mtb ride saturday, tales from georgia

[Charlie Shonkwiler]

There is a group of us going up to bellingham saturday to ride galbrath.  all skill levels welcome to come, we might need some other people to drive depending on how many of you want to go.

email me back to make arrangements.

This past weekend was the 1999 collegiate mountain bike national championships.  I was the lone representative for the UW in the downhill and dual slalom.  there were 62 schools presend, more than double last year's 28 in reno.  The venue was the bavarian village of helen georgia.  The downhill was very flat and favored hardtail bikes, semislick tires, and powerful sprinting leggs.  I had the bike, I had the leg, but I also had a tree along side the trail that for some reason refused to get out of my way- i yelled hey tree, get out of the way, im racing, but it wouldnt listen.  So I crashed and burned.  Wound up 51st out of almost 200 riders.
the slalom was one of the better courses ive raced in quite a while.  big burms and a double jump with about a ten foot gap.  in practice and in my qualifying runs i was money but that slippery grass at the last gate kept me out of the elimination round of sixteen.  
I did score some points for the UW, we ranked 42nd out of 62.

Big props to the university of montana, comming from being almost unnoticed last year at reno to fifth over all as a team this year.  they fielded a complete team of twelve riders, including a full womans team.  Jeremy Martin raced probabally faster than he'd ever had to finish mid pack in a overly strong b-mens xc  race.  Doug swansen lead the mens a xc race for nearly a lap before his body decided that was too fast to be riding and shut down on him.  The womans team did very well also, finishing third overall.

This is where WE need to be next season.  I know the mtb riders are out there and that there is intrest, so lets get pumped for next season.  Also, we WILL be having a collegiate mtb race series in our reagon next fall.  University of Montana, Idaho, and the UW will all be hosting mtb races along with some possible others.

Also a reminder to pay your dues.  And, I think the clothing deadline has come and past but if you still want something im sure you can get squeezed in if you act quick.  This early deadline is so that the gear will be in before the road season.  There will be another order placed in a few months for the mtb season.

Charlie Shonkwiler
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