Six weeks after the news broke that that there would be no more gravity racing or riding at Snow Summit Resort in Big Bear Lake, California, word came Tuesday that the NORBA national mountain bike series event that was scheduled there for May 13-15 has been moved to Brian Head, Utah, where it will take place on July 29-31.

The reason behind the move, according to event organizer Tom Spiegel, was directly related to Snow Summit’s decision to ban downhill bikes from its slopes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by a rider that was badly injured while racing at the resort in June of 2003.

“My biggest concern was the people would come out with certain expectations and be disappointed that the event was half the size it usually is,” explained Spiegel, who’s been putting on races at Snow Summit since the early 1990s. “We looked at some other possible venues in Southern California — there was one in Fontana — and even thought about a split venue, but it just wasn’t the right fit.”

Instead America’s biggest mountain-bike series will make its debut in southwestern Utah at Brian Head Resort. According to a press release from the national series organizers, marathon, cross-country, short track, mountain cross, downhill and super D will all be contested at the new venue.

“We’ve put on a 100-mile race there and it’s just a great place to ride,” added Spiegel. “It was the closest thing I could find to Southern California on such short notice.”

Like the venue in Snowshoe, West Virginia, Brian Head isn’t the world’s easiest place to get to. Las Vegas is the closest major airport at three hours away. Salt Lake City is four. There’s also a smaller airport in St. George, Utah, which is just a 90-minute drive. Drive time from Los Angeles and Phoenix is seven hours.

Just like Big Bear, the altitude will be a factor. The base area of Brian Head is at 9600 feet, while the summit tops out at 11,307. Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon are both 90-minute drives.

As for Big Bear, it appears that at least for now, the longest running venue on the national circuit may have seen its last NCS race.

“I think for the national series it has to be the whole package,” admitted Spiegel. “So unless the ski area has a change of heart I think it was just time to give something new a whirl.”