[bizutch]

I took a buddy who has never raced DH to his first ever. Boy, what an education. And Jeremy did it for the first time too.
Plus, it marked the first time in it's history that I've gotten to stay overnight instead of drive back. Stokage was HIGH!!!

Highlights:
1. The berm - SLAM!! Solid ice..but not just any ice...ice with braking bumps and a RUT!!!
2. The final off-camber - Frozen from the start in all the wrong places..but slow enought to be comical.
3. The slowly freezing course - It mutated every run and became Disney on Ice at dusk.
4. Richard Beytagh and hot spice wine at the finish - Nothing like hot, liquid fire in your gut at races end.
5. All the super nice people on the shuttle - Everyone was positive.
6. Manimal - The only cop to have a "calming" effect on a crowd of people.
7. Jeremy's play by play.
8. Wes D - Sarcasm to the third power with a smile.
9. That guy that knocked me down the bank for no reason while I was talking to Chris "Caveman" from the NOC. Long story short- some deuche I didn't even see first shoved me down a bank and everybody thought I did it. Bad scene...big asshat!

10. All that FREE BEER!!! Man..so great. Everybody takes it for granted when they get a keg and good company, but not me. I was one happy camper all night long and so was the whole crew...Jeremy, Matt and my buddy newbie, Greg. We were the last to leave the party and laughed our butts off all night.

Doing the race is part of the weekend...but it doesn't make the weekend.

Oh..my result. I fell on a patch of ice up near the top, tweaked my bars and my light...and coasted down from there grinning the whole time.

Kip, the beast, won. That's all I know.

 

[FCLinder]

Looks like you had fun!!!! How many Beers was this?

 

[bizutch]

That would be moments after my second cup of that hot spice wine. It was also the old "Man, I can't wait to go drink a beer after falling on my ass all night and don't why that weird light is flickering like that, holy crap he's taking a picture, look cool or something" face.

 

[FCLinder]

Too funny, the guy beside you looks like he is hitting on someone!!!!

 

[ridefast]

the hell is taking so long for results to be posted?!

 

[bizutch]

More like...where the hell is everybody to relay stories and photos...since when was Monday a dead day online?

I wanna pics of people sprawled on the ground...

 

[manimal]

Still my favorite race of the year!! There's nothing like smiling while you're complaining about freezing and riding on ice at the same time. Somehow, the course gained traction as it froze but i still took my time, expecting to be face down at any moment. There is no "crash sequence" on ice, you're just riding along one second and then suddenly you realize that you're on the ground.
I posted my worst time ever on that course (using my recent back injury as an excuse ) but i think i had the best time in the 4 years i've been doing this race. getting a room/cabin is definitely the way to go but i was a bit wary of finding motomike in a sleeping bag naked eating cheetos.

i also finished a full glass of dark beer with only 1 bitter beer face, a new record for me This was accomplished with the assistance of butch taking my mind off of the taste by telling me about his encounter with some dude running down a backwoods trail with nothing but combat boots on....funniest thing i've heard in a long time!!

i'll post the few pics i have when i get home tonight.

 

[mattmatt86]

i need to load my pics. But you wont see any of my sprawled out, caus i never fell:biggrin:

 

[manimal]

anybody know who was taking pics on the trail during the day? i saw a few "pro-looking" photogs out there and was hoping to find a website link on the icycle page.

i wish we had the camera out during our impromptu bike-softball game, aka: tackle d. moser (dickiesbike1) from his bike in retaliation for hitting me in the junk with a set of keys.

btw, nice meeting you matt! the pics of your bikes paint job don't do it justice, the mud really brings out the color

 

[FCLinder]

There are a few pic's on MTBR.com in the NC Forum.

 

[bizutch]

i need to load my pics. But you wont see any of my sprawled out, caus i never fell:biggrin:

yeah...standing around doing nothing generates a lot of traction...

 

[bizutch]

...

i also finished a full glass of dark beer with only 1 bitter beer face, a new record for me This was accomplished with the assistance of butch taking my mind off of the taste by telling me about his encounter with some dude running down a backwoods trail with nothing but combat boots on....funniest thing i've heard in a long time!!

i'll post the few pics i have when i get home tonight.

Disclaimer: Naked guy was running when I rode up on my bike...not as a direct result of anything else...I only play happy hands with Jeff D

 

[dickiesbike1]

Best year yet! Even with the ice and getting second to last in expert (i learned my lesson, sport next year). Im already planning for next year!

 

[JeffD]

I only play happy hands with Jeff D

I'm touched (pun intended) by your fidelity.

 

[Peete]

I'm touched (pun intended) by your fidelity.

 

[Tattooo]

God damn I hate you guys

 

[BKQuill]

Best year yet! Even with the ice and getting second in expert (i learned my lesson, sport next year). Im already planning for next year!

Isn't this a "party foul" or something? You get 2nd in expert, but your going to race sport next year? SANDBAGGER!!!!

 

[manimal]

Isn't this a "party foul" or something? You get 2nd in expert, but your going to race sport next year? SANDBAGGER!!!!

that was a typo...he meant to put, "second to last".

 

[ridefast]

getting your ass handed to you is how you improve

dont downgrade

 

[ridiculous]

def had a good time, will have to rent a cabin for the entire club next year. Us clemson folk arent to bad at the whole bike/tailgate/party scene.

Racing on ice is a new experience, now i really want to go race at whitetail this spring for their snow race (if there is any).

 

[dickiesbike1]

that was a typo...he meant to put, "second to last".

Yea thats i ment, i went back and corrected it.

Manimal! pictures?

 

[manimal]

i only have a few pics and i haven't had time to upload them. i don't have the camera w/ me at work and i haven't been on my home pc since before the race. busy busy bee!!!

 

[ridiculous]

the clemson crew

brooks

me

matt

group Zac the man who signed up for expert dh rockin the single speed chameleon on dual 24s. He later changed to beginner.

 

[srphillips89]

Pics are up at jandwevents.com in the results section!!!!!!!

 

[bizutch]

Pics are up at jandwevents.com under in the results section!!!!!!!

now...if we could only pilfer them and post them really big for the glory...oh..and number 130-149 are the best...sprawl.

 

[dhbuilder]

God damn I hate you guys

why's that ??

cause you post and never show.
and these guys post and do ?

looks like a good time was had by all.

 

[manimal]

ok, FINALLY had a moment to upload my pics. no action shots...well, except for the bedroom action one

moser in his piedmont airlines jumpsuit...very reflective

mat skeen

matt and daniel having a "moment"

me cautiously posing for a photo w/ the cool ice formation. about 10 seconds prior i was nearly concussed by a massive chunck of falling ice

parting shot

 

[manimal]

so how is it that the top 3 beginners pulled times that would rank them #7 and #8 respectively in expert...let alone win sport?

we need a sandbagger emoticon 'dem some fast folk!

 

[srphillips89]

Yeah, the first two should have definetly been moved up a class and the rightful person should have gotten first

just kiddin'

 

[manimal]

Yeah, the first two should have definetly been moved up a class and the rightful person should have gotten first

just kiddin'

dude, for your first race....you were SMOKIN!!!!!

good job bro

i'm hoping to be back in gear by dark mountain.

 

[manimal]

Pics are up at jandwevents.com in the results section!!!!!!!

dude...wtf?! 149 pics and not a single one of my crew? i think jeremyR and motomike hogged them all

that's a bunch of crap, i know he snagged at least two of me during practice! crap, and those look good too!

 

[profro]

so how is it that the top 3 beginners pulled times that would rank them #7 and #8 respectively in expert...let alone win sport?

we need a sandbagger emoticon 'dem some fast folk!

Cuz its a XC race not taken seriously by most real DHers.

 

[manimal]

Cuz its a XC race not taken seriously by most real DHers.

yeah, ....that race always reminds me that it's time to come out of hibernation for the budding season I think it should be renamed as the "Fontana Super D-Night" so i'd remember to borrow a lighter bike

the funny thing is that this is the only race that i'll drive 4 hours for just to freeze my junk off and lose to people much more fit than me....and absolutely LOVE every minute of it!

 

[profro]

I drank a 6-pack of Icehouse during practice.

 

[bizutch]

I drank a 6-pack of Icehouse during practice.

GEEZ! That's what I'm talkin' about. And to think...I only started after my race was finished.

Imagine the fireworks if I'd followed your regimen...

 

[Tattooo]

why's that ??

cause you post and never show.
and these guys post and do ?

looks like a good time was had by all.

I was/am dying. I have gotten out of work once this week to go to work, which is in the next bedroom, so the wife/dr refused to give me my keys.

 

[spoke80]

GEEZ! That's what I'm talkin' about. And to think...I only started after my race was finished.

Imagine the fireworks if I'd followed your regimen...

 

[FCLinder]

Reminds me of the good old days!!!!

 

[manimal]

Reminds me of the good old days!!!!

huh...i never really thought of you as the fat kid

 

[FCLinder]

huh...i never really thought of you as the fat kid

No, reminds me of some of my friends in school getting drunk at the Games.