Boise, Idaho — March 6, 2026

We're not going to pretend we weren't pumped when Ari Bikes came on board as our first official sponsor for 2026. It set the tone for everything we're building this year. And the fact that four of their athletes, including defending champions Tegan Cruz and Kailey Skelton are lining up at the May qualifier? That's not a coincidence. That's what happens when a brand actually believes in the format and puts real riders behind it. 

The Ari roster heading into 2026 is genuinely stacked: Kyle Strait, a two-time Red Bull Rampage champion and freeride icon. Tegan Cruz, the Canadian downhill phenom who took the top spot at last year's Pro Invitational. Kailey Skelton, one of the most dominant forces in American women's gravity racing. Nik Nestoroff, a multi-discipline force from dual slalom to big mountain enduro. And April Zastrow, a former pro motocross racer, brings a whole different kind of two-wheel grit to the mountain bike world. We built Hard MTB League to find the most complete riders on the planet and this lineup is exactly that. The $125k+ prize purse and the Finals in October can't come soon enough.