The Tour Rolls On
Sorry for the delay in posting something new here. It's been a busy few weeks and here's what has gone on:
2 weeks ago I joined National Super D Champion Sue Haywood at the Massanutten Hoo Haa outside of Harrisonburg, PA. I got to see first hand why this woman is a national champ. Most NORBA Super D races last about 4-5 mintues. This one, however, was to last over 20 minutes. AFTER riding an hour UP the mountain and out the steep, exceptionally rocky ridgeline, the 40 or so racers turned around on the overgrown, narrow path and began the race back down the mountain. 30 seconds separated each racer. It was a burly course but I was happy with my result - even tho I full-on starfished 4 times. I even passed 5 racers in front of me and was only caught by one crazy-fast TONY from BALTIMORE who I re-caught at the finish line. THEN CAME SUE!!! A full 4 minutes faster than me finishing at 22:00!!! She finished 4th overall - with all the boys. Big props to her - that course was NOT EASY.
Then the rains came and by morning the real challenge was talking Kenny out of bailing on the XC race.
BEFORE
He decided to stay but would only race Sport. Ok, that's sporting. Turns out he made the right choice. The Sport course was marked better than the expert course and after almost 3 hours of slogging up and down that mountain in the mud, I ran into the leaders of the race coming towards me on the trial. Everyone had made the same wrong turn and we all finished together - earning a fine DNF from the promoters. Can you say JACKASSES?? Just what you want to hear after slugging it out in mud conditions for 3 hours...
Like it was OUR fault that they couldn't mark a course. How stinkin hard can it be folks??? Anyway, it was fun - kinda - and I felt better about getting on a plane the next day for some rest.
AFTER
So that Monday - just over a week ago, I left for my first visit to San Diego. Ken's college friend Alex was hosting a screening and invited me to come out for some riding and surfing. Hard to refuse that. I escaped thunderstorm delays (very common on the East Coast this time of year) and arrived to a foggy city on the West Coast. Alex apologized for the "May Gray and June Gloom" but I thought nothing of it. Unfortunately for Alex, his boss was riding him fairly hard and the VP of his company was in town on Wednesday to ride shotgun with Alex on his sales rounds. Like hosting a screening wasn't enough pressure, right? We still found time to get a few rides in Alex's back yard.
This is The Way Up trail. And it went up, and up, and up...
Granted, I had just come off a 3-race-week but I was still HuHR-TING on the climbs. Gimme a solid DH anyday.
The WAY DOWN!
Lot of steep climbing on loose scree but it was a great challenge for a vertically challenged East Coaster.
The view I had was often of Alex up ahead waiting for me. It's always good to be schooled - provides motivation for improvement.
Fun riding, soon to be mowed down by SPRAWL.
Usually I try to take the thumper rule when it comes to being negative but I'm also a bit outspoken so I'll bleed a bit of my mind here. I have to admit that the great views of the area were spoiled by the massive amount of SPRAWL. Like a virus humans are spreading into the desert at a disturbing rate, cutting the tops off every mountain top around, terracing flat spots and junking them full of houses. It's sickening to say the least and was only reinforced by the "Me-Me-Me" vibe that prevailed when we drove from one place to another. Watching and listening, it seemed to me that many of the locals were far too busy being HIP, COOL, TRENDY and STYLISH to give a damn about their surroundings. I saw more jacked up 4x4's, Hummers, SUV's and outrageously priced luxury cars than I care to mention. It was like a parade of greed & pride. Most people had bigger sunglasses then Paris Hilton with billboards on the earpieces to let you know how cool they were. Gucci, LV, Prada - you name it. Made my Oakleys feel "so nineties".
Looking over the land I could not escape the growing amount of new homes and how each will require more water, energy and materials and give back loads of more trash and exaust. No, it's not different on the east coast but it's very visible there. Maybe because there's fewer trees. Although the humming birds seemed to like the newly landscaped flora...
Juxtaposed to all this was the extremely warm hospitatlity of Alex. He clearly puts others ahead of himself - and he's one of those guys who is just plain good. I felt bad to add to his responsibility during a stressful time but I was more than happy to take his bike for a ride while he was working.
The morning of the show we hit the ocean for a solid chest-high swell that we shared with scores of curious dolphins. I will never grow tired of surfing with the originators of style. It made me appreciate the best part of California - the water just off the beach. It's too bad most of the non-surfers, non-cyclists, non-outdoorsy-types don't see much more than a big ashtry and a cool sunset as they speed by in their consumption-mobiles. I actually saw a bumber sticker that read, "Burnin Gas and Haulin' Ass". Can you imagine my surprise when we passed to see an overwieght goat-tee-doning male at the wheel. Yapping on his cell. What a brilliant human being.
On to better topics-
The screening went very well. LaPaloma served up a great venue, the staff were helpful and the crowd seemed very stoked that we were taking donations for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. With multiple bike shops represented (more effort from Alex) we had tons of giveaways and raffled off a sick XTR package for a lucky San Diego MBA member.
We were in good company beside Hot Fuzz (an excellent flick!)
The next morning poor Alex had to drag me to the airport at 4am so I could fly to Iowa for a Stihl Timbersports show. I had to use a super-heavy HD cam which took a toll on my back.
My buddy Dave was supposed to be there competing but he had some serious complications with his dialysis catheter and had to turn back and drive home. It made the 2 days of shooting a bit of a bummer but hopefully he will realize that his competition will be the transplant and the tour will be there next year.
Ok, enough for now. Signing off...
2 weeks ago I joined National Super D Champion Sue Haywood at the Massanutten Hoo Haa outside of Harrisonburg, PA. I got to see first hand why this woman is a national champ. Most NORBA Super D races last about 4-5 mintues. This one, however, was to last over 20 minutes. AFTER riding an hour UP the mountain and out the steep, exceptionally rocky ridgeline, the 40 or so racers turned around on the overgrown, narrow path and began the race back down the mountain. 30 seconds separated each racer. It was a burly course but I was happy with my result - even tho I full-on starfished 4 times. I even passed 5 racers in front of me and was only caught by one crazy-fast TONY from BALTIMORE who I re-caught at the finish line. THEN CAME SUE!!! A full 4 minutes faster than me finishing at 22:00!!! She finished 4th overall - with all the boys. Big props to her - that course was NOT EASY.
Then the rains came and by morning the real challenge was talking Kenny out of bailing on the XC race.
BEFORE
He decided to stay but would only race Sport. Ok, that's sporting. Turns out he made the right choice. The Sport course was marked better than the expert course and after almost 3 hours of slogging up and down that mountain in the mud, I ran into the leaders of the race coming towards me on the trial. Everyone had made the same wrong turn and we all finished together - earning a fine DNF from the promoters. Can you say JACKASSES?? Just what you want to hear after slugging it out in mud conditions for 3 hours...
Like it was OUR fault that they couldn't mark a course. How stinkin hard can it be folks??? Anyway, it was fun - kinda - and I felt better about getting on a plane the next day for some rest.
AFTER
So that Monday - just over a week ago, I left for my first visit to San Diego. Ken's college friend Alex was hosting a screening and invited me to come out for some riding and surfing. Hard to refuse that. I escaped thunderstorm delays (very common on the East Coast this time of year) and arrived to a foggy city on the West Coast. Alex apologized for the "May Gray and June Gloom" but I thought nothing of it. Unfortunately for Alex, his boss was riding him fairly hard and the VP of his company was in town on Wednesday to ride shotgun with Alex on his sales rounds. Like hosting a screening wasn't enough pressure, right? We still found time to get a few rides in Alex's back yard.
This is The Way Up trail. And it went up, and up, and up...
Granted, I had just come off a 3-race-week but I was still HuHR-TING on the climbs. Gimme a solid DH anyday.
The WAY DOWN!
Lot of steep climbing on loose scree but it was a great challenge for a vertically challenged East Coaster.
The view I had was often of Alex up ahead waiting for me. It's always good to be schooled - provides motivation for improvement.
Fun riding, soon to be mowed down by SPRAWL.
Usually I try to take the thumper rule when it comes to being negative but I'm also a bit outspoken so I'll bleed a bit of my mind here. I have to admit that the great views of the area were spoiled by the massive amount of SPRAWL. Like a virus humans are spreading into the desert at a disturbing rate, cutting the tops off every mountain top around, terracing flat spots and junking them full of houses. It's sickening to say the least and was only reinforced by the "Me-Me-Me" vibe that prevailed when we drove from one place to another. Watching and listening, it seemed to me that many of the locals were far too busy being HIP, COOL, TRENDY and STYLISH to give a damn about their surroundings. I saw more jacked up 4x4's, Hummers, SUV's and outrageously priced luxury cars than I care to mention. It was like a parade of greed & pride. Most people had bigger sunglasses then Paris Hilton with billboards on the earpieces to let you know how cool they were. Gucci, LV, Prada - you name it. Made my Oakleys feel "so nineties".
Looking over the land I could not escape the growing amount of new homes and how each will require more water, energy and materials and give back loads of more trash and exaust. No, it's not different on the east coast but it's very visible there. Maybe because there's fewer trees. Although the humming birds seemed to like the newly landscaped flora...
Juxtaposed to all this was the extremely warm hospitatlity of Alex. He clearly puts others ahead of himself - and he's one of those guys who is just plain good. I felt bad to add to his responsibility during a stressful time but I was more than happy to take his bike for a ride while he was working.
The morning of the show we hit the ocean for a solid chest-high swell that we shared with scores of curious dolphins. I will never grow tired of surfing with the originators of style. It made me appreciate the best part of California - the water just off the beach. It's too bad most of the non-surfers, non-cyclists, non-outdoorsy-types don't see much more than a big ashtry and a cool sunset as they speed by in their consumption-mobiles. I actually saw a bumber sticker that read, "Burnin Gas and Haulin' Ass". Can you imagine my surprise when we passed to see an overwieght goat-tee-doning male at the wheel. Yapping on his cell. What a brilliant human being.
On to better topics-
The screening went very well. LaPaloma served up a great venue, the staff were helpful and the crowd seemed very stoked that we were taking donations for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. With multiple bike shops represented (more effort from Alex) we had tons of giveaways and raffled off a sick XTR package for a lucky San Diego MBA member.
We were in good company beside Hot Fuzz (an excellent flick!)
The next morning poor Alex had to drag me to the airport at 4am so I could fly to Iowa for a Stihl Timbersports show. I had to use a super-heavy HD cam which took a toll on my back.
My buddy Dave was supposed to be there competing but he had some serious complications with his dialysis catheter and had to turn back and drive home. It made the 2 days of shooting a bit of a bummer but hopefully he will realize that his competition will be the transplant and the tour will be there next year.
Ok, enough for now. Signing off...
2 Comments:
So what does it take to get your movie shown in a theater?
Also, how soon before the 24 Solo sound track is available?
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