Riders Rock the Centennial Ski to Ski!

Made in Methow Team Takes 1st in the High School Division

Keelan Christensen - Ski to Sea, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the race, is a 100 mile relay race with cross country skiing, downhill skiing, running, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking, and sea kayaking all in that order. I was invited to join an all high school team as the road biker to ride the 42 mile, mostly descending course. We all had very high hopes for our team, and we had every right to because many of us were very strong at the events we were selected for. 

After the xc skiing, downhill skiing, and road running, our team was in 33^rd place out of 500. Then it was my turn. Because the more professional teams were out in front of the race, almost every racer I raced with, in the top 50, were using aero bars, aero helmets and time trial bikes. I, however, was not. Therefore, I was passed by perhaps 8 racers over the hour and fourty five minute race. Still, I managed to pass four other racers with the help of another racer, who was about at the same ability as me. We took turns pulling and drafting to catch four racers, meaning I only lost four places. When I handed off to our canoe racers, out team was in 37^th place out of 500. 

Later I found out I raced the course the 66^th fastest out of 500, and if I had time trial equiptment, I see myself making the top 40 easily. Our team won the high school division by over an hour and also finished 33^rd overall. The whole experience of the weekend was a complete blast with many of my high school buddies. I’m actually writing this report from Hawaii, but once I get back its off to the USAC Junior National Development Camp in Colorado Springs!

Keelan riding the road leg

Cody Cupp - The 2011 Ski to Sea mountain bike course was a fast 20 mile course that had a lot of dirt and paved roads. The short single track sections were all super muddy and bumpy. There were also a quite a few small wooden bridges over the super muddy sections, which I managed to slip off of a couple of times. The mud was really thick and slow and all of the bumps and ruts in the trail also managed to you hold riders back a lot.

When the canoers for my team, Mark Leduc and Jacqueline O’Keefe handed off to me we were somewhere between 50^th and 55^th place overall. After I finished my leg we moved up to somewhere around 40^th so I passed somewhere around ten people. Our team won the high school division by over an hour and a half and we ended up taking 33^rd out of 500 teams overall. 

I was pretty satisfied with how I did in my leg. I had the fasted mountain bike time in the high school division and 15^th overall. I had two minor crashes and managed to find my way off the course multiple times. I underestimated the amount of water I would need and towards the end of the my leg both calves cramped up really hard but I managed to push throw and get to the end, passing one more rider right before I handed off to the sea kayaker. Despite all of the road sections the course was still pretty fun. They changed up a lot of the road this year and added a bunch of fast 90 and 180 degrees turns on the pavement. Overall, it was just a super fun day.

Soloman post muddy mountain bike leg

Soloman Woras - For those of you not familiar with the event, (aka those of you not from Bellingham where it is the center of the universe on Memorial day weekend for the last 100 years, really 100 years!!!!) Any way for those not familiar, it is a great multi sport relay race that covers 100 miles from Mt. Baker to the the Bellingham shoreline. It is a really great event. The bast part is the way the community really rallies behind it, heck even the mayor did a leg. Just like Dave in the winter tri, but without the balaclava and the moon boots. 

I participated on a team sponsored by a Bellingham local, RB Wick,( thanks to Joe for lending me a bike with gears on it.) As it turns out this was my first real race of the season after flatting out of the chain-smoker and wussing out of the Wenatchee  Omnium. As a result the legs reacted accordingly, by complaining the whole 20 miles that they wanted to go faster, while the rest of the body remained in the proverbial fetal position. No, it really wasn't too bad, I only ran into one brick wall, only fell into one swamp/creek/ditch, and only hit one small tree/bush/sapling. I should have pre-ridden the course and I should have done more full-out, hour long time-trials through suburban strip malls, swamps, and train-tracks, but all and all it was a good time. I didn't lose any places for my team, and finished 6th on my leg, right behind all the real bike racers. I even got to deploy the ever popular parking lot shower, almost as fun as the backseat diaper change. 

Other than that, it looked like the Methow was well represented with my strapping young teammates  Keelan and Cody bringing home the gold in the high-school division as members of the Made in the Methow/ Mazama store team.

An added bonus #1, the weekend doubled as our first family vacation with Zepher, (or sometimes referred to as child #2). Ya..... it has been a long winter. Added bonus #2 the pass opened two days before the trip, meaning we had a three hour car ride with the kids instead of a 5+ hour screem-athon that could have been. 

Thanks for all of your continued support!