Day one of the 2025 Northwest Tune-Up came in hot—and not just because of the summer sun. By mid-morning on Friday, July 11, the Bellingham waterfront was alive with action: demo bikes hitting the trails, kids tearing through the waterfront bike park and early(ish) risers stretching it out to free morning yoga on the Paulsen Stage.
As the day picked up steam, festivalgoers bounced between bike clinics, vendor booths, mini-bike competitions, airbag jump sessions and trials shows turning the Chill Zone into a crowd magnet between Main Stage music sets.
By mid-afternoon, all eyes turned to the center of the venue for the day’s rowdiest highlight: the Schwalbe Pump Track Drag Race.
Set on a dual-lane course in the heart of the venue, this no-pedals, head-to-head showdown was all about flow, finesse and flat-out speed. Riders dropped in bracket-style, going bar-to-bar through high-banked turns while spectators lined the berms and fencing of the free viewing area, beers in hand in the new WMBC Heckler’s Lounge Beer Garden and DJ jams pumping through the Red Bull war wagon. With every round, the racing got tighter, the times got faster, and the crowd got louder as athletes like Bass Van Steenbergen, Niels Bensink, Shaelen Reno and Janelle Soukup laid down some of the cleanest runs of the day.
As the evening rolled in, a cool breeze off the bay and a welcome layer of cloud cover took the edge off the heat. The vibe stayed high as the sun dipped low. Friday’s energy carried into the late afternoon with performances from HARBOUR, The Pharcyde and The SteelDrivers. A twilight DJ set from Chet Faker and an electric headliner set from Sound Tribe Sector 9 closed off day one with a packed waterfront crowd.
We're back on site and all geared up for day two on Saturday, July 12, with the Outdoor Research x Cascadia Dirt Cup Galbraith Enduro, Lazer FMB Freestyle Showdown and more live music on the Main Stag deck. Check the full Saturday schedule right here.
Schwalbe Pump Track Drag Race Pro Winners
Pro Women
- Shaelen Reno
- Janelle Soukup
- Skye Sherman
- Mayumi Wakefield
Pro Men
- Bass Van Steenbergen
- Niels Bensink
- Talus Lantz
- Jayce Winter