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May 2004
05/18/04 - The Ontario Cup
by Allie Rau
Downhilling in the Midwest? Believe it!
By nature downhillers are not early risers, especially on the weekend. After spending our copious spare time during the week eating right, training, indulging in the arts, fine wine and intellectual conversation we need our beauty sleep. 5am Saturday morning I got out of bed and on a whim, long before I was fully aware of what I was doing, picked up the phone and started pushing buttons. Amazingly enough I reached my friend from the mtb-life team and asked to tag along with them to Canada for the Ontario Cup downhill race at the Kelso Park in Ontario. As we left Michigan I had a feeling I was forgetting something.
Oh – CA-na-DA!!! We cleared customs, exchanged our greenbacks for the funny-muny we’d need to get us through the weekend and proceeded two and a half more hours to the race to find the parking lot already full of racers. By the time the five of us were at the top of the chairlift word had spread that there was a crew from The States. “Ohhhh so you’re the Michigan group” Aha! Yes we are. Now let us dazzle you with our charming American wit and downhill prowess! I think shortly after I was seen tumbling over the rock drop. (Apparently I missed the warning sign.)
Hidden deep behind acres of flat farmland and the horizon lay secret spots where midwestern downhillers gather around trails containing loamy sweeping turns, drainage mud and the occasional lone rock drop. The Kelso downhill course had all of the above along with a step-down log double and lots and lots of pedaling. The practice runs were few due to the stellar turnout, but they were fun. I jumped in the starting gate for one last run when I heard the under breath call of “Velo-BELLLL-la” That’s always fun to hear.
The race was finally on and it went fast. I approached the rock drop at the top of the course and must have landed right on the only rock at the bottom. buh-LAP-Buh-LAP-BLAP-BLAP-BLAP…oh yeah, that’s what I forgot! I wanted to swap that rear tire out! Well, there’s one way out off of the course and all trails lead down and lactic buildup be damned! I charged down the rest of the course with my rear tire flapping and flailing behind me skidding into the finish a respectable third place. My legs were jelly, I looked around the finish area and caught a glimpse of Ann’s FlyGurlz jersey…It had a big Motrin logo on it. That couldn’t have been a more perfect attention getter at the time!
The Ontario Cup was a fun event with an excellent turnout. Eleven gals showed up which formed three women’s classes! Check out the results!
- Michelle Waechter
- Sheila Morris
- Allie Rau
- Antonia Gawel
- Annedore Bock
- Ingrid Zschogner
- Caroline Arsenault
- Christina Green
- Kerensa Medhurst
In other news this weekend, NCS #2 in Sonoma kicked off the series for the gravity events. Top results are:
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES NMBS MOUNTAIN CROSS
PRO WOMEN
- Jill Kintner
- Tara Llanes
- Sabrina Jonnier
- Katrina Miller
- Melissa Buhl
- Leana Gerrard
- Lisa Sher
- Marla Streb
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES NMBS DUAL SLALOM
PRO WOMEN
- Sabrina Jonnier
- Jill Kintner
- Katrina Miller
- Tara Llanes
Stay tuned for a Bella report from the U.S. Open from Mountain Creek’s Diablo Freeride Park in NJ at the end of the month!
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