"This event is a little more inviting and more personal, not so serious in the sense of where some mountain biking is these days," said Jon Bailey, another member of the Passion Productions crew. "I think it's based off hope. It's kind of like a hope for humanity. This group just wants to go out and ride bikes and push the limits and celebrate. When you see something with all these people coming together and enjoying it, it's hopeful." Quote from the
Denver Post article.
As everyone who donned one of the 400 mohawks especially for SSWC is trying to figure out what to do with their hair now, I reflect on the fun with a quick run through of the events. To the best of my knowledge, this it how it went down.
And so it went on that beautiful September weekend. The 2009 worlds are in the books but not before the indelible grooves that are the memories were burned in our minds as well as a couple indelible tattoos that were burned onto the winners.
We headed out of Boulder on Thursday around noon after many delays including a nail in one of the car tires. Construction back ups dented our time but we finally make it and unpack our things. We then walked down from the rented little guest house we had a few blocks from main st and mingle with the Derailed crowd at the saloon. It was a good way to ground with the madness and I was feeling rather nostalgic being back in Durango. I have always missed it after my short time living there many yrs ago. In some ways, it really has not changed all that much and it felt good.
After registration on Friday, we wandered around a bit, chatted with some friends and then headed out to Dry Creek for a little warm up loop to loosen the legs. We rode a nice 10 mile loop and even hit the CO trail for a while. This was a perfect warmup for the next day. A headless and blurry Jessica makes the pyramid look easy. I posted pics already of Friday's party and hosting competition so jump to Saturday morning.
10:30am-we put on our garb and headed to the start line. We jumped in with Joe and the SSO crew at the start. Here is what it looked like in front of us.
Here is what it looked like behind us. Now, I was not trying to get off the front but I wanted to be in the front 1/3rd of the crowd. All seemed according to plan as we chatted with
The Outlaw and the race began. 50 ft into it, we get hung on the inside corner as two people go down and about 600 people go around us to the right. It was hilarious and everyone was hooting with anticipation of the madness that would soon ensue.
As we head out of town and turn left to head up the hill, there were riders as far as the eye could see. I started to move up through some of the crowd on the road but it was more like moving through an endless school of fish and fish we were.
Hiking was soon impossible to avoid and we bush whack up in attempts to find parts of trail to actually spin on. Part way in, I realize my newly mounted rear tire is really low but I did not see any Stans leaking out so figured it was ok. It continued to lose air though and by the end, it was almost flat with about 10lbs of pressure but it held up enough to finish. I would later find the Stans stem had been leaking.
Much happened between photos but it is impossible to put it into words. Think fun technical trail with people crashing in front of you and people behind you yelling at everyone to ride through and not stop with some sections of spectators. Some of which, hand you alcohol.
This was part of that last big hike a bike. Right after this spot, there were guys cooking bacon trail side. They were also offering doughnuts and tequila shots. This hike lasts 5-10 minutes but much happens, read it fast to get the idea... I took the teq shot as the smell of fresh bacon wafted about. I followed it with a long draw off someone's PBR. Half eaten pieces of chocolate covered doughnuts dot the next 10 ft of trail representing the poor decision making of earlier riders. I round the next corner to see the
Early Times crew with full fifths of the cheap whiskey trying to get someone to drink some. I turn one of the bottles up and bubbled a huge double shot that was rewarded by huge shouts of approval from the whiskey givers as well as a slap on the ass. It was followed immediately by a bite of an apple chaser that was handed to me before the pain of the whiskey was fully realized and promptly taken back after my bite. With stomach on fire, I round the next corner to Tecate handouts and drew off a couple cans in a row to get the whiskey and tequila burn moving. All this happens while hiking up a very steep hill.
The last downhill was a wild ride and I almost washed out a few times in the tight loose switch backs as the alcohol blurred my dust covered eyes. I followed a rowdy crew out to the finish, one blasting music out of his camelbak. We cheered each other on to the end and crossed the finish line somewhere between top 20th and 1000th place (pretty sure we weren't top 20 but maybe last). I finished the ride 1/2 drunk on a rear tire that is 3/4 flat. The only thing I know about my placing is that I passed the 5th place woman at some point about 2/3 through the race according to spectators telling her she was 5th. Only chicked 4 times was not bad considering my start position and all the fast women out there. My legs were actually feeling great throughout so I had that going for me, which was nice. I was handed a beer as I crossed the finish line and that was that.
-Edit-After seeing a top 20 list today, it was the 6th place woman I passed (somehow without throwing up) but there is really know way of knowing about a personal placing nor do I care to know. Most of us won big when it came to fun factor and that is what matters at this event!
I thanked these guys after the race, two of the organizers that made this all possible, cheers!
Props to this cat who rode it fixed. He ripped the first section of DH. I was behind him, I cheered him on, it was sweet.
The spirit was contagious.
Checking for cracks
Jessica finished strong despite her scraped arm from a crash. The tennis outfit worked as did the striped tights I had on over my bibs, I can't believe they held up.
HB finishes in old school style
then coughs up a lung
We hung out until the beer dried up then I drank a few refills of much needed water and we headed to our place before the party at Ska brewing.
Joe, Julie, and the SSO crew taking it all in. It was great to catch up with them even though it was short lived.
The crowd drinks great beer at Ska Brewing and watches a team representing Italy play a team representing NZ. Nobody on either team was from the respective country but that just added to the ridiculousness of it all. I yelled my ass off for Italy but they lost.
NZ takes the prize and the daunting task of attempting to make 2010 even half as fun as 2009. The D9 crew did an incredible job and attention to detail was top notch.
It was great to see people we knew and meet some new ones. A few Boulder people made it down and it was great to hear that AZ transplant and Niner rider Tim A. who hooked up with Neil for a ride, turned in a top 10 finish 7th or 9th maybe, well done indeed! Neil kicked ass too on a borrowed SS and got out on the front pack at the start for a great initiation to the darkside that is SS, great work and strong ride to Neil! I see a 29er SS in someone's future.
I did hear that some jackass stole the wheelset they were supposed to raffle. White Stans rims and CK hubs, hopefully karma catches up fast with this lame wrongdoer. I was wondering who won them...
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who put forth the huge effort to put this thing on, it was colossal as are the memories! thanks
