Two Plymouth University students, Steve Toze and Nigel Muntz, were keen mountain bikers and Steve started a magazine for the sport called “Shred or Dead” in 1996. It was published bi-monthly until 2013.
They had an idea for a race event in Central Park as part of National Bike Week in 1997 and Plymouth City Council transport officers readily agreed to including it. The event was called Midsummer Slam and it took place on Sunday, 8th June 1997.
The races followed a downhill course through Zoo Field and along the lower edge of Mawson Meadow. Steve recalls that Zoo Field was overgrown with scrubby vegetation at the time which had to be cleared for the racetrack and spectator areas.
Two riders entered each race with winners being matched in subsequent races until an overall winner resulted. The format was known as the dual-eliminator. There was also an event village on Pellow’s Field, where the Life Centre is today, with a BMX jump contest, stands and demonstrations.
The 1997 event was very successful and it led to Steve being asked to organise the Mountain Bike World Cup in Newnham Park, Plympton the following year, leaving Nigel to organise the second Midsummer Slam which took place in Central Park on Sunday, 7th June 1998. To make the course more challenging, he had soil brought in from a nearby construction site and made a start mound about 3 metres high at the top of Zoo Field, as well as banked corners along the racetrack. An article in “Shred or Dead” states that 150 lorry loads were transported but 150 tons seems more likely. In one place there was a dip where water collected and it was also incorporated into the course. These improvements and wider promotion with the World Cup attracted professional riders and Midsummer Slam looked like becoming a regular annual fixture.
It was held again as an even bigger event on 6th June 1999, the course being described like this in the magazine: “Straight out of the start gate, a big old jump over a grave-style pit, big berm and a small set of triples into berm 2, a huge table top and then a berm slow line or a double-jump fast lane. All in all, we thought it was pretty good and what’s better is that 3 months later it’s still there.”
Zoo Field continued as a recreational spot for mountain bikers although in dwindling numbers. Midsummer Slam, however, did not return because of other demands on the organisers’ time which had been given voluntarily.