EIGHT
Ag3r riders, making up FOUR 2-person teams, headed into West Virginia for the
Big Bear Lake 2 x 12 Mtn Bike Race....
....which pairs riders to alternate 12 mile laps, for
SIX+ hours. The Team with the most laps completed, in the least amount of time, WINS.
Despite a weekend of storms repeatedly SWEEPING across the area....
...we arrived to Big Bear Lake on Friday, to camp out the night
BEFORE the race.
As you enter the Racing and Camping area, you are greeted by the unique to this race
"Fly Over" that is at the END of each loop.
New this year, was that the loop at the end of the Fly-Over now had
BANKING to it...!!!
Also new this year, were a LARGE permanent
Shelter and Fire Pit, already set up for Saturday evening's post race "sacrifice".
After enduring HEAVY WIND and STORMS all night, we crawled out of our tent to get ready to race.
Unfortunately, the first thing we saw was yet
ANOTHER storm coming our way. It was going to be a RAINING, WET and MUDDY race.
To boost our spirits, Nathan and Riley Black presented the Team with
color matching Race-Bracelets!
Unfortunately, once the racing started....EVERYONE was all the
SAME COLOR!
In a DUO events, at the end of each lap for one rider, a red baton must be handed off to their teammate to carry throughout THEIR lap....
...after which, the just-finished riders try to gather their wits....
...or have their
injuries looked after by Trained Professionals....
....before eating, drinking, resting and getting ready to go back out to do it all again!
In these pictures,
Hannah has (just) CRASHED.
Onto a
ROCK.
With her
FACE.
The rock was OK.
So, on it went, back and forth...with the SUN finally poking through mid-day!
Late in the afternoon, as the main divisions were finishing, there was even a
kid's race. That is Riley Black in the center of the picture...dressed in
BLACK!
As everyone's final lap came to a close....Kirk
pedaled up the Fly-Over one last time...
...before running through the Officials Tent....
...while Ray
mustered the energy for a fist bump, so he wouldn't leave Bobby "hanging"!
After everyone had a shower,
MOST of us felt better....
...while
ALL of us "
SMELT" better :)
Moving to the Awards Ceremony,
Kirk Morrison and Henry Dimmick took
3rd Place in the Grand Masters Division...but (apparently?)
did not have the energy to STAND UP...!?!?
...while
Hannah Brewer and
Mike Maher took
3rd Place in the Coed Sport Division.
Additionally...
Ray Sielski and
Nathan Black finished in
4th Place of the Clydesdale Division, and
Bobby Irwin and Matt Olearchick finished in
11th Place of the Duo Expert Division.
Afterward, we were happy to
FILL our MUGS with beer...
...and
HAPPY that Hannah was now feeling good enough to laugh when we
made jokes about her FACE :))
As night set in, the "sacrifices" were made, while the Band started playing...
...and we all settled in for a nice evening under mostly clear skies!
Next morning, we woke to the sound of a couple of strange "bikes"....
...before hitting the road for home.....
...and LAUNDRY.
But as we reflect back on the race....
...and on the DAMAGE that was done to our people....
...and to our equipment.....
...we are
STILL PLANNING to race again next year!
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