HOT COTR TOPICS – – The Weekend in Review.

Monday and I am hurting far more than normal. A van full of “soft plastic” in bags to curb on recycling day. Very little sleep and legs sore to the touch….but man oh man….what a weekend of cross racing on Vancouver Island!!

One of our COTR regular racers in the ‘Lil Nutcase kids races, 4 year old Benjamin Pechter, is having his heart fixed tomorrow so that he can come back and be even more competitive in the races. We wish him and the Pechter family smooth sailing for this stressful time.

I now understand that it is Aaron Schooler’s goal to win every province in Canada’s provincial cross championship. Maybe even in the same year given the current scheduling. Only a week from winning Alberta’s championship….he comes and win’s B.C.s! Good luck on your new project Aaron!!

Only one more round to go for COTR this year with the series final at Shawnigan Lake School on November 24th. Then National Champs the following weekend and we are d-o-n-e. As anyone that has done the series knows….anything can happen at the last race. Double points. Amazing draw prizes. Race Prizes. Series Prizes. We would LOVE to have a MASSIVE turn out for this race of course….event preview in your in box next week!

Lucky winner of the Phillips 6 pack OR the Rumble 6 Pack for “positive feedback” to Ladysmith is: Denise Mahon

Next “Positive Feedback” is to the City of Nanaimo….Take your pick of 1 of 3- – BCC me on it and we will put you in for another draw: #1. The Nanaimo Bulletin has a Bouquets section and their e-mail is: bulletinboard@nanaimobulletin.com and #2 is Nanaimo Parks and Recreation who let us use their park and you can fire those ones to: Elizabeth Williams (Elizabeth.Williams@nanaimo.ca). #3 is letters to Editor for the Daily News.(letters@nanaimodailynews.com) We will go to November 20th for this round. Just letting you know that it does help and is working so thanks to the people that send e-mails.

A couple of sweet Patrick Burnham Galleries to tie you over for a bit:
My Little Pony up here http://www.flickr.com/photos/palleus/sets/72157637498021653/
Kona Kup here http://www.flickr.com/photos/palleus/sets/72157637498021653/

More to come.

MY LITTLE PONY CROSS. Review
My Little Pony Cross hosted by MIVA.

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Norm’s Notes.
Although this race was just on Saturday it seems like it was SO LONG ago now!!

  • Sweet Tukes!
  • What I really liked about this course was the on and off the bike. That is supposed to be what cross is all about but sometimes it gets lost. Cross is not riding the bike around on the dirt. What makes cross different from all other bike disciplines is that you have to run. The My Little Pony cross was the most running this year. I thought it was great!
  • Carey Mark and Charlene Hay winning the Shimano wheel sets. Thanks Shimano!!
  • An absolutely great venue.
  • Thanks to Peter, MIVA, Roland and Katie, Cheryl and my dad.

Race Director Peter McCaffery’s Highlights:

  • Aaron Schooler bunny hopping the finish barriers
  • Sam Whittingham’s single speed belt drive bike
  • Bill McMillan riding the muddy cross camber
  • Roland Rabien’s sexy skin suit
  • Janna handing up Nanaimo Bars (Sponsored by Superstore) to riders doing motoring up the paved road.
  • One of the girls running a complete lap with her rear derailleur wrapped around her stays,
  • Ron Hewitson’s tartan jersey,
  • The ding-dong battle between Colleen Wtorek and Charlene Hay,
  • Customers walking away from Extreme Eats with large helpings of bacon poutine (YUM),
  • Rock music blasting through the ride-through barn.

Thanks to:
COTR crew: Hilary, Roland and Katie, Normon and Wendy, all the extra guys who helped tear down the course.
MIVA Volunteers: Cheryl, Bill, Shepherd, Jason, Phil, Janna, Ron, Menno,
Slow Spokes Volunteers: Al , Keith, Gary, Nigel
And my long time partner in bike races: Dave Kenny

Super thanks to: Culverden Holdings Ltd., Arbutus Meadows Equestrian Centre Ltd.

KONA KUP. Provincial Championships. Review
Hosted by Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo.

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If you have not checked out the results for this event yet it includes all the lap splits…providing you did not ruin your timing chip…or even if you did we may have been able to re-produce them with the help of our master timers Hilary Grant and Corey Piket doing the manual back up to Mark Nelson’s Race Day timing fancy computer system.

Norm’s Notes:
A bit of a tougher race for us to put on than a normal COTR race. First the schedule was tighter with 5 separate starts vs. our normal 3. More categories on course at once. At one time with the youth categories we had 5 separate age groups racing at once. Provincial champs….so tougher competition. A backed up toilet. Racers that can not break the habit of crumpling up their number even when the timing chip on it says “do not fold”……which in turn destroys the timing chip making it impossible for them to be timed….which makes getting accurate results very-very difficult. Even after 10 years we are still learning.

Highlights:

  • The number of kids racing. By far this was the biggest highlight of the day. We have pushed CBC this year to drop the license requirement for provincials and add 6 more categories for youth going from 2 to 8. The result was more than 55 kids racing Provincial Champs!! I think the youngest was 10. Cross is such an easy-in for kids and parents to the world of cycling so it was really encouraging to see that support from the young racers as well as the parents.
  • The line up at the Wanna Wafel cart….man the scent from those taunted me all through the day until after my race when I could finally have one (OK I had 3!).
  • I echo Corey’s highlight below. The U17 men’s race was pretty cool to watch.
  • I also heard that the Masters men 35-44 race was wicked….but I was in my own hell during that one.
  • Opposite of “highlights”…quad cramps going up the switchback climb on LAP 2 with 4 more times up there to go. Apparently race directing is not perfect prep.
  • Tayden DePol on the podium in U13 in his third race.
  • The U13 Girls Podium re-do.
  • Phillips Growlers and the awards table.
  • Medals from Jamie Cameron and prep’ed by Roland any my mom.
  • The number of spectators that came out. Bigger crowd that National Champs in Nanaimo in 2006.
  • Roanne English missed her start for the Open Women’s race….by a fair bit. Rather than pout about it she pulled on her big girl bike shorts and raced in the main event. Nice touch Roanne!
  • 70 year old Derek Steel……still beating up on guys 15 years younger…….usually he beats up on guys 25 years younger in the regular COTR races.
  • Special thanks to KONA Staffer, Dale Plant, for making the trip up from Bellingham….and then kicking my ass!

Extra thanks to (aside from the ones that Corey has):

  • Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo and their crew.
  • Ann and Rollin Thibault.
  • City of Nanaimo
  • Nanaimo Parks and rec and their tourism grant program
  • Race Day Timing
  • Wanna Wafel
  • All the wicked spectators that came out.

Corey’s Highlights:
The highlights would be watching James Grant break his chain on Lap #1. Run it in. Wendy Simms’ KONA bike appearing out of the crowd for him to continue. Him pitting again at the end of lap 2 to get the saddle raised an inch and coming back for the sprint win right at the finish line in the under 17s.

  • Giving away a Kona Jake the Snake!! Thanks KONA.
  • Giving away a SWEET Garmin 810. Thanks Lambert!!
  • Giving away a Ridley Frameset. Thanks Oak Bay Bikes!!d

Thanks to:

  • Hillary Grant for managing the finish line.
  • Dan and Kevin for doing the food.
  • The buzz coffee for coffee and hot chocolate.
  • Cheryl Morch who is becoming the “Hillary” of registration.
  • Paul Thompson, Shepard Stewart, Derek Steel, Christine Lynch, Matt Dawes, Jamie Steele, Kevin Brown, Dan Curtis and Ron Hewitson for set up.
  • Mike Pollock and Terry from Gabriola for keeping a close eye on the course in the day.

Hope I didn’t forget anyone.

The city for letting us use the park and the cross on the rock series for being so organized and making it easy!

Also all the people who helped with tear down…..re

That was fast! (Norm’s note. Series best for tear down. My little pony beat Ladysmith and then Kona Kup beat my little pony….it is getting quicker and quicker)

Kona, Lambert, Phillips, Rumble and the Howard Johnston.

That is an awards table!!

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COTR SHIRTS
We sold quite a few COTR T’s this weekend. In fact we will have to do another round of printing as I sold out of Large Men’s and had allocated 2 that were now gone from the box…..and I don’t want to make these two people mad!!

The shirts are American Apparel. The nice 50/50 shirts as they hold the black colour better than straight cotton and also wick a bit better. Men’s sizing and women’s sizing.

So this is what we have left.
Women’s: 1 Small, 8 Medium, 1 Large.
Men’s: 4 Medium

I have shirts held for: Jamie Emery, Simon Pearson and Drew MacKenzie. I owe shirts to: Dan Curtis and Ian Craib which I will have made up.

IF YOU WANT A SHIRT put aside from what we have OR would like us to count you in on the re-print let me know.

We also did a very small number of kids sized shirts without the “Bacon, beer, bikes” on the bottom and just the COTR and the skull on the top. We might be able to get those as well if you would like one.

$20 for Adults
$15 for kids.

e-mail me at normont@islandnet.com

Get NAKED for 2014

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If you want to be riding one of these sweet rigs….you already have to be thinking a head to NEXT COTR season.

FIRST AID
We would love to have 4 or 5 heavy blankets in our First Aid kit if anyone has any out there that they could donate please fire me a note and possibly bring to the races this weekend.

MORE $$$$$ for Juniors/Youth $$$$$$$ (LAST CHANCE)

Past COTR Photo contest winner, Patrick Burnham, did a SWEET calendar last year of 12 of his COTR photos and sold them at the end of the season. He collected the $ for the calendars…..around $500. MEANWHILE down in Victoria Pro City Cycling and the Binab Property Group GP also had a donation from Vista Estates of $500. AND then Tyler Trace put in his prize money from last weekend….another $100. So we have $1100 for 11 X $100 Travel grants for U19 racers. Male or Female. Travelling to National Championships in Surrey at the end of November.

We thought that was ALL But then the Cross Club in Victoria coughed up another $1100 so we will be doing 11 X $200 Grants now!! Get on it JR Racers….get your application in.

So far (as of October 31, 2013) we have received 6 applications; James Grant, Mark Grant.Holly Simonson, Tarryn Cote, Sarah Van Dam, Talia Hill and Thomas Hill. (and 2 more this past weekend…have to locate them but we should be up to 8).

Our Criteria:

  • Must be from the Island, a surrounding Island or Powell River. (If not from an Island…they must be supporting COTR a lot!!)
  • Must be 18 or under
  • Someone who supports cross on the rock
  • Someone who is planning on attending Nationals, or would go if they had the help of the grant.
  • From there we will do a draw for the 11 grants from the submitted applications.

We will have forms at the races and since you have to support the series to apply…..that should work well. Submit back to people at registration please.

REGISTRATION for COTR
Pre-registration IS the way to go ALWAYS!

Laste Ronde. Laste Ronde.
Ronde Van Hogwarts Series Championship – http://www.raceonline.ca/events/details/?id=471

GUIDE to LOCAL CROSS RACES, RIDES and PRACTICES
In Victoria:
Cross Underground….Done for the year. Thanks to everyone that came out to make this series legend-d-airy!

In Nanaimo:
M.I.V.A. keep your eyes on their site/FB page or find out their secret handshake if you want to get out with these guys in Nanaimo.
Sometimes you can show up, wait inside where it is warm and they roll up and out without you….as Bill McMillan.

In Courtenay:
Trail Bicycles in Courtenay, meet at 5:30 every Wednesday for 1-2 hours of riding.

Series is Organized by the Cross Council:
With the following cycling clubs: MIVA, VICC, Trail Bicycles-Eatmore Sprouts Cycling Team, Cowichan Cycling Cartel, ASS and AVR

Supported by:
Oak Bay Bikes in Victoria, Westshore and Nanaimo
Trail Bikes in Courtenay
Experience cycles in Duncan
Cowichan Cycles in Duncan
Cycle Therapy in Duncan
Frontrunners in Nanaimo
Straight Up Cycles in Victoria
Dodge City Cycles in Cumberland
Ozzie’s Cycles in Port Alberni

Supported and Sanctioned by:
Cycling BC

COTR 2013: November News #2: Cross Hangover.