JULY 5BIGFOOT CLASSIC
JULY 5BIGFOOT CLASSIC
By Bigfoot
Our 14-mile course had good traction, and there were only a few puddles when the rain began on Thursday. We were optimistic that the race would go well. Friday was wetter than usual, but it was still a good race. Only the most determined riders made it to pre-ride that afternoon. Many people simply pulled up to the venue and then turned around to head back to their hometown. It was not good.
A Bigfoot Classic tradition offers a Friday hillclimb for free. A twenty-dollar bill is attached to the Bald Mountain post and the first rider to climb it takes ownership. We typically get around 20 riders. Only 4 riders were present this year.
It rained all night making it difficult to sleep due to the rain falling on my Burro trailer’s roof. Our volunteers arrived at sun-up and set to work putting up shelters of EZ-Up tents, tarps, and other materials. Due to all these extra chores, we moved the start time back by 1/2 an hour. The rain had subsided somewhat by this point so we decided to follow the consensus of most riders and keep the race at its full length. Two 14-mile laps for pros and professionals, one lap and a quarter for sports and one lap for beginners. The riders’ faces at the start line looked like soldiers about to enter battle. They displayed fear, doubt, and worry.
Two riders from the Sport category were the first to complete their first lap. Wrong! They were our first DQs. Both of them had gone wrong at the 1/2-lap junction despite large neon yellow signs and arrows. Blame the muddy glasses or too cold to think. The rest of the riders soon followed the others to the finish line. Because they were done, the beginners were the most happy. Many of the experts, pros, and sportsmen gritted their teeth before they set out on their second lap. However, some chose to stay put and take a DNF rather than risking more time in the cold and mud. Many had to quit because of mechanical failures. Mud-fouled cables, broken derailleurs, broken chains, seized hubswe saw it all. Few riders actually took water from the bottles provided at the hand-off. They preferred to use the bottles to clean their muddy drivetrains.
Most riders couldn’t wait to get out their wet, muddy clothes as they finished. Our crew prepared a Mexican buffet featuring burritos and tacos as well as hot coffee and hot chocolate. We then steered them to the food tent. It became clear that the usual post-race activities were not going to take place. The raffle, wheelie contest and Huffy Toss were not really of interest to anyone. The theme was « Gimme my trophy, let me get outta there »
It was supposed to be a three-hour race but it turned out to be a four- and five-hour marathon. Our
All riders were eventually in andaccounted for, and the Super-D was run. The 3.6-mile course was loved by all riders. The fastest time was more than 23 minutes. It’s a course I cannot wait to do next year in the wet. I had a very disturbing realization during the Super-D. My huge feet and the truck tires left deep tracks on the dirt road that led to the finish. One of the conditions in our landowner’s use permit is that we do not cause road damage. We were not going to be able shuttle the downhill Sunday without being subject to a large bill for road grading. Dang!
According to the weather report, Sunday would see less rain and scattered showers. However, that Sunday morning the sun did indeed rise. The access road was still soft and wet, so there were no shuttles. The riders, realizing the harsh conditions they were in, were willing to push their bikes up the course. The course had performed very well. The soil conditions were poor and the traction was excellent. Just as we were about to finish our practice, the skies opened up and we saw the most torrential rain yet.
As I walked down the course towards the finish line, I noticed the course was rapidly deteriorating. Low spots on the course became puddles, and the cookie-dough consistency of the wet spots was becoming more like pudding. Nasty!
Justin, a semi-pro local rider, was thrilled to be the first one on the start list. He thought that he wouldn’t have to pass anyone. He hadn’t considered the mud holes that he would have to swim through. He said that every one of them was a lake. Those who had gone later, however, reported that the majority of the mud holes and puddles were empty. Our course crew managed to finish the day fastest, thanks to their intimate knowledge of the course (my shovel carved most lines) and Justin clearing out all the speed-robbing water puddles and mud holes.
After racing was over, the food crew served hot rigatoni, meat balls, salad and apple pie to the racers. Our wet, but happy racers were sent home by a sweet ceremony.
It was then back to the main venue for the EZ-Ups and course markings to be taken down. Get everything packed. Behind the Porta Potties I found a heap of muddy bike clothessocks and bike shorts. Also, tights, jerseys, arm-warmers and jacketalls in a muddy pile. Evidently, a racer stripped off his wet clothes and left them all behind! Funny.
EPILOGUE
It was only a few days later. All the muddy equipment was cleaned up and put away. The results were sent to Team Big Bear for State Championships. To finish removing the course markings, I made another trip. What a difference a few more days without rain made! It would have been so much easier to finish the race a week later. The conditions were perfect. It was cool and sunny, the course was well-groomed, and traction was excellent.
For another year, the Bigfoot Classic is over. Despite four days of cold, wet feet fur and all the extra work it took to make this happen, I am still extremely happy with this year’s event. It was amazing to see how proud the riders were after enduring it. Our crew should feel the same pride. All of them worked in some of the most difficult conditions and provided a fantastic weekend of racing for our riders. We did it! Congratulations Curtis and Kathy, Rob, Dave (and Joe), Michelle, Rob, Dave and Joe. I cannot wait for next year.
Bigfoot
PHOTOS
Happy Joy Joy Joy! Joe Mello was a part of the XC course preparation and put up most course markings. He had a blast getting muddier that he’d ever had since he was twelve!
It would be nice if: This photo was taken at the exact same place as Joe’s! It would have been on a sunny, 65 degree day with perfect traction if the race was held a week later.
TOP 10 LAP XC RIDERS (11 1 Tim OlsonPro1 1 2 1 Nigel HillSemi1 1 7 1 Nate WhitmanExp30-341 73 73 1 Jude StrombergExp Sng Spd1 1 2 Craig MannExp30-341 73 2 2 Kevin SmallmanSemi1 73 3 Jeff HalesExp Sng Spd1 1 7 3 Isais jobExp30-341 5 2 Tsering AlleyneExp19-241 10 1 Ray-Ray Williams1 Fastest Exp16-: Ray-Ray Williams1
TOP 10 1-1/2XC LAP RIDERS (1. Brian KaneSpt 35-391 Laren McCarthySpt 30-341 3. Don AndersonSpt 30-3341 4. Rocky BrashearSpt Sng Spd1 5. Mark BarrettSpt 50-541 6. Phil SiriamiSpt 45-491 7. Scott KellySpt 45-491 7. Robert WintonSpt NG Spd1 Tim WindbiglerSpt 25-291 10. Jamie StampsSpt Wmn 30-391 Fastest Spt 19-24: Joshua Estrella1 Fastest Spt 65+: Buz Brockway1 Fastest Spt 14-: John Holthaus1
TOP TEN 1LAP XC RIDERS (1. 36 1 Jonathon ColdwellBeg 35-391 2. 2 Frank PintoBeg 35-391 3. 1 Michael RogersClyd 35+1 4. 1 Mike PetersonBeg 40-441 5. 1 Kevin ClineBeg 19-241 6. 1 Tommy MonciaisBeg 30-341 7. 1 Mark LynchBeg 45-491 8. 1 Evan GibbsBeg Clyd 34-1 9. 1 Roger JorgensonBeg 45-491 10. 2 Brian RayBeg 30-341 Fastest Beg 50+ Roland Russ1
SUPER D RESULTS
18- CLASS
1. Chad Mitchell 2. Dylan Lineberger-Scholl 3. Theo Shaheen McConnell 4. Ben Small 19-29 Class
1. Casey Burrows 2. Jason Marsiano 50-59 CLASS
1. William Dunkum III 2. Gary McConnell
