Long title, huh? 20 years and over 1100 miles away I can still feel the scathing criticism of my journalism teacher from high school all the way out here in CO. (I never liked you either, lady.) With that out of the way we'd like to officially welcome The Alpineer from Crested Butte on board as a patron of the race. We're stoked to have them for a couple of reasons, the first being that they're really, really involved in open space issues in their own back yard starting with a planned project to create a single track route from CB to Gunni. Hard not to like commitment like that.
They've also been in the biz since 1969...and it shows. Their online catalog is unadulterated gear porn, especially if you're into tele, AT or Nordic stuff. And with mother nature blessing CO and the southwest with what's shaping up to be another banner snow year, The Alpineer's goodies take on just that much more luster. Emphasis on the 'lust' part. Their bike stuff is nothing to sneeze at either and it's a great tie-in that Travis himself is a veteran of several La Ruta's and other international-level stage race sufferfests.
Travis and his staff have done more than just create a nice product mix at their retail location. They've really globalized their business through the internet, yet have managed to maintain that small store appeal and benchmark service levels with gear reviews from the folks in the shop, gear guides and FAQ's and an amazing compilation of product reviews from the national magazines...and it's all in one place. They've really created a cool resource for everyone and anyone who's looking for more information. If you've ever shopped Backcountry.com these guys are an unbelievable alternative.
So yeah, there are a few days left until Christmas and there are a few great deals on their site. They also offer free shipping to the lower 48 with orders over $25. You can check 'em out at http://www.alpineer.com/ or http://www.telemarkski.com/. Tell 'em we sent ya.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
- NEWSLETTER, DECEMBER 4
Hello Breck Epic Loyalists, Hangers-on and Groupies,
Push has finally come to shove and it looks like this bird is actually going to fly. The catering folks have concocted an unbelievable series of menus (you may actually gain weight - full menu listed a few posts down,) the insurance folks have had their say and we've even gotten the additional buy-in of another elected official or two. It helps that they're all swag whores like the rest of us.
There's a broad stretch of information in this newsletter, but mostly it's about the fact that we're opening registration on Friday, December 5th at noon MST. We're placing 400 start spots up for sale and they're available on a first-come-first-served basis. This may be the final number - we just don't know yet, but it's a safe assumption. Interested? Here's the online reg linky-loo.
If you're down with Facebook there's a group there called "Weeping Sycophants of The Breck Epic". It's open to anyone if you'd care to join. Just head to FB and search for 'Breck Epic'. If you're like to get on the newsletter email list, just drop me a line.
Thanks for tuning in.
Mike
Michael McCormack
The Breck Epic
A Greenspeed Project Event in Support of Open Space
Whatcha Get in This Issue:
- Online Registration Info
- Category Update
- New Partners
- Industry Cup/ Breck Epic Auction (Now A Benefit for All)
- About The Breck Epic and the Greenspeed Project
Online Registration Opens Friday, Dec. 5th:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coupla things that you should know:
- Head HERE to get to the registration page at SportsBaseOnline- Deposits will be $250 (US) per rider.
- They are fully refundable until we finalize pricing on Janurary 3rd. You'll have the opportunity to confirm your spot or request a refund at that time. After the opt-in period deposits and installments become non-refundable, but they are transferable/assignable.- We're offering only 400 spots...and this is likely to be it for 2009.
- While final pricing is still TBD, it will be on par with the other offerings (BC Bike race, Intermontaine Challenge, Trans Rockies) in the format. The benefit? You don't need to speak Canadian at our race.
- We'll offer three different items; the race, camping and a meal plan. Your final cost will be determined by which of those elements you elect to purchase.
- All "Race" entries include a t-shirt, jersey, socks, and banquet ticket. You get a lot of other stuff as well, but I don't need to belabor the fact that you'll receive "professional results and scoring!" and "a number plate!".
- Payment will be set up in 2 installments (after your initial deposit).
- We are still accepting blogger's grant applications. The deadline is December 31st. Voting begins on January 3rd. For more info please visit the blogsite (www.breckepic.blogspot.com). Blogger's Grant program applicants are required to submit an initial deposit. It'll be refunded if you win.
OTHER CRAP
- The website will be going live soon...that's a promise. The original version was too good for this world. The DOS-based version will be mostly text, followed by more text. In Times New Roman. Dammit. How the smarmy have fallen.
- The food will be better than fantastic. Super-fantastic? Menus a few posts down. Cheggem-out.
- The courses will be very good...and very hard. You're gonna be cussing like a long-haul trucker with Tourette's. Prologue (@ 10 miles) on Sunday the 5th, moderate stage on Monday, difficult stage on Tuesday, moderate stage on Wednesday, another soulcrusher on Thursday, then a final moderate one on Friday followed by a banquet and awards ceremony on Friday evening. At which there will be food. And beer.
- We'll have coverage of Le Tour available every night in the social compound (generously provided by Subaru)
Categories Update:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, we've received a ton of feedback on this and think that we have it pretty dialed. The follwoing categories will be offered initially. If we have less than 5 applicants in a category we reserve the right to roll it into another category.
Here's what we have:
Open Men Duo
Open Women Duo
Open Mixed Duo
Duo 80+
Duo 100+
Singlespeed Duo
Solo Men Open
Solo Women Open
Singlespeed Open
Solo Men 40+
Got something you need to get off your chest about the categories? Sure you do. Drop us a line...
New Partners:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
We'd like to welcome Subaru, Marmot, Great Western Lodging, The Alpineer, Crank Brothers and Jett MTB to the fold. Talks are ongoing with several other bike industry folks and a thoughtful handful on non-endemics. I like our lineup so far and am pretty optimistic that ongoing discussions will bear fruit to the benefit of all.
Subaru will be the official vehicle of the race. We're big fans of their 'zero-waste' philosophy and will attempt to emulate it in principle and practice in every aspect of our event. Subaru is also providing shuttle vehicles that will be used throughout the race for athletes and spectators alike. Check out their environmental philosophy at Subaru.com
Marmot has a longstanding tradition of supporting audacious, grand-scale backcountry efforts and we're stoked that they jumped on board. Philosophically they understand what it means to hold the backcountry dear and their efforts to date have paved the way for raised awareness and increased protections for the things that we as outdoorspeople hold dear. Check out their Fall/Winter 08/09 line as well as some great stuff about who and what they support at Marmot.com
Great Western Lodging is owned and operated by cyclists. They've been huge supporters of all the mountain bike stuff in Summit County for nearly a decade. They've got properties throughout the community from studios to 6-bedroom units and are offering substantial logding discounts to event participants. rates begin at $40/night/person (double occupancy/1 BDR condo). Mention The Breck Epic MTB Stage Race and receive 2 FREE nights on a 6-night minimum stay. Several downtown bike-friendly accommodations to choose from, many of which include hot tub access, garage parking and laundry facilities. Studios to 6 bedrooms. Condos, townhomes and limited private homes. Offer only valid for travel dates 7/4-7/11. Please call or email them for details, as online availability is only valid through April 2009. Other restrictions may apply. 888.333.4535 or check 'em out online HERE.
The Alpineer is a full-service bike and ski shop in Crested Butte. They're also really, really involved in open space issues in the CB/Gunnison areas and a big part of Dave Weins' ongoing project to link CB and Gunni with a singletrack. If you've ever purchased ANYTHING from Backcountry.com you've got to give The Alpineer's website a spin. Their employee reviews on Tele and AT gear are pretty amazing. Detailed, honest and really, really well-written. They also have an astounding selection of Nordic gear and softgoods. Travis and the team down in CB are old hands at many ultra-endurance stage races and they're a great fit with our program.
Crank Brothers has been leading the charge for clean design and environmentally friendly packaging since their inception. If you're like me (a superfreak) then you're also a fan of a lot of stuff in thier line - Acid pedals, Joplin adjust-on-the-fly seatposts and their new Cobalt wheelset. The stuff they make is functional and beautiful. Kryptonite bike porn for nerds like you and me.
And finally, Jett MTB is heading up our merchandising efforts. They've concocted a merchandise line for us that's pretty cool - hats, tees, entrant's jerseys (pro style and baggie - pick your poison - one free with your entry), wool socks, leader's jerseys...you name it. And if I get my way, we'll also do some classic custom wool training sweaters. Visit them at JettMTB.comIf you'd like more info from our end on how to get involved please drop us a line HERE and we'll forward some info.
Industry Cup/Breck Epic Auction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you've been playing along then you know that along with the $10,000 cash purse we're also offering a way for teams to increase the size of the treasure chest. Teams participating in the Industry Cup are required to donate merchandise from their sponsors that will then be raffled off throughout the week. The auction will be open to the public and will take place on eBay. All proceeds from the Industry Cup auction will be awarded to those on the podium who've donated goods. At first we thought that we'd just offer this to the 'Open' (translation: Pros and everyone who wants to ride with them) categories, but after sitting on it awhile we thought, "we've got all this interest nationwide in the event - we could probably generate some interest in a swag auction." So why not expand it to all categories? Athletes are allowed to donate items which we'll then place on eBay for the official Breck Epic auction. This auction will be open to the general public. If you donate you're eligible for those proceeds (which will be in addition to the existing purse for your category), but your donation must fetch at least $100 to be eligible to partake in the winnings. And thus a cash purse for all categories is theoretically possible.
About the Breck Epic and The Greenspeed Project
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The BE is a 6-day ultra-endurance mountain bike stage race to be contested in the sprawling trail network surrounding Breckenridge, CO in early July, 2009. As a race its mission is to showcase the incredible work that visionary land managers here have accomplished by pairing an ambitious and shared vision with a 'let's roll our sleeves up and get this thing done together' mentality. It is one of a small few such races in US, and certainly among the most difficult. The Breck Epic is among a small portfolio of events produced by the newly established Greenspeed Project. The Greenspeed Project's mission is to fund open space, trails and backcountry initiatives through the medium of slightly left-of-center and "zero waste" events. If you'd like to find out more we'll happily fire a mind-bullet your way stuffed with an ungodly amount of sleep-inducing propaganda. No need to send us a note, we'll know that you want it. We can also email it.
Push has finally come to shove and it looks like this bird is actually going to fly. The catering folks have concocted an unbelievable series of menus (you may actually gain weight - full menu listed a few posts down,) the insurance folks have had their say and we've even gotten the additional buy-in of another elected official or two. It helps that they're all swag whores like the rest of us.
There's a broad stretch of information in this newsletter, but mostly it's about the fact that we're opening registration on Friday, December 5th at noon MST. We're placing 400 start spots up for sale and they're available on a first-come-first-served basis. This may be the final number - we just don't know yet, but it's a safe assumption. Interested? Here's the online reg linky-loo.
If you're down with Facebook there's a group there called "Weeping Sycophants of The Breck Epic". It's open to anyone if you'd care to join. Just head to FB and search for 'Breck Epic'. If you're like to get on the newsletter email list, just drop me a line.
Thanks for tuning in.
Mike
Michael McCormack
The Breck Epic
A Greenspeed Project Event in Support of Open Space
Whatcha Get in This Issue:
- Online Registration Info
- Category Update
- New Partners
- Industry Cup/ Breck Epic Auction (Now A Benefit for All)
- About The Breck Epic and the Greenspeed Project
Online Registration Opens Friday, Dec. 5th:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coupla things that you should know:
- Head HERE to get to the registration page at SportsBaseOnline- Deposits will be $250 (US) per rider.
- They are fully refundable until we finalize pricing on Janurary 3rd. You'll have the opportunity to confirm your spot or request a refund at that time. After the opt-in period deposits and installments become non-refundable, but they are transferable/assignable.- We're offering only 400 spots...and this is likely to be it for 2009.
- While final pricing is still TBD, it will be on par with the other offerings (BC Bike race, Intermontaine Challenge, Trans Rockies) in the format. The benefit? You don't need to speak Canadian at our race.
- We'll offer three different items; the race, camping and a meal plan. Your final cost will be determined by which of those elements you elect to purchase.
- All "Race" entries include a t-shirt, jersey, socks, and banquet ticket. You get a lot of other stuff as well, but I don't need to belabor the fact that you'll receive "professional results and scoring!" and "a number plate!".
- Payment will be set up in 2 installments (after your initial deposit).
- We are still accepting blogger's grant applications. The deadline is December 31st. Voting begins on January 3rd. For more info please visit the blogsite (www.breckepic.blogspot.com). Blogger's Grant program applicants are required to submit an initial deposit. It'll be refunded if you win.
OTHER CRAP
- The website will be going live soon...that's a promise. The original version was too good for this world. The DOS-based version will be mostly text, followed by more text. In Times New Roman. Dammit. How the smarmy have fallen.
- The food will be better than fantastic. Super-fantastic? Menus a few posts down. Cheggem-out.
- The courses will be very good...and very hard. You're gonna be cussing like a long-haul trucker with Tourette's. Prologue (@ 10 miles) on Sunday the 5th, moderate stage on Monday, difficult stage on Tuesday, moderate stage on Wednesday, another soulcrusher on Thursday, then a final moderate one on Friday followed by a banquet and awards ceremony on Friday evening. At which there will be food. And beer.
- We'll have coverage of Le Tour available every night in the social compound (generously provided by Subaru)
Categories Update:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, we've received a ton of feedback on this and think that we have it pretty dialed. The follwoing categories will be offered initially. If we have less than 5 applicants in a category we reserve the right to roll it into another category.
Here's what we have:
Open Men Duo
Open Women Duo
Open Mixed Duo
Duo 80+
Duo 100+
Singlespeed Duo
Solo Men Open
Solo Women Open
Singlespeed Open
Solo Men 40+
Got something you need to get off your chest about the categories? Sure you do. Drop us a line...
New Partners:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
We'd like to welcome Subaru, Marmot, Great Western Lodging, The Alpineer, Crank Brothers and Jett MTB to the fold. Talks are ongoing with several other bike industry folks and a thoughtful handful on non-endemics. I like our lineup so far and am pretty optimistic that ongoing discussions will bear fruit to the benefit of all.
Subaru will be the official vehicle of the race. We're big fans of their 'zero-waste' philosophy and will attempt to emulate it in principle and practice in every aspect of our event. Subaru is also providing shuttle vehicles that will be used throughout the race for athletes and spectators alike. Check out their environmental philosophy at Subaru.com
Marmot has a longstanding tradition of supporting audacious, grand-scale backcountry efforts and we're stoked that they jumped on board. Philosophically they understand what it means to hold the backcountry dear and their efforts to date have paved the way for raised awareness and increased protections for the things that we as outdoorspeople hold dear. Check out their Fall/Winter 08/09 line as well as some great stuff about who and what they support at Marmot.com
Great Western Lodging is owned and operated by cyclists. They've been huge supporters of all the mountain bike stuff in Summit County for nearly a decade. They've got properties throughout the community from studios to 6-bedroom units and are offering substantial logding discounts to event participants. rates begin at $40/night/person (double occupancy/1 BDR condo). Mention The Breck Epic MTB Stage Race and receive 2 FREE nights on a 6-night minimum stay. Several downtown bike-friendly accommodations to choose from, many of which include hot tub access, garage parking and laundry facilities. Studios to 6 bedrooms. Condos, townhomes and limited private homes. Offer only valid for travel dates 7/4-7/11. Please call or email them for details, as online availability is only valid through April 2009. Other restrictions may apply. 888.333.4535 or check 'em out online HERE.
The Alpineer is a full-service bike and ski shop in Crested Butte. They're also really, really involved in open space issues in the CB/Gunnison areas and a big part of Dave Weins' ongoing project to link CB and Gunni with a singletrack. If you've ever purchased ANYTHING from Backcountry.com you've got to give The Alpineer's website a spin. Their employee reviews on Tele and AT gear are pretty amazing. Detailed, honest and really, really well-written. They also have an astounding selection of Nordic gear and softgoods. Travis and the team down in CB are old hands at many ultra-endurance stage races and they're a great fit with our program.
Crank Brothers has been leading the charge for clean design and environmentally friendly packaging since their inception. If you're like me (a superfreak) then you're also a fan of a lot of stuff in thier line - Acid pedals, Joplin adjust-on-the-fly seatposts and their new Cobalt wheelset. The stuff they make is functional and beautiful. Kryptonite bike porn for nerds like you and me.
And finally, Jett MTB is heading up our merchandising efforts. They've concocted a merchandise line for us that's pretty cool - hats, tees, entrant's jerseys (pro style and baggie - pick your poison - one free with your entry), wool socks, leader's jerseys...you name it. And if I get my way, we'll also do some classic custom wool training sweaters. Visit them at JettMTB.comIf you'd like more info from our end on how to get involved please drop us a line HERE and we'll forward some info.
Industry Cup/Breck Epic Auction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you've been playing along then you know that along with the $10,000 cash purse we're also offering a way for teams to increase the size of the treasure chest. Teams participating in the Industry Cup are required to donate merchandise from their sponsors that will then be raffled off throughout the week. The auction will be open to the public and will take place on eBay. All proceeds from the Industry Cup auction will be awarded to those on the podium who've donated goods. At first we thought that we'd just offer this to the 'Open' (translation: Pros and everyone who wants to ride with them) categories, but after sitting on it awhile we thought, "we've got all this interest nationwide in the event - we could probably generate some interest in a swag auction." So why not expand it to all categories? Athletes are allowed to donate items which we'll then place on eBay for the official Breck Epic auction. This auction will be open to the general public. If you donate you're eligible for those proceeds (which will be in addition to the existing purse for your category), but your donation must fetch at least $100 to be eligible to partake in the winnings. And thus a cash purse for all categories is theoretically possible.
About the Breck Epic and The Greenspeed Project
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The BE is a 6-day ultra-endurance mountain bike stage race to be contested in the sprawling trail network surrounding Breckenridge, CO in early July, 2009. As a race its mission is to showcase the incredible work that visionary land managers here have accomplished by pairing an ambitious and shared vision with a 'let's roll our sleeves up and get this thing done together' mentality. It is one of a small few such races in US, and certainly among the most difficult. The Breck Epic is among a small portfolio of events produced by the newly established Greenspeed Project. The Greenspeed Project's mission is to fund open space, trails and backcountry initiatives through the medium of slightly left-of-center and "zero waste" events. If you'd like to find out more we'll happily fire a mind-bullet your way stuffed with an ungodly amount of sleep-inducing propaganda. No need to send us a note, we'll know that you want it. We can also email it.
Monday, December 8, 2008
- THE WEBSITE IS UP. SORT OF. PLUS SOCK DESIGNS.
Go check out http://www.breckepic.com/. It's a fully functioning homepage (that'll send your ass right back here...unless you want to send us an email - you can do that too.) We've also got some sock designs for you to check out. I thought there were a few pink versions in here, but maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Friday, December 5, 2008
- REG HAS BEEN OPEN FOR 15 MINUTES. AND CRANK BROS CALLED...
...and they want in. Stoked. Their stuff rocks - from pedals to wheelsets to drop-on-the-fly seatposts...their whole line is staright-up bike porn. Also, it looks like solo singlespeed men have reached the 5 person category minimum. Like the fire in your belly, guys.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
- THE BUS IS COMING! THE BUS IS COMING!
Sorry - that's generally the phrase I use when something's got me so excited that I need to jump up and down while rapidly clapping my hands right in front of my face, or alternately, hugging myself tightly while rocking and moaning. To fully understand and appreciate the McCormack way of turning a phrase you must yourself be part dipshit. I'll try to annotate as I go along for those of you with IQ's above 107.
I'm gonna open up online registration tomorrow (Friday, December 5th) at noon MST. There. That's the big news. If you want in, GO HERE. Here's all the pesty qualifiers that go with that:
- Deposits will be $250 (US) per rider.
- They are fully refundable until we finalize pricing on Janurary 3rd. You'll have the opportunity to confirm your spot or request a refund at that time. After the opt-in period deposits and installments become non-refundable, but they are transferable/assignable.
- We're offering only 400 spots...and this is likely to be it for 2009.
- While final pricing is still TBD, it will be on par with the other offerings (BC Bike race, Intermontaine Challenge, Trans Rockies) in the format. The benefit? You don't need to speak Canadian at our race.
- We'll offer three different items; the race, camping and a meal plan. Your final cost will be determined by which of those elements you elect to purchase.
- Payment will be set up in 2 installments (after your initial deposit).
- We've switched up categories a bit - added a few more to our initial offering. We'll require 5 individuals/teams in each category for us to ultimately offer it on race day. If we don't have 5 we'll integrate the category with another.
- we're expanding the Industry Cup concept to all race categories in order to try and create a cash purse for all levels. Check out the blogsite to get the broad strokes, but basically athletes are allowed to donate items which we'll then place on eBay for the official Breck Epic auction. This auction will be open to the general public. If you donate you're eligible for those proceeds, but your donation must fetch at least $100 to be eligible to partake in the winnings.
- we are still accepting blogger's grant applications. The deadline is December 31st. Voting begins on January 3rd. Blogger's Grant program applicants are required to submit an initial deposit. It'll be refunded if you win.
- the website will be going live soon...that's a promise. The original version was too good for this world. The DOS-based version will be mostly text, followed by more text. In Times New Roman. Dammit.
- The food will be better than fantastic
- The courses will be very good...and very hard. Prologue (@ 10 miles) on Sunday the 5th, moderate stage on Monday, ballbustin' stage on Tuesday, moderate stage on Wednesday, another soulcrusher on Thursday, then a final moderate one on Friday followed by an ass-kicking, hangover inducing, "you lookin' good, girl" drunken free-for-all banquet and awards ceremony.
- We'll have coverage of Le Tour available every night in the social compound (generously provided by Subaru)
...and fer the luvva Boo, will some of you chime in on the sock discussion on Facebook (search for "Breck Epic")? You're all going to get the Keith Van Horn white chocolate baller cotton/acrylic over-the-calf tallboys if I don't start to see some emotional investment in the sock issue. I can't be the only one with a burning passion for hosiery...or am I?
Aw yeah. It's effin' on.
MikeMac
I'm gonna open up online registration tomorrow (Friday, December 5th) at noon MST. There. That's the big news. If you want in, GO HERE. Here's all the pesty qualifiers that go with that:
- Deposits will be $250 (US) per rider.
- They are fully refundable until we finalize pricing on Janurary 3rd. You'll have the opportunity to confirm your spot or request a refund at that time. After the opt-in period deposits and installments become non-refundable, but they are transferable/assignable.
- We're offering only 400 spots...and this is likely to be it for 2009.
- While final pricing is still TBD, it will be on par with the other offerings (BC Bike race, Intermontaine Challenge, Trans Rockies) in the format. The benefit? You don't need to speak Canadian at our race.
- We'll offer three different items; the race, camping and a meal plan. Your final cost will be determined by which of those elements you elect to purchase.
- Payment will be set up in 2 installments (after your initial deposit).
- We've switched up categories a bit - added a few more to our initial offering. We'll require 5 individuals/teams in each category for us to ultimately offer it on race day. If we don't have 5 we'll integrate the category with another.
- we're expanding the Industry Cup concept to all race categories in order to try and create a cash purse for all levels. Check out the blogsite to get the broad strokes, but basically athletes are allowed to donate items which we'll then place on eBay for the official Breck Epic auction. This auction will be open to the general public. If you donate you're eligible for those proceeds, but your donation must fetch at least $100 to be eligible to partake in the winnings.
- we are still accepting blogger's grant applications. The deadline is December 31st. Voting begins on January 3rd. Blogger's Grant program applicants are required to submit an initial deposit. It'll be refunded if you win.
- the website will be going live soon...that's a promise. The original version was too good for this world. The DOS-based version will be mostly text, followed by more text. In Times New Roman. Dammit.
- The food will be better than fantastic
- The courses will be very good...and very hard. Prologue (@ 10 miles) on Sunday the 5th, moderate stage on Monday, ballbustin' stage on Tuesday, moderate stage on Wednesday, another soulcrusher on Thursday, then a final moderate one on Friday followed by an ass-kicking, hangover inducing, "you lookin' good, girl" drunken free-for-all banquet and awards ceremony.
- We'll have coverage of Le Tour available every night in the social compound (generously provided by Subaru)
...and fer the luvva Boo, will some of you chime in on the sock discussion on Facebook (search for "Breck Epic")? You're all going to get the Keith Van Horn white chocolate baller cotton/acrylic over-the-calf tallboys if I don't start to see some emotional investment in the sock issue. I can't be the only one with a burning passion for hosiery...or am I?
Aw yeah. It's effin' on.
MikeMac
Monday, December 1, 2008
- HELL YEAH I LIKE WOOL
...and nothing's too fine for my Breck Epic buds, so it's wool socks all the way around. Black ones...and PINK ones. Maybe a litte argyle. Why? WTF not? You see, my dirty little secret is that I know a lot of little elves who know how to not only make stuff, but GET STUFF DONE. In this case, it's the creative and industrious folks at Jett MTB. They may look like a casual riding apparel company, but the guys who own it and run it have project managed and industrial designed for just about every lifestyle and outdoor company you can imagine. They've concocted a merchandise line for us that's pretty cool - hats, tees, entrant's jerseys (pro style and baggie - pick your poison - one free with your entry), wool socks, leader's jerseys...you name it. And if I get my way, we'll also do some classic custom wool training sweaters. We'll see...but usually I get what I want in the fashionista department. Anybody like those swank Eisbar hats? I'm gunning for those, too.
In other news:
- We're going to start accepting deposits this week. Promise.
- Our web guy is in Peru, so we're having a bit of a delay on the site, but man - it looks cool, and believe me, it's hard to find someone to do good work who'll accept t-shirts, Onza pedals and Oury grips as payment.
- We've created a Facebook Group for the race. Just head over there and search for "Breck Epic". Any nutjob can join - I did!
- If you're signed up for the newsletter you'll be the first to know once we open regsitration. Need to get in on it? Send me a note: mikemac@breckepic.com
See ya -
MM
In other news:
- We're going to start accepting deposits this week. Promise.
- Our web guy is in Peru, so we're having a bit of a delay on the site, but man - it looks cool, and believe me, it's hard to find someone to do good work who'll accept t-shirts, Onza pedals and Oury grips as payment.
- We've created a Facebook Group for the race. Just head over there and search for "Breck Epic". Any nutjob can join - I did!
- If you're signed up for the newsletter you'll be the first to know once we open regsitration. Need to get in on it? Send me a note: mikemac@breckepic.com
See ya -
MM
- YOU GONNA GAIN WEIGHT, YO
Here's a quick peek at what the menu's going to look like. Big thanks to Hearthstone Catering for using organic fruits and veggies (locally grown where possible) and environmentally friendly servingware. We'll also have dinner on Sunday, July 5th, but details on that guy are pending.
Breakfast Options (daily, all week long)
- homemade breakfast breads and assorted danish
- butter, assorted jam and preserves
- fresh seasonal melons, berries and fruit
- locally baked bagels with a variety of cream cheese flavors
- special recipe jumbo sausage links or hormel black label bacon (rotating)
- chilled hard boiled eggs (in the shell)
- breakfast potatoes (a variety throughout the week)
Breckfast Entrees (we’ll two for each day)
- fresh basil and creamy havarti strata
- grand marnier french toast
- veggie scrambled eggs with leeks, tomato and bell peppers
- mexican chorizo, roasted green chile and cheese egg soufflé
- italian pancetta and sharp gruyere strata
- homemade buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy
- cinnamon raisin french toast
- huevos rancheros casserole with black beans, roasted tomato salsa and melted cheese
- chilled orange, apple and cranberry juices
- premium coffee, decaffeinated coffee & assorted hot tea (we're still looking for that elusive coffee sponsor that wants to come in and blow this up.)
Monday, July 6th - mexican fiesta fajita bar
- house made chips and three fresh made salsas
- southwestern chicken wraps with black bean hummus and roasted peppers
- tres fajitas: all finished with onions and bell pepper rings
- grilled marinated chicken breast
- lean skirt steak
- roasted portobello
- fresh guacamole, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo
- steamed flour tortillas
- black bean and corn salad in tequila scented lime vinaigrette
- authentic refried pinto beans
- spanish rice
- mexican chocolate brownies sprinkled with roasted pepitas
- tres leches
- vanilla cake awash in caramel and three milks
Tuesday, July 7th - Italiano
- caesar salad
- fresh cut romaine with homemade dressing, herbed croutons and grated aged parmesan
- traditional antipasto platter
- aged salamis, italian cheeses, marinated vegetables, roasted garlic served with crispy flatbreads
- fresh baked focaccia breadsticks
- lasagna trio:
- spinach and prosciutto ham with alfredo sauce
- smoked chicken with vodka tomato cream sauce
- grilled summer vegetables with marinara sauce
- cappuccino and amaretto cheesecake bars
Wednesday, July 8th (Awards Banquet) - Pacific Rim
- vegetable potstickers
- asian dumplings served with scallion hoisin sauce
- cucumber salad with red bell peppers and pure sesame dressing
- stir-frys with chicken breast, beef loin or tofu in garlic soy sauce with sherry and ginger tossed with green onions, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers and more steamed rice
- coconut and raisin rice pudding
- sweet coconut custard baked with golden raisins and kaffir lime
- plum cake ripe plums baked in sweet cream cake
- all good fortune cookies
Thursday, July 9th - Chicago style
- bountiful salad bar
- crisp lettuce blend and a plethora of fresh toppings and dressings
- pasta salad caprese (orecchiette pasta tossed in olive oil with house made mozzarella, fresh basil and ripe tomatoes)
- bacon and bleu potato salad
- penne pasta with broccoli and tomato in a light reggianito cream
- baked ziti tossed in red sauce with mozzarella, parmesan and classic italian spices
- sub station:
- fresh baked baguettes filled with your choice of
- beef meatballs in marinara
- chicken cheese philly style
- italian sausage with peppers and onions
- bailey’s mint brownies
- carrot cake bars with cream cheese icing
- double chocolate brownies
Friday, July 10th - western hoe down
- summer vegetable pasta salad
- cavatappi pasta tossed with a rainbow of fresh vegetables in a lemon, honey vinaigrette
- corn soufflé (rich casserole of whole kernel & creamed corn baked with sour cream and melted butter)
- cowboy beans (homemade bbq style chili beans simmered slowly with bacon, onion, peppers & cilantro)
- green chile cheddar corn bread
- bbq chicken (juicy drumstick, thigh & breast char-grilled and finished in scratch made chipotle bbq sauce)
- bbq ribs (fall off the bone beer braised pork ribs roasted in our signature bbq sauce)
- four homemade bbq sauces from mild to wild:
- bacon apple
- cherry ancho
- chipotle
- spicy ancho
- refreshing watermelon
- apple crisp
- granny smith apples stewed in brown sugar, cinnamon and a hint of bourbon, baked under streusel topping. served with fresh whipped cream
- peach cobbler, golden peaches lightly poached in simple syrup and spices served hidden under a moist cake topping. served with fresh whipped cream.
Breakfast Options (daily, all week long)
- homemade breakfast breads and assorted danish
- butter, assorted jam and preserves
- fresh seasonal melons, berries and fruit
- locally baked bagels with a variety of cream cheese flavors
- special recipe jumbo sausage links or hormel black label bacon (rotating)
- chilled hard boiled eggs (in the shell)
- breakfast potatoes (a variety throughout the week)
Breckfast Entrees (we’ll two for each day)
- fresh basil and creamy havarti strata
- grand marnier french toast
- veggie scrambled eggs with leeks, tomato and bell peppers
- mexican chorizo, roasted green chile and cheese egg soufflé
- italian pancetta and sharp gruyere strata
- homemade buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy
- cinnamon raisin french toast
- huevos rancheros casserole with black beans, roasted tomato salsa and melted cheese
- chilled orange, apple and cranberry juices
- premium coffee, decaffeinated coffee & assorted hot tea (we're still looking for that elusive coffee sponsor that wants to come in and blow this up.)
Monday, July 6th - mexican fiesta fajita bar
- house made chips and three fresh made salsas
- southwestern chicken wraps with black bean hummus and roasted peppers
- tres fajitas: all finished with onions and bell pepper rings
- grilled marinated chicken breast
- lean skirt steak
- roasted portobello
- fresh guacamole, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo
- steamed flour tortillas
- black bean and corn salad in tequila scented lime vinaigrette
- authentic refried pinto beans
- spanish rice
- mexican chocolate brownies sprinkled with roasted pepitas
- tres leches
- vanilla cake awash in caramel and three milks
Tuesday, July 7th - Italiano
- caesar salad
- fresh cut romaine with homemade dressing, herbed croutons and grated aged parmesan
- traditional antipasto platter
- aged salamis, italian cheeses, marinated vegetables, roasted garlic served with crispy flatbreads
- fresh baked focaccia breadsticks
- lasagna trio:
- spinach and prosciutto ham with alfredo sauce
- smoked chicken with vodka tomato cream sauce
- grilled summer vegetables with marinara sauce
- cappuccino and amaretto cheesecake bars
Wednesday, July 8th (Awards Banquet) - Pacific Rim
- vegetable potstickers
- asian dumplings served with scallion hoisin sauce
- cucumber salad with red bell peppers and pure sesame dressing
- stir-frys with chicken breast, beef loin or tofu in garlic soy sauce with sherry and ginger tossed with green onions, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers and more steamed rice
- coconut and raisin rice pudding
- sweet coconut custard baked with golden raisins and kaffir lime
- plum cake ripe plums baked in sweet cream cake
- all good fortune cookies
Thursday, July 9th - Chicago style
- bountiful salad bar
- crisp lettuce blend and a plethora of fresh toppings and dressings
- pasta salad caprese (orecchiette pasta tossed in olive oil with house made mozzarella, fresh basil and ripe tomatoes)
- bacon and bleu potato salad
- penne pasta with broccoli and tomato in a light reggianito cream
- baked ziti tossed in red sauce with mozzarella, parmesan and classic italian spices
- sub station:
- fresh baked baguettes filled with your choice of
- beef meatballs in marinara
- chicken cheese philly style
- italian sausage with peppers and onions
- bailey’s mint brownies
- carrot cake bars with cream cheese icing
- double chocolate brownies
Friday, July 10th - western hoe down
- summer vegetable pasta salad
- cavatappi pasta tossed with a rainbow of fresh vegetables in a lemon, honey vinaigrette
- corn soufflé (rich casserole of whole kernel & creamed corn baked with sour cream and melted butter)
- cowboy beans (homemade bbq style chili beans simmered slowly with bacon, onion, peppers & cilantro)
- green chile cheddar corn bread
- bbq chicken (juicy drumstick, thigh & breast char-grilled and finished in scratch made chipotle bbq sauce)
- bbq ribs (fall off the bone beer braised pork ribs roasted in our signature bbq sauce)
- four homemade bbq sauces from mild to wild:
- bacon apple
- cherry ancho
- chipotle
- spicy ancho
- refreshing watermelon
- apple crisp
- granny smith apples stewed in brown sugar, cinnamon and a hint of bourbon, baked under streusel topping. served with fresh whipped cream
- peach cobbler, golden peaches lightly poached in simple syrup and spices served hidden under a moist cake topping. served with fresh whipped cream.
Monday, November 24, 2008
- THE LATEST NEWSLETTER (NOV 10)
I've gotten so many email requests for this that I've decided (belatedly, I know - bear with me, I'm just not that smart) to post it here.
Hug/Kiss,
MM
Heya. It’s been a month or so since we’ve self-promoted, so we figured that you were all overdue for a long email from us that let you waste another 10 minutes of your work week. Information is starting to coalesce for next year’s Breck Epic and we wanted to make sure that we maintained some sort of shared consciousness with all of you whereby we could incorporate your feedback (or at least maintain the pretense of doing so) for as long as possible prior to getting all rigid and inflexible.
In this newsletter you’ll find info on how the solo categories will be administrated, what the actual race categories will be, some new info on pricing, yet another reminder that Breck Epic Blogger’s Grant applications are now being accepted and a blatantly self-serving plug about sponsorship and media inquiries. A big thanks to all who’ve stayed tuned and offered encouragement over the past month. It’s been a weird one, but in the immortal words of HST, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” Me? I got sweatbands and everything.
Mike
Breck Epic Categories:
Categories. Here you go. These aren't finalized and I'm willing to listen to what you guys think, but I think that this will be pretty close to the final product. You can email me your thoughts or you can let your discontent fester inside you like a little pill of bitterness. Totally your call. If you want to sound off, you can email me (addy below) or you can get a conversation going on MTBR.com in the Endurance forum. On to the categories…
Open Men Duo
Open Women Duo
Open Mixed Duo
80+ Duo
100+ Duo (added 11/21/08)
Singlespeed Duo (must be 5 teams to establish category...this actually applies to all categories)
Solo Men Open
Solo Women Open
Singlespeed Open
Solo Men 40+ (added 12/04/08)
Solo Information:
There's not really an established blueprint for the solo thing in this type of racing, but our sense is that you need to be a pro or expert level rider for us to allow you to race solo. Even this gives us a little pause, but you guys need some finite guidelines to begin planning. My gut tells me that anyone racing/riding below that level is going to meet the cut-off buzzsaw by day two…and that’ll suck for you. And for us. Bottom line, if you hold an Expert or above license (let's use that terminology instead of the new categories that they're instituting for the coming year) then you'll be allowed to race solo. If you're a Sport guy or girl you'll need to submit some substantiation to be considered for solo (you've held your own in La Ruta, you've summited K2 without supplemental O2, you've cannibalized your fellow plane crash survivors in order to survive, et cetera.) Also, everyone who races solo needs to pinky swear that you'll be really, really careful out there.
"Sport?" "Expert?" If you're among the underground crew that views these categories as facile tools of the man, then my guess is that you've been operating outside of the USAC firewall. The fact that there may be some unabombers out there isn't really a surprise, especially when you consider that most of you are actually looking forward to being nailed to this particular tree of pain. Nonetheless, categorize you we must, so if you don't hold a USAC license that proves that you're an Expert or above, then you'll need to justify your inclusion in the solo category should you wish to participate in those categories. You'll all get the requisite forms and info on the next vomitous mass of dogma that we email out. Not on our email list? Think about getting on it. Your address is safe with us. Email me here: mikemac@breckepic.com.
About Time Cuts: (added 11/24/08)
They’ll be generous, but they will be enforced. Like the BC Bike Race, if you miss the cut you’ll be out of the race, but you WILL be allowed to ride in the remaining stages.
Pricing/Registration:
I've gone on record with the statement that the BE's pricing will be driven by value. I stand by that statement. With that said, this is our first swing at this and even though our group has A LOT of experience producing races, we still need to make sure that our budget projection rests somewhere within the realm of reality. Translation: I don't have it figured out yet, and if I screw it up then there won’t be a Breck Epic in 2010.
Despite that, we still need to begin accepting reservations for the event, so here's what I propose: we'll begin accepting refundable deposits by the end of November. The deposit amount has yet to be determined, but it'll be manageable. By January 1 we'll set our official pricing structure and everyone who’s laid down their deposit will be given the opportunity to say “looks great, sign me up,” at which point the balance of your race fee will be split into two non-refundable payments for which you will be invoiced. If the fee looks a little steep for you when we announce final pricing we’ll happily refund your deposit.
Couple of quick qualifiers here:
1. Once you’ve accepted the fee structure your payments become non-refundable. In the interest of not being a bunch of self-serving dicks, they will be transferrable. You can eBay ‘em, Craigslist ‘em or even raffle ‘em off to a barful of disoriented boozers.
2. If you’ve submitted a Breck Epic Blogger’s Grant application or are intending to, you must still submit a deposit. Should you win the contest your deposit will be refunded within 7 days of its conclusion.
3. If you hold a sport license (or don’t hold a USAC license at all) you’ll still be allowed to place your deposit, but you’ll get a note from us within a few days and we’ll have a few questions for you to help us establish your bona fides. We're looking into other options in lieu of USAC. Stay tuned.
A final note about pricing: it’ll be broken out in a couple of different ways. There’ll be a basic plan that covers camping, food and race entry. There’ll also be a couple of differentiated plans that allow for the fact that many of you may make other arrangements for lodging, meals, et cetera. Your final payments will be determined by which plan you sign up for.
Love it? Hate it? My back is strong. Bring it on: mikemac@breckepic.com.
Sponsorship and Media Inquiries:
Our sponsorship packets for 2009 are now available. Give us a shout and let us get something together that’s specifically targeted for your brand. If you toil in the 4th estate and are interested in receiving pre-race and daily copy from one of the winners of the blogger’s contest drop us a line and we’ll get you more information. If you’d like some general background about the race please visit our blogsite, http://www.breckepic.blogspot.com/. Until we go live with BreckEpic.com the blog will host all relevant info. If at any point in this email your found yourself saying, “WTF is he talking about?” a quick visit to the blog might be in order.
Industry Stuff
If you’ve been playing along then you know that along with the $10,000 cash purse we’re also offering a way for sponsored teams to increase the size of the treasure chest. Teams riding in the Industry Cup are required to donate merchandise from their sponsors that will then be raffled off throughout the week. The auction will be open to the public and will take place on eBay. All proceeds from the Industry Cup auction will be awarded to the on the podium who’ve donated goods.
We’ll also be in haymaking season here in Summit County as far as destination mountain bike tourists go, so we’re asking all of our friends in the industry that have rolling demo programs to consider bringing them out to the Epic for the week. We’ve a generous media buy allocated in support of this aspect of our program. Please contact us to reserve some of our lusciously flat asphalt.
About the Breck Epic and The Greenspeed Project
The BE is a 6-day ultra-endurance mountain bike stage race to be contested in the sprawling trail network surrounding Breckenridge, CO in early July, 2009. As a race its mission is to showcase the incredible work that visionary land managers here have accomplished by pairing an ambitious and shared vision with a ‘let’s roll our sleeves up and get this thing done together’ mentality. It is one of a small few such races in US, and certainly among the most difficult. The Breck Epic is among a small portfolio of events produced by the newly established Greenspeed Project. The Greenspeed Project’s mission is to fund open space, trails and backcountry initiatives through the medium of slightly left-of-center events. If you’d like to find out more we’ll happily fire a mind-bullet your way stuffed with an ungodly amount of sleep-inducing propaganda. No need to send us a note, we’ll know. We can also email it.
Hug/Kiss,
MM
Heya. It’s been a month or so since we’ve self-promoted, so we figured that you were all overdue for a long email from us that let you waste another 10 minutes of your work week. Information is starting to coalesce for next year’s Breck Epic and we wanted to make sure that we maintained some sort of shared consciousness with all of you whereby we could incorporate your feedback (or at least maintain the pretense of doing so) for as long as possible prior to getting all rigid and inflexible.
In this newsletter you’ll find info on how the solo categories will be administrated, what the actual race categories will be, some new info on pricing, yet another reminder that Breck Epic Blogger’s Grant applications are now being accepted and a blatantly self-serving plug about sponsorship and media inquiries. A big thanks to all who’ve stayed tuned and offered encouragement over the past month. It’s been a weird one, but in the immortal words of HST, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” Me? I got sweatbands and everything.
Mike
Breck Epic Categories:
Categories. Here you go. These aren't finalized and I'm willing to listen to what you guys think, but I think that this will be pretty close to the final product. You can email me your thoughts or you can let your discontent fester inside you like a little pill of bitterness. Totally your call. If you want to sound off, you can email me (addy below) or you can get a conversation going on MTBR.com in the Endurance forum. On to the categories…
Open Men Duo
Open Women Duo
Open Mixed Duo
80+ Duo
100+ Duo (added 11/21/08)
Singlespeed Duo (must be 5 teams to establish category...this actually applies to all categories)
Solo Men Open
Solo Women Open
Singlespeed Open
Solo Men 40+ (added 12/04/08)
Solo Information:
There's not really an established blueprint for the solo thing in this type of racing, but our sense is that you need to be a pro or expert level rider for us to allow you to race solo. Even this gives us a little pause, but you guys need some finite guidelines to begin planning. My gut tells me that anyone racing/riding below that level is going to meet the cut-off buzzsaw by day two…and that’ll suck for you. And for us. Bottom line, if you hold an Expert or above license (let's use that terminology instead of the new categories that they're instituting for the coming year) then you'll be allowed to race solo. If you're a Sport guy or girl you'll need to submit some substantiation to be considered for solo (you've held your own in La Ruta, you've summited K2 without supplemental O2, you've cannibalized your fellow plane crash survivors in order to survive, et cetera.) Also, everyone who races solo needs to pinky swear that you'll be really, really careful out there.
"Sport?" "Expert?" If you're among the underground crew that views these categories as facile tools of the man, then my guess is that you've been operating outside of the USAC firewall. The fact that there may be some unabombers out there isn't really a surprise, especially when you consider that most of you are actually looking forward to being nailed to this particular tree of pain. Nonetheless, categorize you we must, so if you don't hold a USAC license that proves that you're an Expert or above, then you'll need to justify your inclusion in the solo category should you wish to participate in those categories. You'll all get the requisite forms and info on the next vomitous mass of dogma that we email out. Not on our email list? Think about getting on it. Your address is safe with us. Email me here: mikemac@breckepic.com.
About Time Cuts: (added 11/24/08)
They’ll be generous, but they will be enforced. Like the BC Bike Race, if you miss the cut you’ll be out of the race, but you WILL be allowed to ride in the remaining stages.
Pricing/Registration:
I've gone on record with the statement that the BE's pricing will be driven by value. I stand by that statement. With that said, this is our first swing at this and even though our group has A LOT of experience producing races, we still need to make sure that our budget projection rests somewhere within the realm of reality. Translation: I don't have it figured out yet, and if I screw it up then there won’t be a Breck Epic in 2010.
Despite that, we still need to begin accepting reservations for the event, so here's what I propose: we'll begin accepting refundable deposits by the end of November. The deposit amount has yet to be determined, but it'll be manageable. By January 1 we'll set our official pricing structure and everyone who’s laid down their deposit will be given the opportunity to say “looks great, sign me up,” at which point the balance of your race fee will be split into two non-refundable payments for which you will be invoiced. If the fee looks a little steep for you when we announce final pricing we’ll happily refund your deposit.
Couple of quick qualifiers here:
1. Once you’ve accepted the fee structure your payments become non-refundable. In the interest of not being a bunch of self-serving dicks, they will be transferrable. You can eBay ‘em, Craigslist ‘em or even raffle ‘em off to a barful of disoriented boozers.
2. If you’ve submitted a Breck Epic Blogger’s Grant application or are intending to, you must still submit a deposit. Should you win the contest your deposit will be refunded within 7 days of its conclusion.
3. If you hold a sport license (or don’t hold a USAC license at all) you’ll still be allowed to place your deposit, but you’ll get a note from us within a few days and we’ll have a few questions for you to help us establish your bona fides. We're looking into other options in lieu of USAC. Stay tuned.
A final note about pricing: it’ll be broken out in a couple of different ways. There’ll be a basic plan that covers camping, food and race entry. There’ll also be a couple of differentiated plans that allow for the fact that many of you may make other arrangements for lodging, meals, et cetera. Your final payments will be determined by which plan you sign up for.
Love it? Hate it? My back is strong. Bring it on: mikemac@breckepic.com.
Sponsorship and Media Inquiries:
Our sponsorship packets for 2009 are now available. Give us a shout and let us get something together that’s specifically targeted for your brand. If you toil in the 4th estate and are interested in receiving pre-race and daily copy from one of the winners of the blogger’s contest drop us a line and we’ll get you more information. If you’d like some general background about the race please visit our blogsite, http://www.breckepic.blogspot.com/. Until we go live with BreckEpic.com the blog will host all relevant info. If at any point in this email your found yourself saying, “WTF is he talking about?” a quick visit to the blog might be in order.
Industry Stuff
If you’ve been playing along then you know that along with the $10,000 cash purse we’re also offering a way for sponsored teams to increase the size of the treasure chest. Teams riding in the Industry Cup are required to donate merchandise from their sponsors that will then be raffled off throughout the week. The auction will be open to the public and will take place on eBay. All proceeds from the Industry Cup auction will be awarded to the on the podium who’ve donated goods.
We’ll also be in haymaking season here in Summit County as far as destination mountain bike tourists go, so we’re asking all of our friends in the industry that have rolling demo programs to consider bringing them out to the Epic for the week. We’ve a generous media buy allocated in support of this aspect of our program. Please contact us to reserve some of our lusciously flat asphalt.
About the Breck Epic and The Greenspeed Project
The BE is a 6-day ultra-endurance mountain bike stage race to be contested in the sprawling trail network surrounding Breckenridge, CO in early July, 2009. As a race its mission is to showcase the incredible work that visionary land managers here have accomplished by pairing an ambitious and shared vision with a ‘let’s roll our sleeves up and get this thing done together’ mentality. It is one of a small few such races in US, and certainly among the most difficult. The Breck Epic is among a small portfolio of events produced by the newly established Greenspeed Project. The Greenspeed Project’s mission is to fund open space, trails and backcountry initiatives through the medium of slightly left-of-center events. If you’d like to find out more we’ll happily fire a mind-bullet your way stuffed with an ungodly amount of sleep-inducing propaganda. No need to send us a note, we’ll know. We can also email it.
Friday, November 21, 2008
- HELLO SUBARU. HIYA MARMOT
Thanks for stooping by. What? You'd like to sponsor the race? Wellll...lemme think about it - we don't just hand these sponsorships our you know. Ya gotta have some relevance.
OK. I'm a moron who's easily amused by the fact that you press these little buttons on your keyboard and the little marks on the little buttons magically appear on your computer screen. Wow. In any case, I met with Subaru in person and Marmot over the phone and it looks like they'll both be piling onto the promotional juggernaut that is The Breck Epic.
I've also begun plugging in more Blogger's Applications at the bottom of the page. Or you can just snoop-clicky-click that little rightwards facing arrow next to the word "October" over to the right and a handy-dandy list of all the posts will come up. Again, wow.
MM
OK. I'm a moron who's easily amused by the fact that you press these little buttons on your keyboard and the little marks on the little buttons magically appear on your computer screen. Wow. In any case, I met with Subaru in person and Marmot over the phone and it looks like they'll both be piling onto the promotional juggernaut that is The Breck Epic.
I've also begun plugging in more Blogger's Applications at the bottom of the page. Or you can just snoop-clicky-click that little rightwards facing arrow next to the word "October" over to the right and a handy-dandy list of all the posts will come up. Again, wow.
MM
Thursday, November 20, 2008
- BLOGGER APP UPDATE
Thanks for keeping those cards and letters coming folks. I've spent the past few weeks pretty heads-down on sponsorship and merchandising. I'll get them all posted today (or more likely late this evening.)
In other "Nobody Probably Cares But Me" news, I just sweet-talked Dave Towle into announcing. I also boxed out the Breckenridge Resort Chamber folks by ordering all the crappers from Royal Flush. They told me that 'nobody had ever ordered that far in advance before'.
What can I say, my shit is tight.
I also popped for daily servicing as well as a fresh dose of "The Blue". I heart a fresh shitter and nothing is too good for you, my 16 loyal blog followers. You can almost smell it through the screen, can't you. Smells like excitement.
On a sidenote, I've come up with a perfect penalty for littering on course: the offender will be required to push down 'the cone' in the fullest porto with a piece of wood that's 4x4....x4! And that's inches, not feet. Think twice before you drop a gel packet, bud.
In other "Nobody Probably Cares But Me" news, I just sweet-talked Dave Towle into announcing. I also boxed out the Breckenridge Resort Chamber folks by ordering all the crappers from Royal Flush. They told me that 'nobody had ever ordered that far in advance before'.
What can I say, my shit is tight.
I also popped for daily servicing as well as a fresh dose of "The Blue". I heart a fresh shitter and nothing is too good for you, my 16 loyal blog followers. You can almost smell it through the screen, can't you. Smells like excitement.
On a sidenote, I've come up with a perfect penalty for littering on course: the offender will be required to push down 'the cone' in the fullest porto with a piece of wood that's 4x4....x4! And that's inches, not feet. Think twice before you drop a gel packet, bud.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
- SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE
...and in other breaking news, I was projectile shat upon last night. It really wasn't as sexy as it sounds.
If you'd like to take a peek at the sponsorship stuff send me a note or give me a call.
mikemac@breckepic.com
970-485-5847
MM
If you'd like to take a peek at the sponsorship stuff send me a note or give me a call.
mikemac@breckepic.com
970-485-5847
MM
Monday, November 10, 2008
- DID YOU GET THE NOV. 10 NEWSLETTER?
...I hope so, because I typed it one-handed while holding a constipated newborn in my other arm. BreckEpic.com's set to go live this week, at which point the blogsite will take a turn towards the 'stream-of-self-consciousness' style that you're all used to. Or as I sometimes like to describe as "an elaborately constructed cathedral of self-adoration." Or is that self-loathing? Dunno - deep down they're probably both the same thing. At some point in the near future I will be publishing the ultimate (and annotated!) waffle recipe. You're not going to want to miss that. Seriously.
In any case, if you missed the newsletter and you'd like me to send it to you just drop me a line and I'll get it to you. There was info on:
Pricing
Categories
Solo Rider Info
Registration Info
...and much, much more!
In any case, if you missed the newsletter and you'd like me to send it to you just drop me a line and I'll get it to you. There was info on:
Pricing
Categories
Solo Rider Info
Registration Info
...and much, much more!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
- BRECK EPIC OVERVIEW
Endurance racing has diversified over the past decade, evolving from traditional cross-country racing into events designed to challenge a rider’s fitness, bike handling skills and mental strength over a prolonged period of time. The Breck Epic is a 6-day backcountry mountain bike stage race held against the stunning high-alpine backdrop of Colorado’s Central Rockies in Breckenridge, Colorado. Two-person teams and solo competitors contest each stage with cumulative elapsed time over all five stages determining the winning team.
The format has gained traction internationally with athletes and media alike, yet to date there are no significant MTB stage races of this length in the United States. Increasingly, the most popular mountain bikes events are extreme challenges; 24-hour races and 100-mile ultra-endurance events are great examples. The Epic falls into this category – it’s experiential in nature, challenging each participant to seek out reserves of strength and character throughout a prolonged effort. Here the competitive experience is measured in days, not hours. The nature of a stage race creates drama, not just at the top of the leader board, but among each team and within the mind of each athlete as the depths of each individual’s physical and mental resolve is plumbed over a span of 6 days and 250+ off-road miles.
The format has gained traction internationally with athletes and media alike, yet to date there are no significant MTB stage races of this length in the United States. Increasingly, the most popular mountain bikes events are extreme challenges; 24-hour races and 100-mile ultra-endurance events are great examples. The Epic falls into this category – it’s experiential in nature, challenging each participant to seek out reserves of strength and character throughout a prolonged effort. Here the competitive experience is measured in days, not hours. The nature of a stage race creates drama, not just at the top of the leader board, but among each team and within the mind of each athlete as the depths of each individual’s physical and mental resolve is plumbed over a span of 6 days and 250+ off-road miles.
- FORMAT AND GENERAL INFO
- 5 stages plus a prologue off-road TT - The stages will be Monday-Friday with the prologue taking place on Sunday afternoon. - A field limit will be in place (approximately 400 riders)
- Categories are still TBD, but we'll be taking our cues from the pioneers in the format, the Trans-Rockies guys and the BC Bike Race folks (and on that note, we take our hats off to both of them for establishing such an amazing format and for so graciously allowing us to so blatantly rip it off.)
- We'll offer team and solo categories, but the solo folks will be required to submit a formal application prior to acceptance. This race is going to be a bitch and any newbie that squirms in under the wire will most likely suffer an agonizing and painful week.
- Pricing is being worked out. We'll let everyone know as soon as it's finalized.
- PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE TRAILS
First and foremost, proceeds from The Breck Epic will be donated to the Town of Breckenridge’s Open Space and Trails Department (BOSAC) and the USFS (Dillon Ranger District) with the intention that they be earmarked for additional staff, trail improvements and maintenance. In this regard The Epic would be the first race of its kind to directly underwrite open space improvements with hard dollars.Put simply, there’s a great story here; our community’s progressive stance on open space, the connectivity of our trail network and its impressive sprawl. To date those three qualities have not been placed into context on a national or international level. Through marketing, PR and the blogosphere The Breck Epic will showcase all three, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between them and showcasing Breckenridge as the ideal model for forward-thinking community involvement and the shared vision and cooperation of various land managers from the federal level on down.
- WHERE AGAIN?
Where does it take place? Summit County, CO. The beauty of Breckenridge is that you can be so close and yet so far. The Epic aspires to provide a high-end, yet rugged experience. We’ll utilize town and USFS ‘system’ trails with each stage beginning and ending within the town limits of Breckenridge. The route will change from year-to-year, each subsequent iteration allowing a select group of riders to experience a unique perspective of the place we call home.
- WHEN? WHY THAT DATE?
When? The short answer is July 5-10. Want the long answer? Right. Me too. Remember that time in band camp? Just kidding. Remember when we were discussing date options and we asked you guys to chime in? Well, with the help of the bike industry folks (and all of you) we’ve decided. This year’s Breck Epic will take place on July 6th-10th. There’s a possibility that we’ll add a seeding prologue on the afternoon of the 5th. I’ll keep you posted on that.
Why did we decide to go with those dates? Well, there are a couple of things going on in Colorado that we didn’t want to conflict with, yet we also felt that we needed to pay close attention to what we consider our window of good weather here at 9,600 feet…and that means July. There’s the Firecracker 50 on July 4th which will serve as USAC’s Marathon National Championships, The Breck 100 on the 18th and USAC MTB National Championships which will be held in SolVista Basin from July 16-19. After deliberating the merit and level of conflict with each we decided to go with the earlier week. I don’t want to conflict with any of them, but unfortunately we will. I’ve got a bit to say about each:
The Firecracker: Jeff and I created this race 9 years ago and it’s blossomed into one of the very best races in the country. I’m proud of that and more than a bit bummed out that we’re crowding its space. With that said, I’ll also throw out there that the customers are probably a bit different. It’s also a one-day event, whereas the BE is a 6 day affair soup-to-nuts. The USFS will be limiting Jeff’s field this year which means that regardless of the conflict (real or imagined,) The Firecracker’s going to have a full field. That makes me happy and ultimately allowed me to fall in line with the bike industry’s wishes to go with the earlier date so they could support both and not conflict with NATS. For more info on The Firecracker head to www.mavsports.com.
The Breck 100: The Breck Epic is based on the belief that Summit County contains an abundance of riches in terms of its trail network and its connectivity. If you don’t have the ability to take the full week off, but would still like a stiff challenge on an amazing course you should check this race out. Thane from Warriors Cycling also offers a 32 mile and a 68 mile option if you’re not up for the full hundo. http://www.warriorscycling.com/.
NATS: I feel that we have the least crossover here especially since NATS caters to short-format, UCI World Cup-style racing. I also am stoked beyond belief that NATS are finally in Colorado. I lobbied USAC for years to create a one-day NATS event and then lobbied some more to bring it to the Rockies. There’s something pretty amazing about hashing it out on course for a stars and stripes jersey and the event at SolVista promises to be amazing for both the endurance and gravity crowds. The good folks at Bigfoot Productions will be producing and promoting NATS with the help of the SolVista Bike Park crew and the folks at Granby Ranch. You can find more info here: http://www.racemsc.com/ and http://www.solvistabikepark.com/
Jeff and Thane will probably be involved in some way with the event. Thane in a course capacity and Jeff in an 11th hour “hey Jeff, I can’t figure this out, will you do it for me?” capacity. Let me offer a preemptive thank you to Jeff right now: Hey Jeff, thanks buddy.
Why did we decide to go with those dates? Well, there are a couple of things going on in Colorado that we didn’t want to conflict with, yet we also felt that we needed to pay close attention to what we consider our window of good weather here at 9,600 feet…and that means July. There’s the Firecracker 50 on July 4th which will serve as USAC’s Marathon National Championships, The Breck 100 on the 18th and USAC MTB National Championships which will be held in SolVista Basin from July 16-19. After deliberating the merit and level of conflict with each we decided to go with the earlier week. I don’t want to conflict with any of them, but unfortunately we will. I’ve got a bit to say about each:
The Firecracker: Jeff and I created this race 9 years ago and it’s blossomed into one of the very best races in the country. I’m proud of that and more than a bit bummed out that we’re crowding its space. With that said, I’ll also throw out there that the customers are probably a bit different. It’s also a one-day event, whereas the BE is a 6 day affair soup-to-nuts. The USFS will be limiting Jeff’s field this year which means that regardless of the conflict (real or imagined,) The Firecracker’s going to have a full field. That makes me happy and ultimately allowed me to fall in line with the bike industry’s wishes to go with the earlier date so they could support both and not conflict with NATS. For more info on The Firecracker head to www.mavsports.com.
The Breck 100: The Breck Epic is based on the belief that Summit County contains an abundance of riches in terms of its trail network and its connectivity. If you don’t have the ability to take the full week off, but would still like a stiff challenge on an amazing course you should check this race out. Thane from Warriors Cycling also offers a 32 mile and a 68 mile option if you’re not up for the full hundo. http://www.warriorscycling.com/.
NATS: I feel that we have the least crossover here especially since NATS caters to short-format, UCI World Cup-style racing. I also am stoked beyond belief that NATS are finally in Colorado. I lobbied USAC for years to create a one-day NATS event and then lobbied some more to bring it to the Rockies. There’s something pretty amazing about hashing it out on course for a stars and stripes jersey and the event at SolVista promises to be amazing for both the endurance and gravity crowds. The good folks at Bigfoot Productions will be producing and promoting NATS with the help of the SolVista Bike Park crew and the folks at Granby Ranch. You can find more info here: http://www.racemsc.com/ and http://www.solvistabikepark.com/
Jeff and Thane will probably be involved in some way with the event. Thane in a course capacity and Jeff in an 11th hour “hey Jeff, I can’t figure this out, will you do it for me?” capacity. Let me offer a preemptive thank you to Jeff right now: Hey Jeff, thanks buddy.
- COURSE/VENUE INFO
- There will be a strong emphasis on course quality. You can expect very little road riding and even gravel and fire road riding will be minimized. The Breck Epic is intended to be a rugged backcountry experience.
- Distance? About 235-250 miles. Find a spandex-clad Europhile if you need to know how many K that is.
- We'll use a 'cloverleaf' model with each stage starting and finishing in Breckenridge. That means that we'll use ONE campground and will have no transfers
- Lodging will also be available – Breck’s got it all whether you’re looking for hostel, hotel or condo.
- Attn: Weekend Warriors: if you're the type of guy who likes to give yourself one extreme challenge once a year...well, this is probably not the event for you. The courses will be long. They will be difficult. 90% of the terrain will be above 10,000 feet. Cut-off times will be strictly enforced. You could die here. And nobody would find you.
- Distance? About 235-250 miles. Find a spandex-clad Europhile if you need to know how many K that is.
- We'll use a 'cloverleaf' model with each stage starting and finishing in Breckenridge. That means that we'll use ONE campground and will have no transfers
- Lodging will also be available – Breck’s got it all whether you’re looking for hostel, hotel or condo.
- Attn: Weekend Warriors: if you're the type of guy who likes to give yourself one extreme challenge once a year...well, this is probably not the event for you. The courses will be long. They will be difficult. 90% of the terrain will be above 10,000 feet. Cut-off times will be strictly enforced. You could die here. And nobody would find you.
- PROPOSED ROUTES
This is all subject to change of course. You know that my wife and I just had another baby and that my hormones are all in a tizzy. I might decide tomorrow that it's going to be a recumbent-only event. In the words of Crash Davis, "I really don't know where the ball's going." As if that's not enough, there's the whole USFS permit approval thingie. Keep in mind that all routes are proposed only – actual routes are subject to town, county and USFS permit approval process. These will also probably be shuffled around considerably - "Stage 1" might not necessarily be Stage 1 if you get my drift. Details on Sunday's seeding prologue are pending.
Stage 1 – Circumnavigation of Mt. Guyot
French Gulch Road to French Pass
French Pass to Michigan Creek TH
Michigan Creek to Georgia Pass
Down Georgia, up American
Out Little French Flume
Down Little French to FINISH @ western parking lot
Stage 2 - Pennsylvania Gulch/Boreas Pass
Begin at Hockey Rink
Up Boreas Pass Rd to Illinois Gulch
Illinois Gulch to BPR to Aspen Tunnel
Aspen Tunnel to Blue River Trail
Blue River Trail to Blue River Subdivision
Blue River Sub to Pennsylvania Gulch
Pennsylvania to Indiana Gulch, down Indiana
Right at bottom of Grind
Up through Dyersville
Left on Boreas Pass Road
Right on Baker’s Tank Trail
BTT to Iowa Mill
Iowa Mill to Nightmare on Baldy
Nightmare on Baldy to Sallie Barber
Sallie Barber to Barney Ford
Barney Ford to Moonstone
Moonstone to finish
Stage 3 – The Gold Dust Trail
Start in Wellington
French Gulch Road to Sallie Barber
Sallie Barber to Nightmare
Nightmare to Iowa Mill
Iowa Mill to Baker’s Tank
Baker’s Tank to Boreas Pass Road
BPR to Dyersville
Dyersville to Indiana, LEFT on Indiana
Indiana to Boreas Pass (Section House)
BPR to Gold Dust Trail
GDT to BPR
BPR back to Baker’s Tank
Tank Trail to finish at BTT Lot
Stage 4 - Wheeler/Peaks Trail
Begin at Peak 8
Climb up access road, then Peak 8 to Peak 9 Trail
Peak 9 to Wheeler
Up and over Wheeler
Return to Frisco via recpath
Pick up Peaks Trail in Frisco
Peaks Trail back to Peak 8
Finish at Peak 8
Stage 5 – The Colorado Trail
Begin in Wellington
Up Gold Run Road past the McLeary’s
Out the Side Door, hang left at first intersection (past snowmobile)
Sharp left up to Prospect Way
Right on Prospect Way to Lincoln Meadows
Climb road from Lincoln Meadows to top of American
American Gulch to Great Flume
Great Flume to Georgia Pass CT section
Descend CT to Middle Fork
Middle Fork to North Fork (Westridge)
Westridge to Soda Creek
Soda Creek to Horseshoe Gulch
Horseshoe Gulch back to dredge and Tiger Road
Tiger Road to Discovery Ridge Trail
DRT to Preston
Preston to Slalom
Slalom to Upper Flume
Upper Flume to Recycling Center & Finish
- THE INDUSTRY CUP
This year's Breck Epic will offer $10,000 in prize money. I've yet to decide how that'll be split up, but we're committed to providing a decent purse. While $10K is nothing to sneeze at I do wish that we could commit to more, so I've been thinking about ways to up the ante a bit. To sweeten the pot. To really ratchet up the pressure to unbearable levels so that losing a spot on the podium is actually physically painful. In a perfect world the disappointment of not finishing in the money would be so purely distilled that your ears would bleed. So here's what I've come up with - "The Industry Cup". Impressive, huh? (Ladies, don't bother queuing up, I'm married.)
Here's how it works: Factory pros, or manufacturer's riders will be allowed to donate items for a silent auction. It could be a frame, a fork, a component, a riders kit, a footrub from the Luna Chix, a pair of Dave Weins' dirty socks, a big spitty kiss from a man with a bushy moose-stash...whatever. Over the course of the event these items will be displayed and bids will be taken. At the conclusion of the event auction winners will be announced and the proceeds from the silent auction will be split between participating riders in the pro categories. In lieu of merchandise, teams may throw cash into the pot. Merchandise donations must have a minimum cash value (retail) of $250. Cash entries will be $150. Participation must be declared at packet pickup and merchandise (or a gift certificate or reasonable facsimile if product is size-specific) must be delivered to Breck Epic registration staff prior to the beginning of Stage 1.
Here's how it works: Factory pros, or manufacturer's riders will be allowed to donate items for a silent auction. It could be a frame, a fork, a component, a riders kit, a footrub from the Luna Chix, a pair of Dave Weins' dirty socks, a big spitty kiss from a man with a bushy moose-stash...whatever. Over the course of the event these items will be displayed and bids will be taken. At the conclusion of the event auction winners will be announced and the proceeds from the silent auction will be split between participating riders in the pro categories. In lieu of merchandise, teams may throw cash into the pot. Merchandise donations must have a minimum cash value (retail) of $250. Cash entries will be $150. Participation must be declared at packet pickup and merchandise (or a gift certificate or reasonable facsimile if product is size-specific) must be delivered to Breck Epic registration staff prior to the beginning of Stage 1.
- IN "LE NEWS"
If there's one thing that can be said about bike journalists, it's that they're bike nerds like the rest of us. God bless 'em. Thanks for the ink, boys. Here's a looky-loo at what the pundits from the 4th estate have to say:
Mountain Bike, October 8, 2008
VeloNews, October 22, 2008
Bike Magazine, October 21, 2008
Mountain Bike, October 23, 2008
Cycling News, October 24, 2008
MTBR.com, November 11th, 2008
Mountain Bike, November 12th, 2008
Mountain Bike, November 13th, 2008
Mountain Bike, October 8, 2008
VeloNews, October 22, 2008
Bike Magazine, October 21, 2008
Mountain Bike, October 23, 2008
Cycling News, October 24, 2008
MTBR.com, November 11th, 2008
Mountain Bike, November 12th, 2008
Mountain Bike, November 13th, 2008
- BENEFITS FOR BRECK?
The obvious benefit for the community is an influx of cyclist dollars. Secondary to that is that the revenue from the event will be donated directly to BOSAC, and through the use of a restricted grant, the USFS. The use of an event as a fundraising mechanism that underwrites trail construction and maintenance represents a paradigm shift in the event business, but this is a logical extension of one of the principles upon which Maverick Sports Promotions, (the joint venture of Jeff Westcott and Mike McCormack) was founded; “Events must give back to the community.” If the event makes money, that money will directly underwrite trail improvements. The Epic’s goal will be to provide the funds necessary to add one additional seasonal staff member for each organization.
Additionally, the PR generated from the event will create millions of unique consumer impressions, further solidifying Breck’s status as a worthwhile stop for national and international destination mountain bike travelers. The biking season here is short, but the goods are, well...good. Really good.
Additionally, the PR generated from the event will create millions of unique consumer impressions, further solidifying Breck’s status as a worthwhile stop for national and international destination mountain bike travelers. The biking season here is short, but the goods are, well...good. Really good.
- THE MESSAGE
The message is simple – open space is vital. And Summit County is a wonderful representation of how 3 disparate land management entities can work together to create something truly amazing. Preservation, conservation, responsible use…whichever way you’d choose to describe it. There’s a great story to tell here in Breckenridge, one that’s been years in the making. Town leadership decided early on that ‘quality of life’, as a concept and in practice, needed to be elevated and reprioritized in order to achieve more harmonious balance with the commercial pressures unique to resort communities. In looking around at some of our counterparts across the state it’s obvious that we’re head and shoulders above most of our them in both principle and practice.
We also want to underscore the fact that Breckenridge is an amazing place to visit and live. There are many old Victorian mining towns in Colorado, but few with a world-class resort and none (other than us) with almost unlimited backcountry access. Most of the town’s marketing efforts focus on the first two elements. Athletic events, especially ones grand in scope and detailed in execution do a great job of highlighting the third.
We also want to underscore the fact that Breckenridge is an amazing place to visit and live. There are many old Victorian mining towns in Colorado, but few with a world-class resort and none (other than us) with almost unlimited backcountry access. Most of the town’s marketing efforts focus on the first two elements. Athletic events, especially ones grand in scope and detailed in execution do a great job of highlighting the third.
- A GREEN EVENT
We’ll be making every effort to make the Epic as green as possible. A kinder, gentler mountain bike race. This means concentrated efforts at recycling, a conscientious nod to the reduction of our overall carbon footprint every step of the way and the use of renewable energy credits for all of our power needs. These are just the tip of the iceberg – we’ll be striving for sustainability and conscientious use with every decision that we make. We’ve always felt that 1000 heads are better than one, so please feel free to forward your suggestions on how we may shrink our impact as much as possible.
- TEAM IMBA
The Epic will partner with the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) and its new “Team IMBA” initiative. Through participation in the Team IMBA program participants are given the tools to fundraise for their racing efforts. Proceeds from Team IMBA fundraising are split 50/50 between IMBA and the event’s charity of choice, in this case BOSAC and the Dillon Ranger District. The beauty of this strategy is that an estimated 90% of the event’s participants will come from outside of Colorado. Team IMBA’s program extends the reach of fundraising efforts to communities well outside of the traditional harvesting grounds for open space donations. Funds raised through Team IMBA will be in addition to the event revenues described elsewhere.
- SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
If the idea of a sprawling, unbelievably difficult and environmentally and socially conscious event with a built-in PR Hemi piques your interest please feel free to drop me a line at mikemac@breckepic.com. We've got value-driven partnership packages that can be tailored to your brand's marketing and PR needs. We've also got flat asphalt for your rig if you need it, and if you talk sweet enough we'll park you next to the coffee guys. Or the beer guys.
As far as partners go, we place a premium on folks that share our values about the altruistic underpinnings of the race. A decent sense of humor goes a long way, too.
As far as partners go, we place a premium on folks that share our values about the altruistic underpinnings of the race. A decent sense of humor goes a long way, too.
- SPONSOR REFERRAL PROGRAM
...or in other words, "It's not what you know..." I don’t want to overly commercialize and monetize the event, but historically the best sponsorship leads come from word of mouth. In order to integrate with the stated goal of the event (to directly fund additional labor resources for Breckenridge Open Space and Trails and the USFS) we’re being a bit selective about who we partner with. If you’re hooked up with an organization that might be interested in aligning themselves with greener goods and goals, please feel free to contact us to make an introduction. I can provide more details, but we’ll offer each referrer a 10% ‘finder’s fee’ that can be applied toward entry fees and merchandise. Based upon finalized cash sponsorship. Limit one solo entry (@ $1000 value, actual value TBD) and $300 merchandise credit.
- VOLUNTEERISM
It's good for the soul. And for the wardrobe. Volunteers? We need ‘em. Course Marshals, moto guys...you name it. Volunteers will get piles of event swag and I’m talking about the good stuff. Each volunteer will earn $10/hour credit at the company store ($150 maximum.) You’ll be able to redeem your credit for socks, tees, hats, fleeces, bags, etc. All volunteers will also receive meal tickets for breakfast and dinner for each day that they volunteer. Interested? Please contact me at mikemac@breckepic.com.
- BLOGGER'S GRANT PROGRAM OVERVIEW
We’re giving away 4 race entries to the folks who’ve got the scribbling jones. Each blogger will be required to submit four 1,000 word articles prior to the event on topics ranging including actual race prep, their mental states, why they love their bike and just about anything else loosely related to the event. During the event they’ll be asked to write 500-1000 words after each stage. All of these articles will be distributed via email within the event newsletter and published on the event's website. Each blogger will be assigned to one of the vertical cycling publications and the promoter will forward their daily race journals to their print partner at no cost. Blogger hopefuls are required to submit writing samples and a completed questionnaire detailing their qualifications. Voting will be public and will take place online beginning January 1st. If you're interested please take a spin through the "Dogma" and "Rules" posts, then get crackin' on the Application. You can also email me (mikemac@breckepic.com) and I'll forward you the Werd dock-ya-mint.
- BLOGGER’S GRANT DOGMA
BLOGGER’S GRANT PROGRAM OVERVIEW (Kill ‘em with copy!):
I’ve been involved in cycling events for as long as I can remember. There are two memories that stand out for me when I look back and I guess if I really dig deep into the mental nooks and crannies I can say that they’ve shaped how I’ve come to look at events in general. The first one that jumps out at me was a what-was-then-called NORBA event in Traverse City, Michigan. I remember that the race was so much more than that – it was an event. The energy was unbelievable and you were left with no doubt that if you were a mountain biker, that Traverse City, on that weekend, was the center of the universe.
My weekend was highlighted by two notable experiences, both of which left indelible impressions on a short, pale and naïve kid from Wisconsin. First, there was a fit and tan women walking around all weekend with a shirt made of what I could only describe as the sort of fish netting that you might sea in the South Pacific. She was also bra-less. Possibly European. To this day I couldn’t tell you what her face looked like. Couldn’t pick her out of a crowd of two if I had to. What can I say? I was about 22 years old and still flailing about in the uncertain seas of huge testosterone surges. I was also sort of a drooling moron at the time (you could make a case that I still am, although it’s possible that I’ve been upgraded to ‘juvenile’.)
The other part of that weekend that sticks out for me was the fact that the night prior to the XC event I got caught up in the excitement of the weekend and the camaraderie of sharing one crappy hotel room with 15 other farting, belching and generally stinky recent post-adolescents. There was beer. There were drinking games. Being a Wisconsinite, there was credibility on the line. So I got hammered. Drunk as a chicken. I was so hung-over during my Sunday race that I’m pretty sure I got passed by a 12 year-old wearing clogs. I may have hallucinated that, but unfortunately for my ego I’m pretty sure that hippy freak middle-schooler owned me. My race experience was summed up at the finish line (yes, I finished) with the following words: “I’ve never wanted anything to end so badly in my life.” Then I was laughed at. By people claiming to be my friends. For years.
What these two memories underscore for me is that events at their best are experiential. When the stars align they give a participant much more than just an on-course experience. I don’t want to get all John Tesh-y here, but something that requires an over-the-top amount of commitment and sacrifice tends to get its mitts into your life in a systemic way. By living through the experience you generate memories. Of pain. Of triumph. Of good food. Or the lack of it. Of a particularly smelly fart. Of intense suffering and of rich reward. Of a woman with nice boobs, a staggering lack of modesty and no visible tan lines.
What started way back in over 20 years ago as a ‘sweeper’ for a local century ride turned into a full-immersion experience that’s defined my life and career. Over the past decade-and-a-half one of the things I’ve enjoyed most is living vicariously through the exploits of others, especially where it concerns bike racing. I like reading about other people’s experiences in the saddle and my guess is, so do you. So without further preamble, I give you “The Breck Epic Blogger’s Grant Program”. Or in other words, “Why use 10 words when 10,000 will do?”
So to bring a long and probably pointless intro to a merciful close; be funny. Be smart. Be informative or entertaining. Be all of those things. Or be none. We don’t care what you have to say…as long as it’s interesting. If that sounds like you, then sharpen your pencils and click on the “Blogger’s Grant Application” link to the right.
I’ve been involved in cycling events for as long as I can remember. There are two memories that stand out for me when I look back and I guess if I really dig deep into the mental nooks and crannies I can say that they’ve shaped how I’ve come to look at events in general. The first one that jumps out at me was a what-was-then-called NORBA event in Traverse City, Michigan. I remember that the race was so much more than that – it was an event. The energy was unbelievable and you were left with no doubt that if you were a mountain biker, that Traverse City, on that weekend, was the center of the universe.
My weekend was highlighted by two notable experiences, both of which left indelible impressions on a short, pale and naïve kid from Wisconsin. First, there was a fit and tan women walking around all weekend with a shirt made of what I could only describe as the sort of fish netting that you might sea in the South Pacific. She was also bra-less. Possibly European. To this day I couldn’t tell you what her face looked like. Couldn’t pick her out of a crowd of two if I had to. What can I say? I was about 22 years old and still flailing about in the uncertain seas of huge testosterone surges. I was also sort of a drooling moron at the time (you could make a case that I still am, although it’s possible that I’ve been upgraded to ‘juvenile’.)
The other part of that weekend that sticks out for me was the fact that the night prior to the XC event I got caught up in the excitement of the weekend and the camaraderie of sharing one crappy hotel room with 15 other farting, belching and generally stinky recent post-adolescents. There was beer. There were drinking games. Being a Wisconsinite, there was credibility on the line. So I got hammered. Drunk as a chicken. I was so hung-over during my Sunday race that I’m pretty sure I got passed by a 12 year-old wearing clogs. I may have hallucinated that, but unfortunately for my ego I’m pretty sure that hippy freak middle-schooler owned me. My race experience was summed up at the finish line (yes, I finished) with the following words: “I’ve never wanted anything to end so badly in my life.” Then I was laughed at. By people claiming to be my friends. For years.
What these two memories underscore for me is that events at their best are experiential. When the stars align they give a participant much more than just an on-course experience. I don’t want to get all John Tesh-y here, but something that requires an over-the-top amount of commitment and sacrifice tends to get its mitts into your life in a systemic way. By living through the experience you generate memories. Of pain. Of triumph. Of good food. Or the lack of it. Of a particularly smelly fart. Of intense suffering and of rich reward. Of a woman with nice boobs, a staggering lack of modesty and no visible tan lines.
What started way back in over 20 years ago as a ‘sweeper’ for a local century ride turned into a full-immersion experience that’s defined my life and career. Over the past decade-and-a-half one of the things I’ve enjoyed most is living vicariously through the exploits of others, especially where it concerns bike racing. I like reading about other people’s experiences in the saddle and my guess is, so do you. So without further preamble, I give you “The Breck Epic Blogger’s Grant Program”. Or in other words, “Why use 10 words when 10,000 will do?”
So to bring a long and probably pointless intro to a merciful close; be funny. Be smart. Be informative or entertaining. Be all of those things. Or be none. We don’t care what you have to say…as long as it’s interesting. If that sounds like you, then sharpen your pencils and click on the “Blogger’s Grant Application” link to the right.
- BLOGGER’S GRANT RULES
The Breck Epic Blogger’s Grant (BEBG) Program was established out of pure selfishness. I like to read about bike races and I feel like there are a lot of people out there like me. I also feel that the current crop of race reports published in the straight-up vertical media sometimes lack in nuance what they attempt to make up for with a detailed list of top-five finishers. I think that people want to live vicariously through others and I’m willing to pay for a small handful of you to document your journey from wherever you are right now to your finish in Breckenridge on July 10th. In exchange for you putting pen to paper I’m offering 4 individual race entries.
The Rules:
1. There are four BEBG’s. They’ll be made available to solo and team competitors.
2. Only 1 person per team may receive a blogger’s grant. In the event that you win 50% of your team’s entry will be picked up by us.
3. BEBG application submission period begins today. Thanks to all of you who’ve already forwarded your literary palmares…but please fill out the form and get it back to us.
4. BEBG applicants will have their applications posted online on the event’s website. Users of the site’s forums will be allowed to vote for their preferred blogger. Winners of the ‘poll’ will receive their very own BEBG and unlimited self-promotional bandwidth. Polling rules are still to be determined, but in general, the sooner you get your application to us and published online, the greater window of availability for people to vote for you.
5. Blogger’s will be required to submit 4 training/general articles (1,000 words minimum) prior to the event and one per day (500 word minimum) while the event is in progress. Did you get 9 when you added that up in your head? Me too.
6. BEBG applications need to be submitted (via email only) by Tuesday, January 6th, 2009. That’s 6 months out from the race start which provides you a rough submission deadline of one article every 6 weeks leading up to the race.
7. Images may be included – please submit screen-resolution images unless otherwise directed.
8. Articles will be edited by BE staff, posted online at http://www.breckepic.com/ and blasted out to the members of our newsletter email list. The copy of BEBG recipients becomes the exclusive property of the event. You may repost your copy, but in broad strokes, we own exclusive rights. This leads us to…
9. Your blogs will appear on the Breck Epic website and in email blasts. Each blogger will also be ‘paired’ with one of the industry publications. BE staff will edit and forward your copy (race journals only) to your designated publisher with the sole intent that it be allowed to be published on that publication’s website.
10. Don’t be bummed if you don’t win! If you habitually write we’ll happily post links to your stuff on the blog page. There are also event sponsors who may request their own writer for the event. We’ll address this situation one-on-one with sponsors and writers as it becomes relevant.
11. We (OK, “I”) hold the deciding vote. I could be coy or less than up-front about that, but there are also strategic reasons for this program. I’ll serve as the ultimate tiebreaker if necessary.
12. Please submit your application by January 6, 2009 to mikemac@breckepic.com. Sans-serif fonts only please.
The Rules:
1. There are four BEBG’s. They’ll be made available to solo and team competitors.
2. Only 1 person per team may receive a blogger’s grant. In the event that you win 50% of your team’s entry will be picked up by us.
3. BEBG application submission period begins today. Thanks to all of you who’ve already forwarded your literary palmares…but please fill out the form and get it back to us.
4. BEBG applicants will have their applications posted online on the event’s website. Users of the site’s forums will be allowed to vote for their preferred blogger. Winners of the ‘poll’ will receive their very own BEBG and unlimited self-promotional bandwidth. Polling rules are still to be determined, but in general, the sooner you get your application to us and published online, the greater window of availability for people to vote for you.
5. Blogger’s will be required to submit 4 training/general articles (1,000 words minimum) prior to the event and one per day (500 word minimum) while the event is in progress. Did you get 9 when you added that up in your head? Me too.
6. BEBG applications need to be submitted (via email only) by Tuesday, January 6th, 2009. That’s 6 months out from the race start which provides you a rough submission deadline of one article every 6 weeks leading up to the race.
7. Images may be included – please submit screen-resolution images unless otherwise directed.
8. Articles will be edited by BE staff, posted online at http://www.breckepic.com/ and blasted out to the members of our newsletter email list. The copy of BEBG recipients becomes the exclusive property of the event. You may repost your copy, but in broad strokes, we own exclusive rights. This leads us to…
9. Your blogs will appear on the Breck Epic website and in email blasts. Each blogger will also be ‘paired’ with one of the industry publications. BE staff will edit and forward your copy (race journals only) to your designated publisher with the sole intent that it be allowed to be published on that publication’s website.
10. Don’t be bummed if you don’t win! If you habitually write we’ll happily post links to your stuff on the blog page. There are also event sponsors who may request their own writer for the event. We’ll address this situation one-on-one with sponsors and writers as it becomes relevant.
11. We (OK, “I”) hold the deciding vote. I could be coy or less than up-front about that, but there are also strategic reasons for this program. I’ll serve as the ultimate tiebreaker if necessary.
12. Please submit your application by January 6, 2009 to mikemac@breckepic.com. Sans-serif fonts only please.
- BLOGGER'S GRANT APPLICATION
BRECK EPIC BLOGGER’S GRANT APPLICATION
Feel free to write whatever you’d like, but please adhere to the word-count guidelines. You’ll be allowed to run on indefinitely if you win. To the victor go the spoils, right? Please email to mikemac@breckepic.com by January 6th, 2009.
NAME:
SPONSOR/TEAM:
HOMETOWN:
SECTION 1: 35 words or less per question (please answer all)
Where are you from?
What kind of bike do you ride?
What do you love about it?
Solo or team competitor? Why?
Who’s your teammate (if applicable)?
Done any ultra-endurance stuff before?
Favorite food?
Movie?
Book?
SECTION 2: 100 words or less per question (please answer at least 4)
Worst experience on a bike?
Best experience on a bike?
Tell us about your LBS (Local Bike Shop):
Tell us about your favorite ‘local’ ride:
Tell us about your favorite ride EVER:
Describe a sponsor or company you admire and why you admire them:
Who will play you in the Breck Epic movie and why?
SECTION 3: 200 words or less per question (please answer at least 1)
What do you hope to get out of this experience? Expectations/goals/etc.
Tell us about your history as a cyclist or in the industry:
SECTION 4: 200 words or less (optional)
Feel free to blatantly self-promote here. A quote you like, a direct appeal to the voters, some hateful vitriolic slander for your political opponents (see: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter…) This is your space. Decorate it however you’d like.
SECTION 5: An image of you. Or of whatever.
Mandatory. 200 x 200 pixels please.
SECTION 6: Links to your work:
Optional. Please submit a maximum of three.
Feel free to write whatever you’d like, but please adhere to the word-count guidelines. You’ll be allowed to run on indefinitely if you win. To the victor go the spoils, right? Please email to mikemac@breckepic.com by January 6th, 2009.
NAME:
SPONSOR/TEAM:
HOMETOWN:
SECTION 1: 35 words or less per question (please answer all)
Where are you from?
What kind of bike do you ride?
What do you love about it?
Solo or team competitor? Why?
Who’s your teammate (if applicable)?
Done any ultra-endurance stuff before?
Favorite food?
Movie?
Book?
SECTION 2: 100 words or less per question (please answer at least 4)
Worst experience on a bike?
Best experience on a bike?
Tell us about your LBS (Local Bike Shop):
Tell us about your favorite ‘local’ ride:
Tell us about your favorite ride EVER:
Describe a sponsor or company you admire and why you admire them:
Who will play you in the Breck Epic movie and why?
SECTION 3: 200 words or less per question (please answer at least 1)
What do you hope to get out of this experience? Expectations/goals/etc.
Tell us about your history as a cyclist or in the industry:
SECTION 4: 200 words or less (optional)
Feel free to blatantly self-promote here. A quote you like, a direct appeal to the voters, some hateful vitriolic slander for your political opponents (see: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter…) This is your space. Decorate it however you’d like.
SECTION 5: An image of you. Or of whatever.
Mandatory. 200 x 200 pixels please.
SECTION 6: Links to your work:
Optional. Please submit a maximum of three.
- FIRECRACKER 50
If you're making the trip from either coast you may want to consider registering for The 4th of July Firecracker 50 on the Saturday preceding The Breck Epic. 50 miles might be a bit long with what lies in store for you with the Epic, but I can honestly say that the F50 is one of the very best races in the US. It's as close as I've seen to what I'd imagine racing in Europe to be like. It's also Marathon NATS. If you like the idea of getting two amazing race experiences while you're out here but are balking at the 50-miles, they do offer a team option. Each rider on the team does one 25-mile lap.
Seriously, the F50 is a race that you should do before you die. It's that good. If you're here and can't/don't want to race it I'm sure that Jeff would love to have you as a volunteer. You get a pretty cool swag package (t-shirt, custom DeFeet Woolie Boolies, a killer barbecue and I think I remember there being free beer in the past) If you're interested in racing or volunteering you can give Jeff a ring-a-ding at westy@mavsports.com.
Seriously, the F50 is a race that you should do before you die. It's that good. If you're here and can't/don't want to race it I'm sure that Jeff would love to have you as a volunteer. You get a pretty cool swag package (t-shirt, custom DeFeet Woolie Boolies, a killer barbecue and I think I remember there being free beer in the past) If you're interested in racing or volunteering you can give Jeff a ring-a-ding at westy@mavsports.com.
- PROMOTER PROPAGANDA
...also known as "lies." In another life (and universe) I was a marketing and brand director for the Trek Bicycles family of brands, I’ve been a Breckenridge resident since 1998. In 2000 I co-founded Maverick Sports Promotions with Jeff Westcott. Through that collaboration we established the environmental education program “Mountain Bike Little League” which has since become the national standard for youth development through advocacy and education. We also developed “The Firecracker 50”, an event generally acknowledged to be one of the best ultra-endurance mountain bike races in the United States, as evidenced by its designation by USA Cycling as national championships for three consecutive years. For 5 years I was employed by Vail Resorts both as an event and customer service manager in Breckenridge and subsequently a marketing monkey at Beaver Creek. Do not annoy me. I WILL throw my own poop at you.
Somewhere in there I've also mucked around with The SuperCup Cyclocross Series and a bunch of high-profile, televised snowboarding, freeskiing and alpine events while at Breck and BC. I also have a dog. He doesn't throw poop. But if ever figures it out, you better watch it.
For the last 3 years I’ve been the managing director of Bigfoot Productions, the event arm of Yeti Cycles. In this capacity I’ve been directly responsible for all aspects of The Mountain States Cup (the largest race series in North America,) as well as several cycling industry initiatives and strategies designed to grow the ranks of the sport.
Thanks in advance for taking a look at the event –
Mike
Somewhere in there I've also mucked around with The SuperCup Cyclocross Series and a bunch of high-profile, televised snowboarding, freeskiing and alpine events while at Breck and BC. I also have a dog. He doesn't throw poop. But if ever figures it out, you better watch it.
For the last 3 years I’ve been the managing director of Bigfoot Productions, the event arm of Yeti Cycles. In this capacity I’ve been directly responsible for all aspects of The Mountain States Cup (the largest race series in North America,) as well as several cycling industry initiatives and strategies designed to grow the ranks of the sport.
Thanks in advance for taking a look at the event –
Mike
- BLOGGER APP #1: Team Dicky
NAME: Rich Dillen
SPONSOR/TEAM: Team Dicky
HOMETOWN: Charlotte, NC
Where are you from? Charlotte, NC
What kind of bike do you ride? I still don’t know what BRAND I’ll be riding, but rest assured it will be a rigid single speed 29’er with pink wheels.
What do you love about it? I don’t have it yet, nor do I know who is going to make it, so the anticipation of the unknown is quite thrilling.
Solo or team competitor? Why? Solo. All my former teammates from previous stage races still have restraining orders against me, so my options for a partner are quite limited.
Done any ultra-endurance stuff before?
Two La Rutas
Two Trans Rockies
One BC Bike Race
Tour de Burg
Twelve hundred milers
Twenty+ 12/24 hour events
A myriad of other bicycling related tests of fortitude
Favorite food? Oatmeal cookies washed down with Amstel Light
Movie? Three Amigos
Book? If Chins Could Kill (The auto-biography of Bruce Campbell)
What kind of bike do you ride? I still don’t know what BRAND I’ll be riding, but rest assured it will be a rigid single speed 29’er with pink wheels.
What do you love about it? I don’t have it yet, nor do I know who is going to make it, so the anticipation of the unknown is quite thrilling.
Solo or team competitor? Why? Solo. All my former teammates from previous stage races still have restraining orders against me, so my options for a partner are quite limited.
Done any ultra-endurance stuff before?
Two La Rutas
Two Trans Rockies
One BC Bike Race
Tour de Burg
Twelve hundred milers
Twenty+ 12/24 hour events
A myriad of other bicycling related tests of fortitude
Favorite food? Oatmeal cookies washed down with Amstel Light
Movie? Three Amigos
Book? If Chins Could Kill (The auto-biography of Bruce Campbell)
Worst experience on a bike? By far doing the Cohutta 100 on a fixed gear the week after my dad died was the worst time I’ve ever had on a bike.
Best experience on a bike? My first 24 Hour World Championship in 2000. It was the first time my dad got to watch me race my bike.
Tell us about your favorite ‘local’ ride: Getting up every morning, riding my bike to work, riding for a living, and then riding home. Some days I forget what a gift it is to be a bike messenger, but when I think about it what could be better?
Describe a sponsor or company you admire and why you admire them? The Bare Knuckle Brigade is the best sponsor anybody could ever hope for. They have taught me to hate, but with compassion. To destroy, but with empathy and kindness. To be the absolute best ever, but with humility. They are a cult of excess personality with a capital “P” that rhymes with “T” and that stands for “Tool”. Did I mention we’re just a club that loves show tunes?
Who will play you in the Breck Epic movie and why? Tony Danza, of course it would only be shown on the Lifetime Network for Women. If he were not available the producers would probably give Rick Moranis, Martin Short, or Ben Kingsley the nod.
Best experience on a bike? My first 24 Hour World Championship in 2000. It was the first time my dad got to watch me race my bike.
Tell us about your favorite ‘local’ ride: Getting up every morning, riding my bike to work, riding for a living, and then riding home. Some days I forget what a gift it is to be a bike messenger, but when I think about it what could be better?
Describe a sponsor or company you admire and why you admire them? The Bare Knuckle Brigade is the best sponsor anybody could ever hope for. They have taught me to hate, but with compassion. To destroy, but with empathy and kindness. To be the absolute best ever, but with humility. They are a cult of excess personality with a capital “P” that rhymes with “T” and that stands for “Tool”. Did I mention we’re just a club that loves show tunes?
Who will play you in the Breck Epic movie and why? Tony Danza, of course it would only be shown on the Lifetime Network for Women. If he were not available the producers would probably give Rick Moranis, Martin Short, or Ben Kingsley the nod.
Tell us about your history as a cyclist or in the industry: I started riding mountain bikes back in 1989 or so while attending Youngstown State University. I sucked at the very start, but over the years I got slightly better. I floundered around in the beginner class at some local XC races, and eventually worked my way up to being a slightly better than average sport class racer. When I started my job as a bike messenger in 1996 I started getting stronger, and when I discovered endurance racing in 2000 I knew I had found my niche. I had some success in the first few years, but I burned out pretty quickly as I focused mainly on 24 hour races. After a tidy little hiatus I sold all my geared bikes and took up single speeding thinking I had left endurance racing and the idea of ever doing a classic stage race behind. Little did I know that over the next four years I would race my single speed for thousands of miles all over North and Central America, and have some of the best times of my life. Yeah, that sums up my lifetime’s worth of cycling history in 200 words or less (199 words to be exact).
That's fascinating! Tell us more! (editors note: the sarcasm is mine, and yes, I know that sarcasm is, A: verbal violence, and B: often a greater statement about the issuer than the subject.): When it comes to endurance racing my goals have morphed since I first started. I used to do it for the pure challenge of pushing my limits, but now I think of it as an advanced form of speed touring or just a painful vacation from the real world. Now my goal is to be the guy who can squeeze the most fun out of every event I enter. Sure, there are times when I want to do my best, but for the most part I just want to ride new trails, meet new people, and come home with new memories. I may not come in first, I may not have the most popular cycling blog, and I really only remember about 50% of the grammar skills I learned in college, but I am the most proficient blogger when it comes to describing my experiences with run-on sentences, and you will definitely have a hard time finding a better single cogging, humor blogging, fun hogging, brain fogging, eggnogging writer to help you live out the Breck Epic in a vicarious manner.
Links to my work:
Smacktalkapalooza: http://teamdicky.blog.com/2684031/
Shove Industries: http://teamdicky.blog.com/3117453/
La Ruta 2004 (caution: @ 4,000 words): http://teamdicky.blog.com/489784/
Smacktalkapalooza: http://teamdicky.blog.com/2684031/
Shove Industries: http://teamdicky.blog.com/3117453/
La Ruta 2004 (caution: @ 4,000 words): http://teamdicky.blog.com/489784/
- BLOGGER APP #2: Luke Wiens
NAME: Luke WiensSPONSOR/TEAM: Ergon…hah, just kidding…we are of no relation. (Wiens Family Cellars/Lucca Restaurant).
HOMETOWN: Sacramento, CA…currently Temecula, CA
Where are you from? I reign from Sacramento….and honestly, vow never to return!
What kind of bike do you ride?/What do you love about it? Kona “The King”…In my opinion has been an all around beast. I’ve punished this thing at Mammoth, thrown thousands of miles at it, and raced everything from XC to Endurance…it still keeps on tickin!
Solo or team competitor? Why? Solo…because I have yet to find anyone local that can keep smiling after 10+ hours on the bike.
Done any ultra-endurance stuff before?
Ironman
12 hours of Temecula (Solo)
Tahoe-Sierra 100
24 Hours of Hurkey Creek (Solo)
In that order…
Favorite food? By far the burrito…god programmed me with an instinctual craving for these boogers that kicks in usually between hours 4 and 6 on the bike.
Movie? Gladiator…you aren’t human if you didn’t like that movie.
Book? A New Earth…by Eckhart Tolle. I read this long before Oprah starting pumping it up.
Worst experience on a bike? When I first moved to Colorado I went for a road ride and double flatted on the other side of town. I had no one to call and walked 12 miles home clopping around in road shoes. Cute girls driving by commenting on my lycra get-up wasn’t enough…a summertime thunderstorm moved in like clockwork to make the last several miles pure joy!
Best experience on a bike? Being the only guy rocking lycra on the shuttle at Bootleg Canyon. At first the downhillers didn’t know what to think…but after several runs of keeping my flesh intact, I started to get a little conversation out of ‘em. I was extremely lucky and too stupid at the time not to dawn armor…after making it through all of those killer trails unscathed that weekend; it was a mix of accomplishment and a near death experience!
Tell us about your LBS (Local Bike Shop): I have about 4…and when you put them all together you actually get a decent selection and pricing. I’ve made friends at all of them and they all serve different purposes, ie. Nutrition, drivetrain, etc.
Tell us about your favorite ‘local’ ride: Vail Lake has evolved from a desert location with a big climb and a fast descent to a venue that hosts XC, Xterra, Endurance, Super D, and Downhill with a whole network of trails. From Eric Carter to my six year old cousin…this place has something for everyone. I have been lucky enough to start a weekly evening ride there…and for some reason, people keep showing up.
Tell us about your favorite ride EVER: The first time I rode in Orange County I showed up with a route map at Aliso Canyon….my intentions, to ride the Aliso/Laguna Wilderness/El Moro loop which connects two parks near the coast. After setting out on my adventure I was offered an array of trails, epic views, and great technical descents. I summited the first major climb only to be greeted by the local OC High School cross country team with hot moms in tow on a training run. It was a pretty hot day and their wardrobe selection seemed to be quite minimal. The next couple miles of fireroad proved to be some of the most technical terrain ever. Welcome to SoCal.
Describe a sponsor or company you admire and why you admire them: Ergon….because they sponsor the dude that beat Lance...just kidding! I admire any company with a goal of improving comfort for us guys that log a lot of cockpit time. They have some solid athletes with seemingly good personalities….and plus, I’ve got a soft spot for green.
Who will play you in the Breck Epic movie and why? Robert Duval…because you just gotta respect the guy. Of course he would probably have a horse and a lot better dialogue then me.
What do you hope to get out of this experience? Expectations/goals/etc. Tell us about your history as a cyclist or in the industry: I started in endurance sports 5 years ago to help remove myself from a toxic lifestyle. Ever since this quest began it has become a journey of continually increasing the bar. I worked my way up through triathlon and peaked with Ironman. The next logical step was 24 solo. The fact that my true passion has always lied with mountain bikes made the quest for 24 solo an outstanding adventure. A multi-day stage race should offer an even closer look at my soul…that’s why we do this stuff right?? To find out just how tough god made ya!
Feel free to blatantly self-promote here. A quote you like, a direct appeal to the voters, some hateful vitriolic slander for your political opponents (see: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter…) This is your space. Decorate it however you’d like. The pic above is a visit at the family winery from someone I look up to very highly...former Olympian and Xterra dominator, Conrad Stoltz (dude broke his back and came back to crush the Xterra tour). “When you get hurt and all of your sacrifice adds up to nothing, are you willing to put it all on the line again?” – CS. To build yourself up as an athlete…all of the hours and dedication, and then to charge descents skimming the threshold of control…anyone who pushes that hard earns my respect.
Links to your work?
http://www.mountainbikeluke.com/2008/09/24-hours-of-hurkey-creek.html
http://www.mountainbikeluke.com/2008/09/ahhh.html
http://www.mountainbikeluke.com/2008/06/12-hours-of-temecula.html
- BLOGGER APP #3: Larry Grossman
Name; Larry Grossman
Sponsor/Team Name; SQUIRT LUBE
Hometown; Eagle, Colorado
Where am I from? Born and raised in New Jersey, Moved to Florida in 72, chased women in college in Tallahassee until 83, moved to Wyoming then Colorado in 83, been here ever since.
What kind of bike do I ride? Salsa El Santo for Now, Felt Carbon Niner Hard tail on deck...
What do I love about it? It's a lifestyle for me, bike does not matter much.
Solo or Team and Why? Team, isn't life all about team work? Plus I need someone to bitch to when the climbing gets brutal.
Who's My Teammate? Dewet Marais, partner/owner of SQUIRT LUBE, also age 51
Done any Ultra Stuff Before?
24 Hours of Moab 4 times
Breck Ultra 100 2 times
Firecracker 50 once....ouch!
Favorite Food? Pizza, French Fries and more pizza
Movie? It's a tie....the Godfather and Caddyshack
Book? Fire on the Mountain....read it and learn something
Worst experience on a bike? Getting caught out on Freemont pass in a wicked hail, rain and lightning storm in the middle of a century with no gear. Paramedics got called in to help us recover from hypothermia at Copper Starbucks.
Best experience on the bike? Competing in the 24 Hours of Moab with three of my best riding buddies for four straight years, including the big flood year.
Sponsor or Company I admire? Maxxis, for stepping up, no questions, to help me put on a fantastic Spring Cyclocross series in Eagle last year. They were huge and made the series great for all the racers who showed and throwed.
Who Will Play me in the Breck Epic Movie? Robert Di Niro
What do I hope to get out of this experience? I race for a few very simple reasons, and that goes for all bike rides/races. Riding bikes is about where you go and who you go with, always has been, racing is just a great way to stay fit and create an awesome sphere of friends as well as see some amazing places. Then you get to tell stories and drink a Stella with your bros...perfect. So, I just plan to add another experience and more friends to my life...the end. I'm 51 yars old my friend, nothing left to prove and how many more of these rides do I have left?
Blatant Self Promotion...see my blog.http://addictedtobicycles.blogspot.com/
Mike, I've only known you for a couple of years now, but I think you know my cycling soul pretty well and the passion I have for our favorite form of recreation. I've shown my ass and my humility to you and your staff at MSC, and most importantly really cared about making the experience of riding and racing better for everyone, even the assholes. I'm not gonna beg for a blogger "grant", but you know I will write the truth and the words will come from the bowels of my cycling soul....thanks for putting on the race, you are a warrior. (Editor's note: flattery and an occasional Stella are indeed two of Mr. Grossmam's insidious maneuvers. FWIW, they're pretty effective.)
Links to Work;
1. is above
2. http://www.squirtlube.com/
3. http://www.livethecoloradodream.com/
Sponsor/Team Name; SQUIRT LUBE
Hometown; Eagle, Colorado
Where am I from? Born and raised in New Jersey, Moved to Florida in 72, chased women in college in Tallahassee until 83, moved to Wyoming then Colorado in 83, been here ever since.
What kind of bike do I ride? Salsa El Santo for Now, Felt Carbon Niner Hard tail on deck...
What do I love about it? It's a lifestyle for me, bike does not matter much.
Solo or Team and Why? Team, isn't life all about team work? Plus I need someone to bitch to when the climbing gets brutal.
Who's My Teammate? Dewet Marais, partner/owner of SQUIRT LUBE, also age 51
Done any Ultra Stuff Before?
24 Hours of Moab 4 times
Breck Ultra 100 2 times
Firecracker 50 once....ouch!
Favorite Food? Pizza, French Fries and more pizza
Movie? It's a tie....the Godfather and Caddyshack
Book? Fire on the Mountain....read it and learn something
Worst experience on a bike? Getting caught out on Freemont pass in a wicked hail, rain and lightning storm in the middle of a century with no gear. Paramedics got called in to help us recover from hypothermia at Copper Starbucks.
Best experience on the bike? Competing in the 24 Hours of Moab with three of my best riding buddies for four straight years, including the big flood year.
Sponsor or Company I admire? Maxxis, for stepping up, no questions, to help me put on a fantastic Spring Cyclocross series in Eagle last year. They were huge and made the series great for all the racers who showed and throwed.
Who Will Play me in the Breck Epic Movie? Robert Di Niro
What do I hope to get out of this experience? I race for a few very simple reasons, and that goes for all bike rides/races. Riding bikes is about where you go and who you go with, always has been, racing is just a great way to stay fit and create an awesome sphere of friends as well as see some amazing places. Then you get to tell stories and drink a Stella with your bros...perfect. So, I just plan to add another experience and more friends to my life...the end. I'm 51 yars old my friend, nothing left to prove and how many more of these rides do I have left?
Blatant Self Promotion...see my blog.http://addictedtobicycles.blogspot.com/
Mike, I've only known you for a couple of years now, but I think you know my cycling soul pretty well and the passion I have for our favorite form of recreation. I've shown my ass and my humility to you and your staff at MSC, and most importantly really cared about making the experience of riding and racing better for everyone, even the assholes. I'm not gonna beg for a blogger "grant", but you know I will write the truth and the words will come from the bowels of my cycling soul....thanks for putting on the race, you are a warrior. (Editor's note: flattery and an occasional Stella are indeed two of Mr. Grossmam's insidious maneuvers. FWIW, they're pretty effective.)
Links to Work;
1. is above
2. http://www.squirtlube.com/
3. http://www.livethecoloradodream.com/
- BLOGGER APP #4: Matthew Juth
SPONSOR/TEAM:COMotion Sports
HOMETOWN:
Nevergreen, CO
Where are you from?
One of those rare, indigenous, natives of CO
What kind of bike do you ride?
Yeti ASR-SLc, SS Niner
What do you love about it?
Yeti - Made just down the hill. Perfect bike!
Solo or team competitor? Why?
Team - I've always wanted to do a team event like this. Suffering with a good friend sounds like fun apparently.
Who's your teammate (if applicable)?
Don't know yet. It depends on how much this thing costs! I'm sure it will be someone faster than me.
Done any ultra-endurance stuff before?
VT125 Last year, 24 HOM (team) '06,'07, Beaver Creek.
Really, I'm just another XC monkey who hit the plateau and decided to try something different to excuse my recent poor performances in shorter events.
Favorite food?
Green Chile – Kills colds and adds propulsion.
Movie?
Fight Club
Book?
Under the Banner of Heaven - Incredible read...that guy has a gift.
Worst experience on a bike?
It's a tossup between crashing 200yds from the finish line at WP and then riding 10 milesback to my car with torn ligaments, or having to spend 3 hours on a road ride in Denver with an unstable individual with the amazing ability to piss off every motorist within 100yds by flipping them the bird and yelling obscenities at their vehicles.
Best experience on a bike?
Riding from Woodland Park to Rampart Reservoir, circling the lake and then bombing down to Manitou on my shiny new Diamondback Viper. I was riding with my best freind who just stole his brothers Haro with pegs. Age 11? It was foggy, drizzling, and cold, I had a can of Dr. Pepper for "nutrition", and a sweatshirt for "technical cycling wear" I still can't believe we duped my folks into letting we little kiddos do that. It certainly foreshadowed the poor planning and forced Epics to come when I started riding a bike again at age 27.
Tell us about your LBS (Local Bike Shop):
My most "L" BS is Bicycle Outfitters in Nevergreen. Tony provides a constant source of peer pressure to drink frosty beverage prior to all rides, flak for being a wee-bit anal over my bike builds, great service with the "oh-god-not-Matt-again-attitude, and (seriously) thebest shop around. My less "L" BS is an amazing shop and a team sponsor as well. They provide all the same as the above shop, except no flak over anal bike builds.
Tell us about your favorite ‘local’ ride:
Always noncommittal and unable to make a decision, I have 2 options.
- MTB - Tour D'Evergreen - Matt's garage to Falcon, Parmalee, Lair ‘O Bear, 3-Sisters, Evergreen Mountain, Bergen Peak, Elk Meadows, Hiwan, Home.
- Road - Matt's garage to Squaw Pass, Mount Evans, Idaho Springs, home.
Tell us about your favorite ride EVER:
See above comment relating to decisions.
Describe a sponsor or company you admire and why you admire them:
Shimano. I know that goes against the trend of SRAM being hip and cool, but they have continue to make bombproof products and have been incredibly successful despite a lack of flash. They also are able to admit when they make a mistake, and change to what people want before losing their customer base.
Who will play you in the Breck Epic movie and why?
Edward Norton. No-one would believe a stocky dude like myself would race I bike. I need a skinny guy who can intimidate others with his trademark bleeding-gum smile and is carved like a block of wood. If he refuses the minimal pay, the drunk, homeless guy sleeping behind our office will be the alternate
What do you hope to get out of this experience? Expectations/goals/etc.
I really want to open up my eyes to what is possible again. VT125 certainly showed me what I am capable of, and I think this is another step in that direction. I was planning on trying to get to one of those other not-nearly-as-cool-as-the-Breck-Epic Epics, so this will give me the opportunity to do it my favorite high-altitude playground. I have always loved suffering with my buddies in the mountains and this should provide endless opportunities for this (or at least 6 days worth).
Tell us about your history as a cyclist or in the industry:
My bike was my sole source of transportation until age 15. After years of pedaling all over the darn place, I hung up the two wheels until my late 20's. My wife persuaded me to start riding HER bike around for exercise when my rock climbing habit was waning due to the birth of my first kiddo. After riding a tiny, 10 year old bike for a month, I was hooked once again, bought my own bike that fit, and started the adventure again. 4 years, 13 bikes, 60+ races, and 1 blog later, here I am begging for an entry fee...
Feel free to blatantly self-promote here. A quote you like, a direct appeal to the voters, some hateful vitriolic slander for your political opponents (see: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter…) This is your space. Decorate it however you’d like.
I started the whole blog as an experiment. It's turned into a really fun activity for my self actualization and reflection. I'm trying to show the folks that read this thing (as well as myself), that you can be mairried, have 2 kiddos, a full time job, and still go out and be fairlycompetitive on a bike and have the time of your life doing it. I know this is a popular theme now, but in the age of people getting more lethargic, depressed over the state of things, and willing to buy adventures I beleive this is important. Also, I like to refer to myself as a "sexy, athletic, genius" I think that sums it up pretty good, no? I'm quite humble as well.
Links to your work:
Main Page
Race Report
Spring Training '08
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