Last post of the year!!!

So, this is it. The last post of the year (I think). I just wanted to give you all a quick season wrap-up and a peek into what is on the docket for next year (we're very excited!).

• All said and done, we had 17 races and a total of 689 participants!
• We had around 50 people participate in all 4 championships races.
• We hosted short tracks, time trials, cross countries, hill climbs, downhills, an up & over race, and one amazing 24 hour race.
• We had a host of AWESOME volunteers to assist with registration, course clearing, flag pulling (and flag sticking in), and course design.
  
• We had really sick maps this year!
• We had SUPER COOL socks for sale - and I do mean SUPER cool, because Katie Compton (#1 in the pic and by far the best female cyclocross racer in the USA!) has been wearing them during her cyclocross races!
  

Here are some of our ideas for the 2011 Mountain Bike racing season:

• The Tuesday Night Kincaid XC series was seriously popular, so we're going to stick with that.
• New venues! We're thinking Bartlett, Beach Lake Trails in Chugiak and possibly something out in the valley (we'll work with the valley bikers to do a race or two).
• BETTER course marking! This means that we need reliable volunteers to commit to one or two or more races - if you are interested being on the "flagging committee," please email me!
• Saturday races are not well-attended, so we won't be holding many of those (exceptions are the Up & Over and the 24 Hour race).
• A women's-only race/clinic (sorry guys) to boost confidence and garner more interest from the female population. And because women ROCK!
• A slightly adjusted State Championships - more on this in the spring!
  
• A BRAND NEW WEBSITE!!! ABC has just unveiled the new website and it's beautiful! We'll be moving everything over to the new website sometime this winter. So, in other words, this blog will no longer be the go-to site for the MTB division. It'll be even better!
• ONLINE RACE REGISTRATION just like the road division. YIPPEE! And the same great race fee if you register online: $15.

Some last words from your race director:

• Thank you to everyone that came out and participated in one way or another - YOU are what makes this division the best! Please come back next year and bring your friends, family & bike buddies!
• If you are interested in being on our newly formed FLAGGING COMMITTEE or the COURSE CLEARING COMMITTEE, please just shoot me an email and I'll add your name to the list. Then I'll be in touch come springtime. Remember, if you join a committee, you race for FREE!

Thanks again, and enjoy a wonderful winter.

Sincerely,
your most enthusiastic race director,
Megan : megpiersma@gmail.com, 440-9928

Arctic Valley Hill Climb RESULTS

It was a beautiful night! And with the amazing view that the Arctic Valley road affords us, it was truly a perfect finish to a season of mountain bike racing. We had 11 racers for our very last race of the season, but that didn't deter anyone from kicking some serious butt up that hill.

1) Jeff Ellis, 36 minutes & 49 seconds
2) John Lackey, 38:55
3) Chet Fehrmann, 39:30
4) Tim Berntson, 40:41
5) Don Haering, 43:34
6) Charlie Renfro, 44:56
7) Paul Anderson, 45:36
8) James Keck, 47:58
9) Jenna App, 52:50
10) Laurel Brady, 53:15
11) Karen Morrison, 53:40

Thanks for coming out everyone! And ladies, you rock!

I will post once more this year after our end-of-season board meeting to give you hints about what is to come for next year and a quick season recap.

Arctic Valley Hill Climb

LAST MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE OF THE SEASON!

Thursday, September 9, 7pm

Registration 6-6:50pm, race starts at 7pm sharp.

Parking & registration will be in a dirt parking lot on the right side of the Arctic Valley road about 1.5 miles up from the Moose Run driving range. To get there, take the Glenn out towards Eagle River. Take the Arctic Valley exit. Go straight towards mountains, past the golf course and driving range. The paved road will turn to dirt- keep going. You will eventually see a large parking lot on the right. Look for a red subaru with two bike racks on top! Register here.

The race will start back down at the driving range, but you'll all get there via bike.

The Arctic Valley hill climb is about 7 miles, all up hill, to the Alpenglow Chalet parking lot. It's great training for cross season or for getting your hill work in!

CYCLOCROSS BIKES ARE ALLOWED!

It's $15 for adults, under 18 race free.

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER OF THE ARCTIC BIKE CLUB TO RACE!
To become a member, click here, print and fill out the form, and bring it with you to registration (already filled out please!).

Hope to see you all there, rain or shine!

Megan (megpiersma@gmail.com or 440-9928)

Up & Over Challenge RESULTS

It was a small showing - 8 men - for our Up & Over race yesterday. Which isn't all that surprising considering it was pouring down rain and it's Labor Day weekend. But huge kudos to the 8 guys that showed up and rode through the mud and rain up and over a nasty pass to the finish line!

Results:
1) James Stull, 2 hours, 4 minutes
2) Dan Nordendale, 2.09
3) David Valdes, 2.23
4) Erik Gorman, 2.35
5) Jacob Wahry, 2.42
6) Peter Morris, 2.47
7) CJ Livingston, 3.35
8) Pedro Kim, 4.10

Our last race of the season is this Thursday, 9/9 at 7pm. Arctic Valley Hill Climb! More details soon.

Up & Over Challenge

Saturday, September 4, 10am ***BEAR BELL REQUIRED***

The start will be at the South Bivouac Trailhead off of Campbell Airstrip Road. Take Tudor east from Boniface, take a right onto Campbell Airstrip Rd. Pass the main parking area (which is on the right) and continue on until you see the pair of parking lots (one on left and one on right). South Bivouac is the lot on the right side of the road.

Registration will be 9:15-9:50am, pre-race meeting will be at 9:50, race will start at 10am. It's $15 as always. Under 18 race free.

Race Route:
Route follows the Spencer Loop up to a short section of short track. You will then pop out on The Hive trail, which you will follow up to the Prospect Heights parking lot. You will then proceed up the Gasline to the Powerline Trail. Stay on the Powerline Trail all the way “Up and Over” Powerline Pass. Descend (be super careful because its steep and loose) the south side of Powerline Pass to the Indian Trailhead. The finish will be in the parking lot of the Indian Valley Trailhead. We're expecting racers to finish in 2-3 hours, depending on weather and trail condition on the Indian side of Powerline Pass. The race is between 15 and 17 miles long.

You will be given a small map/directions to take with you. This is a self-sufficient race - take what you need with you. There are no aid stations. It is your responsibility to get to the finish line - minimal route finding skills are required, but you do need to know where you're going. The course is NOT flagged or marked in any way. The course is not technically difficult, but it is very steep on both sides of the pass, and will more than likely require getting off your bike. You are responsible for getting yourself home from Indian!


REQUIRED GEAR:
a bear bell!
RECOMMENDED GEAR:
water (2 water bottles or a camelbak)
extra clothing (wind jacket, hat, gloves)
a snack

We may or may not have a very informal gathering afterward at the Indian House Restaurant. Awards may or may not be presented. They do have good food, though (or so I've heard).

Hope to see you all there!
Megan

State Champs & Season Points RESULTS

Well, what can I say? It was an AWESOME weekend! A very large & enthusiastic turn-out, epic weather, grueling courses, broken bikes, scrapes/bruises/cuts/bumps, and a whole lot of fun.

Thanks to everyone! The racers, the spectators, the volunteers, the flag-pullers, the course creators, and anyone else that helped make the 2010 Alaska Mountain Bike Championships a raging success!

Here is a quick results synopsis...

Championship SERIES winners (raced all 4 races):
Expert Men
1) Carey Grumelot
2) Will Ross
3) Chet Fehrmann
Expert Women
1) Sheryl Loan
Master Men
1) Mike Howard
2) Jim Jager
3) Bruce Ross
Master Women
1) Marge Cunningham
Sport Men
1) Justin Nash
2) Stacey Moon
3) Marc Dunne
Sport Women
1) Janice Tower
2) Jessie Donahue
3) Rebeccah Bieri
Beginner Men
1) Nick Fry
Junior Men
1) Adam Garrigus
2) Luke Jager

Season Points Winners! (raced all season long, won the most points)
Expert Men
1) Carey Grumelot
2) Chet Fehrmann
3 tie) Will Ross/Brent Gorman
Expert Women
1) Eeva Latosuo
2) Sheryl Loan
3) Amber Stull
Master Men
1) Mike Howard
2) Bruce Ross
3) Mark Smith
Master Women
1) Marge Cunningham
Sport Men
1) Stacey Moon
2) Mark Burson
3) Justin Nash
Sport Women
1) Rebeccah Bieri
2) Jill Valerius
3) Darcy Davis
Beginner Men
1) Nick Fry
2) Cameron Bembenek
3 tie) Rich Hum/Bobby Phillips/Griff Steiner
Beginner Women
1) Maggie Donnelly
2) Sarah Ward
3 tie) Laurel Brady/Caroline Patton/Nancy Meade-Miller/Jeanette Duenow
Junior Men
1) Adam Garrigus
2) Luke Jager
3) Tanner Ramey
Junior Women
1) Mykaela McMullen
2) Irene Bembenek
3) Morgan Leach

ALASKA MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONS!!!
Male: Carey Grumelot
Female: Eeva Latosuo

Here are all the results and the points update:
Champs Hillside Hillclimb
Champs APU Short Track
Champs Kincaid Time Trial
Champs Hillside XC
Champs Cumulative Results
Season Points Total

NEXT UP: this Saturday, September 4, the Up & Over Challenge. More details to come.

Alaska Mountain Bike Championships

UPDATE AS OF 8/27:
First race is TONIGHT! Thank goodness it's not sunny and nice out; we wouldn't want to overheat or get sunburned! Don't forget your bear bell!

Here is a PDF of all the race info. You can print this out and take it with you!

Sunday's XC race course at Hillside has been modified. We decided to move it off the STA trails (at least the downhill portions) to better preserve those trails for future use! Here is the NEW map!

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, BRENT! YOU OLD MAN!

UPDATE AS OF 8/26:
Here is the points update!

Bear bells will be required at the Kincaid race and at both Hillside races. I will have a very limited amount of bear bells available for sale during registration. They will be $5 per bell. You can find them at any sporting goods or outdoor store for less, and I bet Fred Meyer carries them as well for even cheaper! GET YOUR BEAR BELL! There will be a time penalty for not having a bear bell... 30 seconds.

UPDATE AS OF 8/23:
Thanks so much to Brent Gorman, Jeff Ellis, Mike Howard, Bob Cox and Tim Berntson for clearing a very messy stretch of singletrack at Hillside this weekend. Now the course for the XC on Sunday will be even better (new map posted below)! Awesome job guys.


Bob rocking the chainsaw chaps/spandex look.

Also, everyone that races in the championships will receive one of these awesome reusable totes!



__________________________________________________________

I will be posting information as it becomes available, so check back often!

Here's the schedule:

Friday, August 27
7pm, Hillside, Hill Climb ***BEAR BELL REQUIRED***
Registration: will be from 5:30-6:45 to allow folks time to register for the WHOLE series and to sign up for the banquet (just so we know how much food to buy).
Parking: Please park at the north end of the Hilltop Ski Area parking lot. Head east on Abbott Road, pass by Service High School and under the foot bridge, take your next left into the Hillside/Hilltop parking lot - follow the road back past the chalet and park at the far north end. There will be a porta-potty available here!
Pre-race Meeting: 6:50pm
Race Start: 7pm SHARP
Race Format: Experts will leave at 7pm, Masters & Sport at 7:01pm, Beginners & Juniors at 7:02pm. The finish is near the Prospect Heights parking lot, so you can either get picked up there or ride back down to the Hilltop parking lot (MUCH more fun).
Race MAP!

Saturday, August 28
10am, Alaska Pacific University, Short Track
Registration: 9:00-9:45am. Everyone needs to register at this time.
Parking: Please park at the Moseley Sports Center: take 36th Avenue east past Providence Hospital (street now called Providence Drive). At 3-way stop, go straight (large APU log will be on your left at this intersection) onto APU property. Pass the USGS buildings on right. Next building on right will be Moseley Sports Center. The sports center will be open for restrooms, but they ask NO MUDDY SHOES inside. Registration will be in the Sports Center parking lot, but the start/finish area will be down in the soccer field on the other side of the hill behind the sports center... it will all make sense once you get there!
Pre-race Meeting: 9:50am
Race Start: 10am SHARP
Race format:
Expert, Sport, & Master Men + Expert Women will start at 10am. It will be 30 minutes around a 1 mile course, plus one more lap.
Sport, Master, Beginner Women & Beginner Men + ALL Juniors will start at 10:45am. 30 minutes plus a lap.
Race Map: There will be no map for this course as you will be able to easily pre-ride it prior to the race start (one lap will take about 5-8 minutes). The second group will need to pre-ride it BEFORE the first group goes out.

Saturday, August 28
3pm, Kincaid, Time Trial ***BEAR BELL REQUIRED***
Registration: 2:00-2:45pm
Parking: We will be staging from the stadium parking lot, as usual. Take Raspberry Road west until the very end, parking will be at the stadium lot below the chalet (on your right coming in). The start/finish area will be behind the huge scoreboard.
Pre-race Meeting: 2:50pm
Race Start: 3pm SHARP
Race format: Juniors will go out first, followed by the Beginners, then the Sport, Masters and finally the Experts. Racers will go out one at a time, in 15 or 30 second intervals (this will be decided race day). There will be a 5 minute gap between rider categories.
Race MAP!

Sunday, August 29
12 noon, Hillside, XC ***BEAR BELL REQUIRED***
Registration: 11:00-11:45am
Parking: Please park at the north end of the Hilltop Ski Area parking lot. Head east on Abbott Road, pass by Service High School and under the foot bridge, take your next left into the Hillside/Hilltop parking lot - follow the road back past the chalet and park at the far north end. There will be a porta-potty available here!
Pre-Race Meeting: 11:50am
Race Start: 12pm SHARP
Race format: Just like usual... Experts @ 12pm, Sport & Masters @ 12:01pm, Beginners & Juniors @ 12:02pm. EXPERTS WILL DO 4 LAPS, SPORT & MASTERS 3 LAPS, BEGINNERS & JUNIORS 2 LAPS.
Race MAP!

Sunday, August 29
6pm, Dinner & Awards Banquet (it's free!)
The awards banquet will be held at the Abbott Loop Community Park off Elmore (opposite Coventry Drive) between 80th and 84th. We will be using the large covered shelter on the north end of the park. The dinner will be a big grill-out, with hamburgers, hotdogs (or maybe salmon burgers?) & some sort of vegetarian option (don't worry, it won't be tofurky dogs!). We'll also be providing beverages (soda, sports drinks and MIDNIGHT SUN KEGS!) , along with all the trimmings for your grilled option.
We ask that you bring a dish to share: last names A-L, please bring a side dish, last names M-Z, please bring a dessert!
After dinner, we will have awards and tons of schwag give-aways! If it's nice out, we might get a romping game of volleyball going... Bring the whole family!
__________________________________________________________

COST: $50 for all 4 races (save $10!) or $15 per race, under 18 are always free! The awards dinner is free too - just bring something to share (see above in blue).
________________________________________________

It's going to be an awesome weekend full of racing (obviously), prizes, awards, FOOD!, and fun. Your times in each of the races will be added up, then assigned the appropriate "pointage." That pointage will then be doubled, so if you've been missing races this summer and your points total is looking a tad dismal, make sure you join us for all four races!

If you have questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to shoot me an email at megpiersma@gmail.com!

Kincaid XC #5 RESULTS

We had a very small crowd last night, which is unfortunate because the weather was actually half-way decent! We had 27 racers total. While the turn-out wasn't great, we did have a large number of folks that had never participated in one of the races before, so it was GREAT having some fresh blood! Excellent job to all the "newbies!"

Many (probably 90% of you) reported missing sections of the course or adding on a large chunk unknowingly or going backwards or just generally getting lost... so check out the results and take them with a grain of salt! For those of you that have a * next to your name, it means you "missed course" in a very loose sense. If you have a * next to your name and you know you did the entire course in the correct direction, it just means that I didn't get a chance to talk to you after you finished. Just shoot me an email and let me know!

RESULTS!

	Expert Men
1	Chet Fehrmann	1:26:05
2	Carey Grumelot	1:26:06
*	Scott Vincik	1:26:42
*	James Stull	1:28:02
3	Andy Pohl	1:29:42
4	Brian Bonney	1:29:44
5	Carl Kuhn	1:29:44
6	David Valdes	1:37:06
	Will Ross	DNF
	Mike Beiergrohslein	DNF
	*missed course
	Master Men
*	Ken Spiess	1:06:29
*	Mike Howard	1:12:46
*	Bruce Ross	1:16:38
1	Bob Cox	1:23:43
*	Kent Muehling	1:49:49
	*missed course
	Master Women
1	Marge Cunningham	1:23:19
	Sport Men
1	Jeff Ellis	1:03:32
2	Stacey Moon	1:03:38
3	Dennis Stosel	1:04:35
4	Jamie Haines	1:05:11
5	Alex De'Ath	1:05:48
6	Mark Burson	1:07:25
	Jacob Wahry	DNF
	Beginner Women
1	Laurel Brady	0:42:24
	Junior Men
1	Bobby Wilson	0:34:57
2	Adam Garrigus	0:35:58
3	Luke Jager	0:40:57

Tim was out snapping photos last night... the link to the album is here. It's on SnapFish, so you need an account to see them, but it's free and super easy.

This is the last race that counted for points (besides the upcoming championship races). I will post the updated points list, the championship maps and other pertinent champs info before this weekend so that you can all get out and pre-ride!

Thanks for coming out last night! megpiersma@gmail.com, 440-9928

Kincaid XC #5

Tuesday, August 17

• Race Registration: 6-6:45pm
  
• Pre-Race Meeting: 6:45pm
  
• Race Start: 7pm sharp
  
• Adults $15, under 18 race free!
• Helmets are required.
• You must be an ABC member to race - $20 for an annual membership ($5 for under 18). Please fill out the membership form, found here, and mail it in with a check. I will not be providing race registration forms at the race- YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BECOMING A MEMBER BEFORE THE RACE. You may bring your COMPLETED membership forms to the race, with payment and save a stamp.
  
• Here is the MAP.

Directions to parking and race start:
From Minnesota, head west on Raspberry Road. Follow Raspberry through Jewel Lake Rd, past Sand Lake Rd. and past the big Kincaid Park sign. Wind your way through Kincaid Park, past the Raspberry parking lot (which will be on your right) and under the big ski bridge. Parking will be in the big lot below the Chalet on your right (the stadium lot). Registration will be in the western most corner of the lot. The race start and finish will be in the stadium below the chalet.

Race format:
Experts ride 3 laps and depart at 7:00pm. Sport/Master riders have 2 laps and depart at 7:01pm. Beginners/Juniors ride 1 lap and depart at 7:02pm. If we have as many racers as we've had at previous Kincaid races, we'll split up start times even further (for example: send men out, then women).

Points Series:
This race is the sixth race that count for POINTS. All of the Kincaid and Hillside XC races and all the races in the championships (10 races total) will earn you points depending on how well you place in the race. After the state championships, all points will be tallied and the racer with the most cumulative points will be crowned the state mountain bike racing champion! Woohoo!

SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE!

Megan (440-9928, megpiersma@gmail.com)

Kincaid Short Track RESULTS

Even though it poured the entire race and the course was wet, sloppy and slippery, we had a pretty good turn-out! 25 racers pounded it out for 30+ minutes on the 1 mile course based out of the Jodhpur parking lot. We had a very strong showing by the Junior men - many of which will definitely move up to the sport division next year! Nice job boys! We also had a few Mighty Bikers join in on our course because their race was canceled - some rode the entire 30 minutes in the Junior category and one very brave little girl rode the customary one lap - we were all very impressed!

Thanks to everyone that braved the rain (again)! Wish for sunny weather for our next race- Tuesday, August 17, the FINAL Kincaid XC race of the season! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

	Expert Men
1	Brent Gorman	9 laps	0:34:48
2	Chet Fehrmann	9 laps	0:34:48
3	John Lackey	9 laps	0:35:50
4	Scott Vincik	9 laps	0:36:05
5	Carl Smith	9 laps	0:37:59
6	Andy Pohl	8 laps	0:35:24
	Master Men
1	Mark Smith	8 laps	0:37:03
2	Bruce Ross	7 laps	0:35:01
3	Bob Cox	7 laps	0:39:50
	Sport Men
1	Nathan van der Most	9 laps	0:38:54
2	Jacob Wahry	8 laps	0:35:18
3	Nathan Musgrave	8 laps	0:35:20
4	Cam Bembenek	7 laps	0:35:54
	Sport Women
1	Jessie Donahue	7 laps	0:36:16
2	Allison Ross	7 laps	0:37:51
	Beginner Women
1	Maggie Donnelly	6 laps	0:39:10
	Junior Men
1	Tanner Ramey	8 laps	0:37:59
2	Luke Jager	7 laps	0:35:18
3	Adam Garrigus	7 laps	0:35:41
4	Stuart Bembenek	7 laps	0:38:54
5	Kevin Leach	7 laps	0:40:56
6	Chase Lentfer	6 laps	0:37:03
7	Josh Novakovich	5 laps	0:40:57
8	Hunter Eid	5 laps	0:41:00
	Junior Women
1	Irene Bembenek	6 laps	0:35:39
	Mighty Bikers!
	Camryn Williams	1 lap	0:10:23

Kincaid Short Track

Tuesday, August 10

PARKING & REGISTRATION WILL BE AT THE JODHPUR LOT... read on for more info!

What the heck is a short track race? Well, it's fast and furious, for one. Racers ride laps around a short, technical course (our course is just over 1 mile long) for 30 minutes, plus one more lap around. Our course involves ski trails plus a bit of rooty single track (read: cross bikes not appropriate or allowed) with some ups and downs. This race is GREAT for spectators because racers will be flying through the start/finish area all the time- no waiting 30 or more minutes to see your rider! We expect the expert riders to do one lap in about 5 minutes or so.

Race Format
All Experts, All Masters & Men's Sport: 7:00-7:30pm, plus one lap
Women's Sport, All Beginners & All Juniors: 7:45-8:15pm, plus one lap

Here is the MAP.

Registration
6:00-6:45pm (EVERYONE must register during this time - the second group will get to watch and cheer on the first group!)

Pre-race meeting will be right before your group goes out on the course.

Adults $15, under 18 race free.

You MUST be a member of the Arctic Bike Club to race. Please fill out the membership form and mail it in, or bring it to the race with your payment (with everything already filled out). I will NOT be providing membership forms at registration. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BECOMING A MEMBER BEFORE THE RACE. Membership forms can be found here.

Parking & Registration will be at the Jodhpur parking lot, NOT at the usual stadium area. We wanted to change it up a bit. Directions: instead of staying on Raspberry and heading straight into the Kincaid entrance, you'll take a left on Sand Lake Road. Then take a right onto Kincaid Road. The road will take a 90 degree left turn (Jodhpur Rd.), follow this around. You'll pass some houses and then on your right will be a turn-off into the park - it is the same entrance as the motor-cross park (and it will be the ONLY right you can take on that back stretch of road). Alternately, you can take Dimond west past Sand Lake Road, follow the curve to the right, then take a left into the parking lot.

POINTS UPDATE (as of 8/8/10)

If you have any questions/concerns, please email or call the race director (Megan) at megpiersma@gmail.com or 440-9928.

Soggy Bottom & Cross Clinic & Socks

Just so you know...

The Soggy Bottom 100 is this weekend, Saturday August 7.
It's an awesome race and you can do it solo or as a team.
Check out the website.

Arctic Cross is hosting a fantastic cyclocross clinic from Thursday, August 12 through Sunday, August 15. Katie Compton (6 time National Cross Champion!) will be the "instructor" for the clinic. There are only 50 spots available and it costs $125, which is a TOTAL steal! You can register for the clinic here. Check out the clinic flyer here.

The next MTB race is August 10. It's a short track race out at Kincaid at 7pm. Come on out and join the fun! Short track races are a total riot- fast & furious & super exciting!

Also, please check to see if your name is on the sock list for a free pair of socks! The top male and female in each category gets a pair of awesome MTB socks. Visit the July blog post entitled "It's all about the socks!".

Hillside XC RESULTS

Thanks to everyone that came out today! We had a small but enthusiastic crowd of 29 racers. The weather cooperated with us, which was quite nice. This is the 5th race that counts towards the points series and I'll post the points update as soon as it's updated!

You can find the UPDATED results HERE.

The next race is August 10, 7pm, at Kincaid - a Kincaid Short Track! Fast and LOTS of fun... doesn't count for points, but please join us anyway! More info as we get closer...

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Hillside XC

Saturday, July 24, 10am

• Race Registration:9-9:45am (I will shut down race registration at 9:45am SHARP, which means that you will NOT be allowed to register after that time.)
  
• Pre-Race Meeting: 9:50am
  
• Race Start: 10am sharp
  
• Adults $15, under 18 race free!
• Helmets are required.
• You must be an ABC member to race - $20 for an annual membership ($5 for under 18). Please fill out the membership form, found here, and mail it in with a check. I will not be providing race registration forms at the race- YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BECOMING A MEMBER BEFORE THE RACE. You may bring your COMPLETED membership forms to the race, with payment and save a stamp.
  
• RACE MAP! Note that we will not be racing anywhere near Campbell Creek or Rover's Run (and there will be plenty of people on and around the trails... bring a bear bell if you wish!)
  

Directions to parking and race start:
Parking will be in the northern most end of the Hilltop Ski Area lot. Take Abbott east past the Lake Otis intersection, go through Elmore, past Service High School. There will be a parking lot along the road on your left after you pass under the footbridge. Take the road that runs back from this parking lot into the Hilltop Ski Area. Pass the chalet and head to the back of the parking lot.

Race format:
Experts ride 3 laps and depart at 10:00am. Sport/Master riders have 2 laps and depart at 10:01am. Beginners/Juniors ride 1 lap and depart at 10:02am.

Points Series:
This race is the fifth race that will count in a series of races for POINTS. All of the Kincaid and Hillside XC races and all the races in the championships (10 races total) will earn you a certain amount of points (dependent on how well you place in the race). After the state championships, all points will be tallied and the racer with the most cumulative points will be crowned the state mountain bike racing champion! Woohoo!

Questions? Call me at 440-9928 or shoot me an email: megpiersma@gmail.com.

Kincaid XC #4 RESULTS & Mighty Bikes Results

Well, it was one heck of an epic evening. It began to rain around 5:30, then it started pouring around 6pm and it kept pouring until I pulled out of the parking lot at 9:30pm! It made for a very wet, dirty, slick and slippery course - and from racer's reports it resulted in a lot of flipping, sliding, skidding, sloshing, and a general flopping around. We had 51 racers register (pretty good considering the weather) and 41 racers finish.

A few things before you jump to the results:
1) The next race is THIS Saturday - Hillside XC, 10am start, 9am registration opens. This race counts for points. More info on this race will be posted as soon as the map becomes available this afternoon.
2) The cumulative points will be posted as soon as they are finished.
3) I've updated the socks post, so check to see if you're name has been added for a free pair of socks! (The top male & female in each division gets a pair of socks.)
4) I have been hearing comments about the maps not being available earlier. Please know that everyone on the MTB board, including the course designer, the map guy and moi (your race director), have full-time jobs. We do mountain bike division stuff in our spare time. Please be patient when things don't get posted right away or when a map doesn't show up until the day before- we're working on it, trust me. If you'd like to help us out, just let me know.
5) We need flag pullers. You get to race free if you stick around and pull flags once the experts come through for their last lap. We REALLY need help pulling flags. Seriously.

Here are the results!

Below are the Mighty Bikes results (2 mile course with lots of moose interference!):

WAY TO BRAVE THE RAIN!!!

Girls: 1. Kaylee Heck 15:01 2. Kate Crowley 16:12 3. Liz Novakovich 17:09 4. Lara Eck 17:19 5. Annika Colberg 17:51 6. Annika Wolner 20:56 7. Masha Kling 22:19 8. Kennedy Wood 22:56

Boys: 1. Zach Burris 14:36 2. Jonah Rogers 14:43 3. Parker Pickett 14:56 4. Kyle Wolner 15:05 5. Zanden McMullen 15:07 6. Caleb Wood 15:14 7. Josh Novakovich 15:21 8. Peter Hinds 15:30 9. Adam Hearn 16:20 10. Quinn Musgrave 16:25 11. Connor Gries 16:27 12. (tie) Aidan Blessing 16:36, Ethan Picket 16:36 14. Janpal LaChapelle 16:37 15. Sage Hildreth 16:43 16. Cody Fikes 16:51 17. Dylan Eck 17:24 18. David Crowley 17:25 19. Daniel Kling 17:33 20. Paul Boutet 21:24 21. Talis Colberg 22:48

Thanks to everyone that came out on Tuesday night, despite the downpour. You guys and gals are HARDCORE! Extra points for everyone!!! OK, just kidding...

Here are some awesome photos of the race (thanks Kent!).

Connor Truskowski after the race - looking just a tad on the dirty side.


















Stacey Moon coming across the finish line after 2 laps in the slop.


















Cleaning bikes off in the newly-formed Kincaid Lake (it's really just the parking lot).


















Comments or questions, please email me at megpiersma@gmail.com. See you soon!

Kincaid XC #4

Tuesday, July 20, 7pm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDY POHL!

• Race Registration: 6-6:45pm (I will shut down race registration at 6:45pm SHARP, which means that you will NOT be allowed to register after that time.)
  
• Pre-Race Meeting: 6:50pm
  
• Race Start: 7pm sharp
  
• Adults $15, under 18 race free!
• Helmets are required.
• You must be an ABC member to race - $20 for an annual membership ($5 for under 18). Please fill out the membership form, found here, and mail it in with a check. I will not be providing race registration forms at the race- YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BECOMING A MEMBER BEFORE THE RACE. You may bring your COMPLETED membership forms to the race, with payment and save a stamp.
  
• RACE MAP! This is the race where you'll be weaving along the infamous Bluff Trail- the most beautiful (and hairy) singletrack in the park!
  

Directions to parking and race start:
From Minnesota, head west on Raspberry Road. Follow Raspberry through Jewel Lake Rd, past Sand Lake Rd. and past the big Kincaid Park sign. Wind your way through Kincaid Park, past the Raspberry parking lot (which will be on your right) and under the big ski bridge. Parking will be in the big lot below the Chalet on your right (the stadium lot). Registration will be in the western most corner of the lot. The race start and finish will be in the stadium below the chalet.

Race format:
Experts ride 3 laps and depart at 7:00pm. Sport/Master riders have 2 laps and depart at 7:01pm. Beginners/Juniors ride 1 lap and depart at 7:02pm. If we have as many racers as we've had at previous Kincaid races, we'll split up start times even further (for example: send men out, then women).

Points Series:
This race is the fourth race that will count in a series of races for POINTS. All of the Kincaid and Hillside XC races and all the races in the championships (10 races total) will earn you a certain amount of points (dependent on how well you place in the race). After the state championships, all points will be tallied and the racer with the most cumulative points will be crowned the state mountain bike racing champion! Woohoo!

Questions? Call me at 440-9928 or shoot me an email: megpiersma@gmail.com.

Points Update

Here's the beta on earning points:

Only these races count towards points:
Kincaid XC #1-5
Hillside XC on July 24
MTB Championships races (4 races total, August 27-29)

Your lowest score in the XC races will get thrown out and the championship races count for DOUBLE points!

Here is the updated score board!

If you have questions or see an error, please email me at megpiersma@gmail.com.

It's all about the socks!

The top male and female winner in each category (expert, masters, sport, beginner & junior) each receive a pair of ABC Mountain Bike Division socks (see the photo in the right-hand column). Check the list below it to see if you're on it, and at the next race, come claim your sweet socks at registration! It's our way of saying AWESOME JOB and thanking you for supporting the Arctic Bike Club Mountain Division!

Arctic Valley Hill Climb – May 18

Daniel Folmar

Christina Grande

Downhill Dome – May 28

Darren Mattingley

Jake Davis

Rose Theisen

Kincaid XC #1 – June 8

*Carey Grumelot

*Eeva Latosuo

*Mike Howard

Darcy Davis

*Bobby Phillips

Georgina Scorer

Rich Hum

Caroline Patton

Garth Schulz

*Mykaela McMullen

Hillside Short Track – June 19

*Eeva Latosuo

James Stull

Kincaid XC #2 – June 22

Will Ross

Amber Stull

*Mike Howard

*Marge Cunningham

*Stacey Moon

*Rebecca Bieri

*Bobby Phillips

Jeanette Duenow

Tanner Ramsey

Morgan Leach

Kincaid XC #3 – July 6

*Carey Grumelot

Sheryl Loan

Ken Spiess

*Marge Cunningham

Seth Downs

*Rebecca Bieri

Cam Bembenek

Nancy Meade-Miller

*Adam Garrigus

*Mykaela McMullen

Kincaid XC #4 – July 20

*Adam Garrigus

*Mykaela McMullen

Griff Steiner

*Maggie Donnelly

*Stacey Moon

Mike Truskowski

*Carey Grumelot

*Marge Cunningham

*Eeva Latosuo

Hillside XC – July 24

Brent Gorman

Bruce Ross

*Marge Cunningham

*Stacey Moon

Jill Valerius

*Maggie Donnelly

*Adam Garrigus

*if you've won more than one race, KUDOS!, but you only get one pair of socks... sorry!