Cross on the Rock 2015. Season #10. Newsletter #3.
In this Newsletter:
- Coal Cross Review
- Wanted: Cross-sitters
- Welcome Back to these Sponsors (Part 1)
- Weekly Rides and Practices (Updated)
Don’t forget to Register for Tugboat Cross this weekend. https://www.raceonline.ca/events/details/?id=999
Preview coming on Wednesday or Thursday!
Don’t forget your license or $10. You know us…..you know how we are….NO EXCEPTIONS!
BIG turn out for the first cross race of the year. Racers were a bit rusty. We were a bit rusty. It will all sort out!
Notes:
- The Zoom Zoom Half track race was a BIG hit!! We could not quite do “Half Track” at Cumberland because of the “nature of the course” but Dave Nowak and Justin Mark set up a great course up top in the camp ground.
- For those wanting to know the “guidelines” for the Zoom Zoom half track vs. the ‘Lil Nutcase kids race. The ‘Lil Nutcase kids race is more for little kids. Push bikes, training wheels, single speed kids bikes. At Cumberland we had mostly 5 and under with I think 1 6 year old. The Zoom-Zoom kids race was 5 years old up to about 10. Again Parents can make the decision which event to do and if you child is “on the bubble” at around 5 or 6 feel free to try both.
- Licenses….you know us….no exceptions!
- Harbour Air. What an entrance!
- Team Tents. We will try to have a specified zone. BUT all team tents should always be STAKED and secured.
- Heckling. See notes on our FB post. If you are not on FB it is basically: Heckle friends (if they can take it). Encourage everyone else. If you are a “bad heckler” you will be asked to leave.
- Dirty Taco….you gotta check them out. SWEET prizes at our first race!
- Sorry Lee Blais. Our new #1 FB post by a long-long-long shot is a 50 second shot of the Cumberland Crit with over 8,000 views and 16,000 people reaches. Nothing else has come close!
1. REVIEW: Race #1. September 13th: Coal Cross. Taking it to the trees. Cumberland.
Video (actually “digital”….I have no idea what the correct term is for this any more)
First Edit of the season comes from Erik Diertens: Here is the link to my edit from Coal Cross if you want to check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ONzvcerkcU
Still – Galleries
Patrick Burnham (aka @palleus): https://www.flickr.com/photos/palleus/sets/72157658221884679
Jennifer Dykstra from Open Image: www.openimage.zenfolio.com/cross password: Fall2015 Please Jenn know if you would like any of them.
From co-directors Lisa and Curtis
Well COTR, that’s a wrap for the “Taking it to the Trees” 2015 Cumberland Coal Cross Race out at Comox Lake. Thanks for being there, seeing our gorgeous forest/lake and blasting out the race lung cobwebs. We hope you had fun!
Curtis and I can’t take all the credit for the race success.
- A lot of it is you, who create the cross community with your genuine character, sportsmanship and healthy competition.
A lot of it is Norm. Enough said. Super dad, super businessman, super race organizer, and an all around great guy. (Does the man ever sleep?(My note: I am asleep right now) - A lot of it is Katie and Roland (& their team) – the timing and reg gurus/sages (THANK YOU)
- A huge part of our success are the local government and recreation programmers.
- Kevin and Leah at the Village of Cumberland
- Terry and the crew at the Cumberland Lake Park Campground
- And an anchor to the whole race going off is our volunteer group.
- Mom and Dad Saunders – amazing grandparents for taking our tenacious kids for two full days so we can be somewhat organized!
- Dave Nowak
- Our medics: Jason Stevens and Erin Ward
- Our registration gals
- Our timing gals
- Our set up/tear down pit crew
- Our local mountain bike club – UROC
- DJ Doran
- Everyone who helped us along the way that I might have missed because my nose was buried in timing, organizing, prizing, etc.
THANK YOU ALL!
Thank you to the local Comox Valley businesses who continuously show their affable support year after year:
– Trail Bikes
– Dodge City Cycles
– Riding Fool Hostel
– Gladstone Brewery
– Guerrilla Food Company – pizzeria
– Eatmore Sprouts
– Comox Valley Collective – CVC Magazine
– Tarbell’s Deli and Espresso
– Sew What, I Sew – Filthy Taco!
– Darkside Chocolates
– Naked Bikes
– Blue Toque Sports Consignment
– Rusty Rooster Home Furnishings
– The Broken Spoke Bike and Coffee Shop
– Mount Washington Alpine Resort
– Mudsharks Coffee
What a great day and race!
Adieu, Lisa and Curtis
FMI (Norm’s note. I had to look up “FMI”) of the Cumberland Community Forest Society, please check out: www.cumberlandforest.com
LOST AND FOUND
Already have 2 helmets in there. One silver Giro one with a Visor that is up on Quadra Island right now and another helmet in my garage….surely you noticed if you are missing a helmet?
COTR #1: Norm’s Notes
- Biggest ever turn out for Cumberland and placing Coal Cross 2015 at #3 out of 60?(what is our official number) Races in 10 years.
- Not too hard….did not make it onto the top 10 of DNF’s at only 5% DNF’s
- 1st and 2nd in the EXPERT Men’s race BOTH won on SS’s. That is a 1st for sure for COTR and possibly for the province!
- Certainly not too easy
- LOVED the new Zoom Zoom Half Track race.
- LOVED the sand
- LOVED the Harbour Air fly by and cross-race taxi!
- HARD course….but I kinda loved it!
- LOVED being back racing cross on Vancouver Island
- Looking forward to the rest of the race season!!
2. Wanted: Cross-sitters.
We have a huge number of moms and dads racing with their kids at the venue. We have a huge number of 12+ year olds at each race that might want to make a bit of $ to pay for a new tube, bar tape, chain lube etc. Lets make a data base of Cross-sitters and match them up with cross-parents.
If you are someone that is interested in racing AND making a bit of money watching a kid or two at each event PLEASE let us know.
If you are a parent that needs help with child minding during your race let us know.
Lets get these groups together.
Guideline should be: 15-20 minutes before your race. During your race and 10-15 minutes after.
Should we have a standard price?
Send me your feedback and thoughts. If someone wants to run this little data base and connect people let me know.
It could be GREAT!
3. Welcome to our Returning COTR Sponsors (Part 1)
It takes a LOT of sponsors to make this series what it is. PLEASE go out of your way to support those that go out of their way to support what we love to do!
Riverway Dental.
Wade Luksay and family race the series but they also support and sponsor the Youth Categories for the last two years taking over from a conglomeration of shops and clubs that got those categories going. Rumour has it they may alter their whole vacation plans to make the final race of 2015.
Naked
We have not done a bike count for a while at a COTR race…but with Sam Whittingham’s support and amazing skill there are more Naked bikes showing up at each race and every season. Steel (and Ti) are REAL!! Parker Bloom WON Expert Men’s Coal Cross on a SS Naked! (and Mical won Expert women’s on a geared Naked).
KONA
As long as there has been COTR. KONA has been involved. Now the name sake sponsor of the KONA KUP (which moves to Beban Park this year). Legendary Dik Cox even came out and raced one of our events.
Shimano-PRO-Pearl Izumi
Heavy hitters in the bike industry but still not too big to support our local grassroots series. Course Tape. Draw Prizes. Series Prizes. Great support! Plus according to Sam Wittingham NOTHING is as good as Shimano cross disc brakes right now. Shimano stuff just works! PRO components are sweet and Pearl Izumi make awesome clothing and running shoes. Pumped to have them on board with our series!
Island Cycles
Way up on Quadra Island there is a little bike shop called Island Cycles. They do more for Super Masters racing in the COTR series than ANYONE else EVER. All because Jack Mar wanted to make it happen. So he did. Instead of just talking he took it upon himself to support this category and ensure that once we hit 55 (it is coming) there will be competitive racing still to be had at COTR. Thanks Jack!
Rumble
Are you ready to Rumble? At each event we will pick something special to highlight and support from Paul Underhill and his Rumble crew (Did you see Paul take the holeshot during the Masters race at COTR #1?). At COTR #1 it was Last not Lapped. At COTR #2…it will be something different! You don’t have to be 1st over the line to win! Welcome back Paul (He could not race last year because of injuries).
Part 2 coming in the next newsletter but in the meantime go out and support these sponsors!! (Might be hard to get in to see anyone at the Dental Center though…and a long way to go from the lower island….but you can say “thanks” at the next race.
4. Weekly Cross Rides Happening on the Island
Nanaimo
MIVA has a weekly Cross practice on Tuesday Nights. See their FB page for details
Courtenay
Trail Bikes is the place to be and to contact. No confirmation but I believe it is on Wednesdays. If I get more info I will update.
Duncan-This is the info for this week:
Hello Riders,
With the first race of the season under our belt, some new participants and our first of many improvement awards handed out – the Cowichan Cross CX practice is gaining momentum! Thanks to all for coming out so far.
This week we are going to be back at the Maple Bay Elementary, located here:
http://goo.gl/maps/EIXwt
Starting at 6 pm on Wednesday, with a focus on off-camber this week.
Same format as before, with 15 min sessions of:
> – warm up and course preview
> – skill clinic
> – mock race 1
> – mock race 2
Victoria
Wednesday nights is the Cross Club aka the “Cross Underground” which is actually not so underground any more. This is the longest running cross series in Canada right here on Vancouver Island
Cross Club 2015
Victoria’s “Underground” Cyclocross Series Returns
The rain has arrived may never arrive…. But it’s Cyclocross Season, so time to sharpen your CX skills!
B’s ride at 5:30pm
A’s ride at 6:00pm.
Details on locations will be emailed to the registered riders list each week.
Ride#3 is September 23
Ride#4 is September 30
Ride #5 is October 7
(Please note: No ride on Oct 14 due to Cross on the Rock race on Monday, Oct 12th of that week)
Ride #6 is October 21
Ride #7 is October 28