins presently has a four point lead over second place Nathaniel Rodden.

Also competing in the Grade 11 and 12 division for the first time this year was Alex Dunham.

Grade 12 student Dunham got off to a great start for the first three laps of the race, however on the fourth lap he reaggravated a former back injury, which forced him to pull out of the race.

He said his only goal on Wednesday was to finish the race.

"I wanted to get it done," Dunham said. "I just wanted to complete it, but unfortunately I didn't."

Despite not finishing, Dunham said he wasn't disappointed about the outcome.

"What happens, happens and if you are happy with what you did there is no regrets," he said. "I am happy with what I did, a little bit less than what I hoped for, but I am happy."

There is a number of riders within striking range in the Grade 9 and 10 division, which is so far the tightest category of competition.

Miguel Rodden and Logan Roots are presently in a two-way tie for first place, with each rider accumulating 10 points. Tyler Wynnyk, Jerome Belanger, Josh Kelly and Simon Geoffroy all occupy the second spot with eight points each.

Porter Creek's Nigel Sinclair-Eckert, 13, enjoyed another great outing, finishing with the top time in Grade 8 division.

Sinclair-Eckert, who has been biking for four years, said it felt good winning the race.

"I bike a lot, so that definitely helps," he said. "After having won the last one I was pretty confident that I could win this one, so winning was my goal."

Nathan Seifert is the only rider in the BMX category and has 20 points so far in the series.