THE BLACK PEARL

The original owners and management team behind the Port to Port MTB event are bringing stage racing back to Newcastle and Lake Macquarie with a brand new mini-stage race, “The Black Pearl”.

The event nickname reflects the nautical history of the port town but also bares cheeky links to a fictional pirate ship from a well known movie which was sunk at least three times. But, just like Jack Sparrow, The Black Pearl is notorious for being nearly impossible to destroy, and seemed a great nickname for a reborn MTB stage race in this region (we think Port to Port was sunk at least 3 times)?

Our first foray back to Newcastle was a huge success in 2023 as we descended on the iconic trails of Glenrock and Awaba for a weekend of fun riding and great times with a bunch of old mates. A mini-stage race that focused on only the best single track in the region, (and did away with the long gravel road grinds), proved to be a very popular format for everyone that participated. Now “The Black Pearl” will launch the 2025 Quad Crown series in March, and is sure to start things off with a bang!