First the ETSU trail system renovation is almost a reality. We have the FINAL meeting this coming week to finalize a few final details and make the powers that beee a bit more comfortable with Ben & others using heavy machinery on campus. The Pancake fundraiser for the cycling team is coming up in two weeks and I have one final meeting planned for that. That should give us a little boost to get us through road season until our next fund raiser in April.
Finally the Night Owl race that most of the NTMBA club attended last year was not going to happen due to lack of help. Me just being curious emailed some peeps up there asking what the deal was and apologizing if I was out of line by doing so. I was greeted with open arms and was told the whole spill on everything. I sat around thinking that this little race was soooooo fun what can I do to help prevent this race from dying. A few phone calls, alot of race schedule research, talking with friends and team-mates got me motivated. I'm not sure what has me wanting to assist or even promote races but I really like it. It makes me feel like I'm giving something back to the MTB community. Sure I help with trails and some maintenance from time to time but with my back I can't give an 8-10hr day in the woods working on the trails, I would be laid up for a week with back pain. Since I'm unable to assist much in a laboring way I try to make up for it in an administrative way with "try" being the key word here. Fat Tony and I met with the board at the state park (in which I was totally fashionably late for) and sat down to hash out the details. Before going up there I had a conformation from the head ranger that a tentative date of May 28th was what was to be agreed on. After arriving I think that they had discussed some of it and changed their minds to incorporate a full moon being available ( the friends of HMSP were pushing for this badly) and picked one of the other dates I had on the options list that were the least competitive with other events. In all actuality there is something going on every weekend near here so there was not one weekend, in their time frame, that they would not be competing for riders against. I gave them the lesser challenging ones. Now they had chosen June 11. Little did I know that there was an endurance race in Knoxville the same date. To be honest when putting on or looking for MTB race dates I give little consideration to endurance races because the interest draws a very small percentage of the MTB racing community when compared to XC mountain bike racers although when teams are formed it pulls XC mountain bike racers to these events, that's ok though. The NOR is three hours away and I feel it's safe even though some locals may attend the endurance race. I for one didn't want it on June 11th, I was aiming for May 28th the same day as Pedalfest, another fund raiser for the club. I was going to leave Pedalfest and head straight to Marion but not now! There is also a memorial ride for Bill Collie being formed that weekend as well but I just found out about that recently, like yesterday. I plan to have some sort of moment of silence in Bill's honor since he was a regular at the Hungry Mothers State Park events.
This looks to be another fun weekend in the planning so I'm really looking forward to it. I hope that I can get the turnout to grow, I plan on a trip to Wytheville one weekend to do some riding and hit the shop up there to put out some flyers and other related info to draw some riders down from that area or even from Blacksburg, Va. where Virginia Tech is located. Capt. Dingo and his GRT racing crew I hope will attend, he has a huge entourage that follws him to races like these because they are alot of fun. Also if Andy"I will punch you in the freakin' face" Mullins brings the Big Stone/Norton/Wise Va. crew with him it will fill up the campground! They are two of the staples in the GRT Team (Granny's Rotten Teeth) yes it's spelled right! Capt. Dingo was the founder of this team that has been around for a while that competes at some endurance events. I was even lucky enough to be invited to compete with them at one of the Hill of Truth events at Haw Ridge in Knoxville, Tn. one year. (where we podiumed 3rd). I hope they can make it but they already have the Tn Cup in their crosshairs this season.
I better get off here, I'm headed to Warriors this a.m. to meet up with Iron Man Dillow and Fat tony for a ride until Capt. Dingo arrives so we can ride some more. Spring is almost here, this weekend's forecast is 55* and alot of next week says to be in the 50's. Wait for it, wait for it....
LAter G........................
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