Cross on the Rock

Cross on the Rock 2015. Season #10. Newsletter #14.

The 2016 Cross on the Rock season is a wrap. Our biggest yet. Our biggest by far. After 10 years we are still learning. We are still (usually) having fun. We are still enjoying seeing so many people come out and push themselves on their bikes. We really enjoyed the Mazda Zoom Zoom Half track this year and felt that was the best new thing. It is amazing to think we crossed the 10,000 race barrier this year (# of people racing X number of times raced).

Thank you for making COTR what it is.

This is our LAST newsletter of the year.

FILL OUT THE SURVEY PLEASE!

If you have not yet done the newsletter PLEASE take less than 2 minutes to fill out this survey. It will REALLY help us with our sponsors and planning for 2016. It gives you a chance to fire feedback our way which directly impacts the series and the races. To give you an inventive we will draw for 2 prizes from the submissions on December 10th.
LINK TO COTR YEAR END SURVEY: fluidsurveys.com/surveys/normon/cotr-season-10-year-end-survey/

In this COTR Newsletter:

1) If you want to keep racing this winter……check these out.
2) Thanks to our sponsors Part 2
3) Other Cool Stuff.

1) If you want to keep racing this winter……..here are some options.

Provincial Championships.

This Sunday in Squamish are the BC Provincial CX Championships. Instead of ability based categories like COTR the event has age based categories. If you don’t have a license that is not a problem….you can get a day-of-race license like any COTR event. New Course. New Venue. New Town. The racing should be great.

Registration CLOSES Wednesday, November 25th at just before midnight. No day-of-race registration.

Here is the web site: http://steedcycles.com/bccxchamps/

Here is the registration link: https://ccnbikes.com/#!/events/2015-bc-provincial-cyclocross-championships

B Team Super Prestige

http://vcxc.ca/
Last race in the lower mainland for the year is December 5th in Aldergrove.

Semi-Prestige is a GO in Victoria

Semiprestige CX Race: Dec 13th Likely the same excellent venue as last year, with fingers firmly crossed for more SNOW, just like last year.

Boxing Day CX TT: tbd. Possible travel plans for the Christmas period that might nix the boxing day TT.

Blubberburn: Hartland MTB park is hungry for more tubes. We’re planning a ritual sacrifice for late January.

contact: parker@stuckylife.com
website: stuckylife.com

MIVA
Rumours started texting in just tonight that MIVA may be putting on a New Year’s eve cross race at Arbutus Meadows. Better keep your eye on their FB page (and COTR FB page)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (for Masters)

This is a BIG one. Never before in HISTORY has the World Masters CX Championships been held SO close to home. January 2016 and 2017.

There is talk of a few COTR racers making the trip down to San Jose for the action. Rumour has it that the organizer puts on wicked events and solid courses. Worth the effort.

This is what we know so far:
http://www.cxmagazine.com/cyclo-cross-masters-worlds-san-jose-2016-2017-championships

Cascade Cross Series

A few COTR’ers have popped across the border to Bellingham (and Whidbey Island) for these races.

These guys have races on December 5/6th as well as January 9th (perfect prep for CX Masters Worlds)

Web Site: http://cascadecross.com/races

2) Thanks to our sponsors (Part I)

We would not have a race series without our sponsors. Simple as that. Support those that support what you like to do.

Naked Bikes
Chances of seeing a Naked bike at our race series 5 years ago was pretty LOW. Through support of Sam Wittingham there is a CREW of Naked riders down to each event from Quadra Island. There are a LOT of Naked bikes on the start grid at every race. And our island girl and Canadian champ rides a Naked. Belief in our series and support of COTR. Thanks Sam.

Nutcase
Our ‘Lil Nutcase kids races are SO MUCH FUN to watch!! We have seen kids graduate from these fun little events all the way up to the beginner category. They will one day rule the series! But for now it is enough to get them on their bikes having fun and getting some prizes to have more fun.

Frontrunners-Nanaimo
Long ago….when we were setting up our second cross race ever in Diver Lake park we were asked, “Why is a running shop the only one putting on bike races in Nanaimo”. Times have changed with Rock City Cycles, MIVA in Nanaimo and all our partners up and down the island. Frontrunners is still there though…..supporting Cross….’cause in cross you have to run. And to run well in cross…you need to train running. So when it is time to get new shoes think about Frontrunners!!

KONA
Title sponsor of the KONA KUP and supporter of COTR since before COTR. Need to get Dik Cox back over for one of our races. #1 bike at COTR (according to current survey feedback)

The Howard Johnston Nanaimo and Elk Lake
Dan Brady, the manager of both these hotels, does whatever he can to support sports in Nanaimo and Victoria. He walks the walk and is out their trail building, organizing events, writing newsletters and anything else he can fit in to help out.

Trek Bikes Victoria. Pro City Cycles
Title sponsor this year of the Topaz park race. One of the most popular bike shops on Vancouver Island. Great to have the support from this crew.

Riverway Dental in Courtenay
Our youth categories sponsor for the 2nd year. Also bringing out the loot bags and chocolate medals for the zoom zoom and ‘lil nutcase races. It was great to have Wade Luksay back racing in the Masters category this year as well after an injury year off.

Blue Tuke Sports
First year sponsor from this sweet consignment sports shop up in Courtenay. If you have a chance to check this shop out there is always great stuff in it. We had prizing from Paul for most of our events but the BIG one was the cool cruiser and the canucks jersey. I saw one of the Blue Tuke tukes at SSXCWC15Vic as well.

B78 Coaching
Jasper’s crew helped out with organizing the B78 pre-ride for beginners at all the events this year with Mitchell and Mical as well as some prizing. They were also out for the official “shot cut” at SSCXWC last weekend. Next goal: get Jasper racing.

Sew what I sew.
Every COTR racer needs a Filthy Taco. Thanks to Jason for jumping in mid season with some prizing.
Check out the Filthy Taco’s at: http://sewwhatisew.com/outdoor-recreation/filthy-taco-change-mat-storage-device/

3) Other Cool Stuff to sign off this season

· If you are on the COTR Facebook page you would have seen all the video’s from Rob Parkin highlighting the 3 days of carnage at SSXCWC15Vic. If you have not seen it….search it out.
· I was asked last weekend when we start working on the schedule for the next year…april….may? Actually the e-mail went out to the race directors 3 weeks ago. We are already working on it BEFORE the current season finished. We have a rough draft but will lock down a more solid schedule over the next couple of weeks and post it on the web site and our FB page.
· Did you check out the edit from the Waverly Crit from Pelle? Some amazing drone shots in there. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe88WisIe5g

· Hogwarts photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/55755206@N00/albums/72157660733064177
Mike Zinger | Photo | Video www.mikezinger.com
· Patrick Burnham’s Flickr photo album from SSXCWC15Vic and Ronde von Hogwarts: https://www.flickr.com/photos/palleus/page1

Some Numbers

Average Participation numbers per race by season.

Total number of people that have done a COTR race: 1703 (not counting kids)

Racers Per Year

2015       660

2014        548

2013        496

2012         438

2011        331

2010       259

2009       239

2008        183

2007       160

2006       159

Cross on the Rock 2015. Season #10. Newsletter #13.

This is our second to last newsletter of the year.

Before you read and if you raced this year it PLEASE take less than 2 minutes to fill out this survey. It will REALLY help us with our sponsors and planning for 2016. It gives you a chance to fire feedback our way which directly impacts the series and the races. To give you an inventive we will draw for 2 prizes from the submissions on December 10th (We will fire you a few reminders before that).

LINK TO COTR YEAR END SURVEY: fluidsurveys.com/surveys/normon/cotr-season-10-year-end-survey/

Another rather LARGE newsletter…..so we put a super-bonus at the bottom as an incentive (Don’t peek/cheat)

In this COTR Newsletter:

1) Ronde Von Hogwarts (Aftermath)
2) Thanks to our sponsors Part I
3) SSCXWC this weekend in Victoria

1) Ronde von Howgarts

In 63 events over 10 years we have never had such a polarizing event as last Sunday’s. We have had polarizing features at races such as the BIG jump at Farmer Bills in 2012. The beach run at Cumberland. The BMX track at Beban. We have had courses that people have “not loved”. We have had courses that people do love. There is no course that EVERYONE loves. There is no feature that EVERYONE loves. What we have never seen before is a course that had SO many people express lots of “Un-love” for the course and at the same time SO many people absolutely LOVE the exact same course.

By the numbers it was by no means the hardest we have done. Out of 63 events the DNF ranking was 27th easiest 36th hardest. Even of the races this year it was not the hardest ranking 6th between Coal Cross and the Pro City GP

What was also surprising was WHO loved and did not love the same course. We had vets of COTR series that have raced MANY-MANY events call it “stupid”. We had others that simply did not race. At the same time we had first year female-intermediate riders with no MTB experience call it the best course of the year after doing all 7 events. Another female rider in her 2nd race ever that made a point of saying how much she loved the course and the challenge of it. Others talked about how it pre-rode not well but it raced awesome! We had compliments about the number of dismounts while others called it a course for mountain runners (they obviously have never seen a mountain run).

Total opposite ends of the spectrum.

We had one major crash on a tough section that required an ambulance which resulted in a few scrapes and bruises only. At the same time our other major incident of the year happened on a non-descript spot of the Bear X-Ing course which was the most serious injury in probably 3 years. With 2162 races run this year (racers X number of times they raced). You can expect injuries. It is bike racing. It would not matter if it was a flat straight piece of road, a grand fondo, a DH or a BMX race. To put blame on the course is misguided. We all have the same course so if it was the course….we would all be injured. Injuries in bike racing are a combination of factors as they are in real life.

Back to my point. It was a TOUGH course. It was a tricky course. It was a polarizing course.

It also produced some amazing racing and in the tradition of the series final…..there were some shake ups!

I would like to thank:
Chris Cameron
Andy Pitre
Kevin Calhoon
Scott Mitchell
And a few people that we did not get their names for helping out Simon Webber after his crash on the course.

A quick note from Simon:
Just wanted to let you and everyone else know that I’m fine, no serious injuries thankfully, other than scrapes and bruises and generally being a little banged up. Thank you to everyone who helped out you guys are awesome and I can’t thank you enough. That was a great series and I am looking forward to next year.
Cheers Simon

From Race director: Ian Craib

Big THANKS to:
Scott Milnthorp from OBB YYJ helped me out by assembling and distributing the prizes prior to the event.
Scott also coordinated and organized the race course. He took some heat and responded in a professional manner.
Lesley Berkenstock, Richard Barrass, Andrew Barnes, Andrew Russell, David Begg, Derek (LNU) and Ian Brown.
Matthew Ronald Jones who stayed late with me to make sure everything was picked up and the course was cleaned up. In short he worked like a bull.
Rich Martin for his traffic cop control on Sunday.
Bruce “on time” Falk: Timing
Geoff Robson and Mike Zinger for the images (haven’t seen anything yet)
Karl Ulrich for supporting this from the beginning and providing the resources.
Dr David Attwell for his “on call” medical and first aid support.
Major contributors for prizes:
Oak Bay Bikes – Karl Ulrich
Oak Bay Bikes Westshore – Chris Dickenson
Live to Play Sports – Steve Pukesh
Cycle Therapy – David Beggs

Shawnigan Lake School
David Robertson (head master of Hogwarts),
Barry Walsh for providing guidance and support throughout
Ronnie Brown who worked with me to get everything ready
Ken Gillam (sports facility manager) for his patience and understanding when crush his grass.
Provided the facility and the Gator at no charge.
Positives:
the schools wants us back
four students (a first) participated
more compliments than negatives
I’m in for one more year
the course was prepared while the Provincial Field Hockey championships was on
If I missed anyone…..my deepest apologies.

And to my club: the Victoria Wheelers who came out to help.

Thanks,
Ian

2) Thanks to our sponsors (Part I)

We have GREAT sponsors. We need GREAT sponsors to keep this series going. We say it several times through the year….we know that you have a choice out there. We HOPE that you support our sponsors that support Cross on the Rock. Not only do they all have super cool, super awesome stuff…..they are an amazing group of people and love helping out with our series.

Our new title sponsor: WD-40 Bike (and Cycles Lambert)
How many times have you been to an event where the sponsor slaved away for the entire day washing your dirty stuff? Peter Crieghton and his son Max helped out HUGE at the muddier events this year: Beban, Pro City GP and Ronde von Hogwarts. In the end they even had Valet service for the bikes! Peter has been helping out with prizing for the series since before there was a series. This year he brought on WD40 Bike to take some of the prize pressure off which helped us a lot.

Mazda
Mazda did a bit of everything this year. They sponsored Pelle’s edit from Coal Cross and Tugboat. They contributed for prizing. They sponsored the SSCXWCVic2015 Ticket Noirs for free entries into the event. Where they were felt the most though was in the introduction of the kids Zoom Zoom Half Track (we should have given them more and called it the “Mazda Zoom Zoom”). We had 67 kids race that event this year. That is an investment into a healthy future for those kids and for cyclocross. Plus both Simon and Michael raced their first COTR races this year. Commitment!

Harbour Air
Harbour Air wanted to support the series….but in a different way. So they came up with the Harbour Air Hand up Zone concept which added another element to the event. It was super cool to see the kids out at the events handing out the tickets. The fly-in at Comox Lake will be one of the lasting memories of COTR for years to come. Plus they recruited new Harbour Air staff to come out and try racing along with their crew that are regular COTR’ers.

Pro-Pearl Izumi-Shimano
Huge commitment to our series. Pro-Pearl Izumi-Shimano have been supporting us for years. Joele Guynup talks the talk as she races almost all of our races (normally on a SS). Draw prizes for most of our races. Category prizes for Pro City GP and Bear X-ing. SHOES!!!! For Ronde von Hogwarts (where else can you win running shoes at a cross race?). PLUS a wicked wheel set for a series prize. Course tape. Man power……….an amazing sponsor and we are lucky to have them along.

Island Cycles (Quadra Island) (55+ Men’s Category Sponsors)
We did not see Jack Mar out as much this year as past years but our series felt the support from his little bike shop on Quadra Island. Jak pushed HARD for a Super Masters category a couple of years back and has kept it going by supplying prizes for that category at EVERY race. Amazing prizes like nights stays at the Whiskey Point resort….anything that gets you to Quadra Island is amazing!! We hope to see him racing more in 2016 and his continued support.

Rumble
Great to have Rumble-Paul Underhill-back racing this year. I get excited every time I see Rumble in a new place as I know he supported COTR from the very start of his company when it is very hard to sponsor events. The product is amazing. Having support for our “Last not lapped (I need a RUMBLE)” category at every event is awesome! Thanks RUMBLE!

Rock City Cycles Nanaimo (formerly Oak Bay Bikes-Nanaimo)
Corey and Sean not only sponsor the series but they also put on the Kona Kup and host a social night in the middle of a double header. Lots of work. Another sponsor that has been with our series since the very start of their business. Now if only we could get them both racing again…….

Phillips Brewery
Delicious Beer and delicious sodas (The root beer is my favorite). Great community support. Sponsors of our Single Speed Category. Growlers and Root beer for the series winners. Site of one of our very best Pelle video’s of all time….the Heist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbKmku-mugg

PART II in our Thanks to our Sponsors coming in our last newsletter.

3) SSXCWC this weekend in Victoria

Just in case you did not know….the WORLD Single Speed Cyclocross Championships are in Victoria this weekend. This is the FIRST time that this “World Champs” has been held outside of the USA. More than anything it is a FUN TIME.

Today (Thursday) at 11:00pm is the latest you can register for the event. If you are not participating in the event you can also come out to some of the social functions or to the “race” part on Sunday at former COTR venue at Western Speedway.

Expert SS racer Parker Bloom from Broad Street Cycles made up a short Q&A for anyone that wanted more information.

What exactly is this alleged Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships that is descending upon my city?
A weekend-long social occasion with a sprinkling of cyclocross racing on bikes with one gear.
This is the ninth iteration of an event that started in Portland OR, and has since been hosted in a number of different cities throughout ‘Merica.
SSCXWC is a real tongue-in-cheek countercultural cycling event. This year, we are proud to be bringing it to Victoria, its first international setting.

When is this happening? What does the schedule look like?
THURSDAY November 19th: Registration closes at 11pm.

SATURDAY November 21st: The Feats of Strength group ride begins at about 11am.
Registered riders will be broken into groups of about 15 racers, from all different hometowns, and towed throughout Victoria by a local ride leader. Between intermittent ‘hydration’ stops, riders will tasked with completing feats of cyclocross-strength at a number of checkpoints. Think hill climbs on single speed bikes, ridiculous sand sections, and some elbow-to-elbow mini races.

That evening Giro is hosting a kickoff party for the event. With roller sprints (Google it!), Hoyne beer, and live music lined up, it should get racers into that festive spirit. As well, the LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER alleycat race goes down. 9pm for one last opportunity to make Sunday’s main race.

SUNDAY November 22nd:
11am-4pm. Western Speedway, Langford.
Show up, check out our crazy course, grab some food from the excellent vendors on hand, including Caravan Cuisine and Wanna Wafel. Get ready to race, or cheer/ heckle your favourite SSCX’ers as they duke it out.

12:30pm- Everyone’s NOT a Winner. The consolation “Open” race.
1:30pm- Women’s championship event
2:30pm- Men’s championship event

The entry fee is a hundred bucks. Isn’t that expensive?
We think it’s great value for a weekend of events. With group rides being arranged for Friday, parties every evening, a killer qualifier in the Feats of Strength ride, and of course the grandiose event on Sunday.
Plus, racers receive a bunch of schwag from our excellent sponsors, including Hoyne brewing, Wolf Tooth components, Nuun, etc. And Hoyne beer tickets. Did we mention the beer tickets?!?

I’ve got a great cylcocross bike. But it has gears. How hard is it to set up a SSCX for the weekend?
Easy-peasy. Start by bringing the bike down to your LBS. Likely the easiest fix is a single speed cog & spacer kit (Aprx. $65) combined with an inverted shift cable that tensions your derailleur to sit where it needs to be. Adjust the limit screws to keep it all in place, and BAM.

Any secret insights into the ‘winning gear’ ratio?
Somewhere in the 55-62 gear inch range is cozy.
39×18 is a good starting place.
36×17.
34×16.
Bump down a tooth on your cog size if you are feeling tough as nails.

There are rumours of mandatory costumes. What’s the scoop?
Get clever with it. SSCXWC doesn’t like to have too many rules. But be warned: the winners will probably be wearing some ridiculous outfit. You really don’t want to be the only one ripping around in a silly skinsuit, do you?

Will the race course differ from our usual Cross on the Rock style of racing?
Same kind of idea. But instead of nanaimo-bar hand ups, think Tequila shot shortcuts, and maybe more jumps, berms and whups.

“World Championships” sounds kind of intense. What if I don’t want to race against the fast guys?
The Saturday Feats of Strength ride will seed racers into either the Championship event, or the Everyone’s NOT a Winner race. If you feel like ripping it up on Sunday, go hard on Saturday. If you want to race the NOT a Winner race, have fun on Saturday, but maybe make a couple of extra tall-can stops.

What if I don’t qualify in the Feats of Strength ride? Can I somehow make the Championship race selection?
The LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER! An alleycat race Saturday night. Leaving from the Giro Pre Race Party at 9pm. Super short, super fast. Hit all the checkpoints and get back in the first couple of riders.

The Feats of Strength Qualifier is scheduled for Saturday. I’m working/ busy/ doing super serious interval training that day. Can I still race if I miss this?
Probably. We’d love it if you come out for the whole weekend, but life gets in the way.
Drop us an e-mail at info@sscxwc.com, and we can try to arrange for a starting spot in Sunday’s non-championship race.

I’m not foolish enough to want to race. But I want to come spectate. Where do I go and when?
Western Speedway. 12pm-4pm. Bring refreshments, and money for food vendors. Bring a
mega-phone and rubber boots. Maybe bacon-wrapped marshmallows to hand to racers?

Is there an e-mail address that I can send questions/ e-heckles/ kudos/ concerns to?
info@sscxwc.com

Cross on the Rock 2015. Season #10. Newsletter #12.

So….what are you up to this weekend?

If you are an active cross racer on Vancouver Island you know that there is only one place to be. Shawnigan Lake School for round #7 of the 10th season of Cross on the Rock. The Last Round. Ronde Von Hogwarts.

Not signed up yet?

Better get on it: https://www.raceonline.ca/events/details/?id=1004

Here is the BIGGEST pre-race preview we have EVER done. This newsletter is dedicated entirely to Ronde Von Hogwarts

You want to “Get Naked”

There is only one way to win a custom frame from Sam Wittingham

You have to have raced (one entry per race you have done)
You have to be at the awards on Sunday at Shawnigan Lake School.
At this point your chances of winning are better than 1 in 624

In this COTR Newsletter:

1) Where we have come from
2) All the details for Sunday’s Race (Ronde Von Hogwarts)
3) Looking at the series
4) Call up and the grid
5) Maps (Way down below)

1) Where we have come from.

In 2009 in COTR’s 4th season we hosted 99 racers at Shawnigan Lake School for the series final.

http://www.crossontherock.com//php/race-results/?raceid=22

Looking over the results from that race…..the who-who of earlier-island CX.

Mitchell Thacker and Rolland Rabien 3rd and 4th in Intermediate.
Scott Mitchell down in 9th followed by Halldor.
Justin Mark and Fluffy 1-2 in Masters with Peter Wellsman in 6th
Mical Dyck winning Open Women with Alison Sydor coming in 2nd
Craig Ritchey, Drew MacKenzie and Normon Thibault 1-2-3 in Expert.

A Golden Age!

In 2010 we were set to finish the series at Shawnigan again but a snow storm on the Friday night shut down the school and our race.

We returned for the series final again in 2013.
http://www.crossontherock.com//php/race-results/?raceid=50

A younger 11 year old Emiliy Johnston 2nd in Beginner. Jak Mar from Quadra making an appearance in beginner men. Katie Button winning Intermediate women in her only COTR race. Steve Bachop taking the masters. Dawn Anderson adding to her MASSIVE victory total in Expert Women and Tyler Trace winning Expert Men.

235 racers

Last year Shawnigan hosted a regular series race.

http://www.crossontherock.com//php/race-results/?raceid=56

261 Racers

Ritchey and Dyck winning again the Expert Categories.

Who will win on Sunday and be entered in the history of COTR?

Shawnigan has also has a few mentions on the COTR stats list. The 2014 race is currently the 9th biggest COTR race of all time. The 2013 Masters men’s race is the 4th biggest start we have ever had. It also appears on the tamest races for the 2013 race with only 2.5 % did not finish for 2nd tamest race ever.

2) All the details for Sunday’s Race (Ronde Von Hogwarts)

If it is not clear the COTR Race #7 is being held at Shawnigan Lake School which is a private school. As such there are a few rules and guidelines that need to be followed:

No open consumption of alcohol on campus. Students are on campus.
No shoes in the Rugby Pavilion (Where registration is) (see map. Pavilion in yellow on left side of the map)
No shoes in the gym (Bring warm socks or slippers) (see map. Gym is in yellow on the right side of the map)
No riding on the Rugby, Soccer and field hockey fields (You will be DQ’ed….we are THAT serious about it)
The Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) on anyone who violates the above rules (see attached)
What you also need to know:
The change rooms will be open in the Rugby Pavilion (Where registration is)
The old gym will be used for the awards. (Doors open as soon as course is taken down)
Peter Creighton will be there from Cycles Lambert running the WD-40 Bike wash station (power washer is tuned up again)
We will have water available.
Food:
Wanna Waffle is coming.
No coffee (yet) but there are two fabulous coffee places just off campus: Drumroaster (Cobble Hill) and Shawnigan Coffee (in the village) UPDATE on this is that there will be coffee on site.
We’ll have water available.
There is NO FOOD TRUCK at this event. IF you know someone that has a food truck that wants to come out…..we would welcome them. Otherwise pack a bit of food for the day and drinks.

Getting there….getting Parked.
Parking access (see attached) is not through the main gates. Please encourage everyone to use the alternate access which is 100m further west from the main gates. All cars will proceed to the upper parking area until the lot is full. We will then direct vehicles to use the parking around the ice rink and gym. No parking around the main buildings and dorms.
Parking areas are outlined in BLUE on the map.
IF YOU ARE PARKING ON THE UPPER PARKING LOT YOU ARE THERE FOR THE DAY. NO IN-OUT from 10:30-3:30
There is alternate parking and washrooms available at http://www.cvrd.bc.ca/index.aspx?NID=181
Course Description (According to Ian Craib the race director) (see attached preliminary map)
· Similar to last year at the top.
· But totally different every place else.
· Stairs
· Elevation
· Mud
· Pain
· then joy

3) Looking at the series.

When you start looking at the series standings:

http://www.crossontherock.com//php/series-results/?series=2015

And subtracting worst result for those racers that have currently done 6 races. Then re-calculating. You see that things are TIGHT.
When you factor in that Sunday’s race is DOUBLE POINTS and realize that ANYTHING can happen you know only one thing:

YOU HAVE TO FINISH ON SUNDAY!

That is the #1 priority!!

First of all it is super cool to beat one of our stat records.

Second the only way to get points is to finish.

Third you always want to finish the season on a high note. If that means a better placing than other races. A PB. Not being lapped. Beating someone you have not this season. Or beating someone that you have beaten 3X but they have you 3X so this is the stalemate. To try to finish the season stronger than last year. To finish a higher series ranking than last year. For what ever reason.

FINISH THE RACE!

Next September is a LONG way away.

4) Call up and the GRID

We had a few “sneakers” at the last couple of races. Racers sneaking up to someplace they were not called up to. With a lot on the line this Sunday and in respect of the racers that have made the effort to come out, race, get points and come back the grid will be “strict”. “Strict” means 8 rows. Called up in ranked order and then random. Line up behind the person in front of you. Each row is 8. No Sneakers.

Advance Notice: Numbers will be on the RIGHT SIDE

Cross on the Rock 2015. Season #10. Newsletter #11. Double Down.

In this COTR Newsletter:

1) Kona Kup at Beban Park. Recap.
2) My Little Pony at Arbutus Meadows Recap.
3) Hey….we owe someone a prize. Let us give something away!

1) COTR #5 Kona Kup at Beban Park, Nanaimo. Saturday. November 7th.

Results at: http://www.crossontherock.com//php/race-results/?raceid=62

Quick Stats:
Racers: 269
Finishers: 259 (96%)
“Racers” does not include kids racing the Zoom Zoom Half Track or the ‘Lil Nutcase Kids Race

Our biggest ever Saturday Race.
Our biggest ever Kona Kup

7th biggest race of all time in 10 years of COTR.

Quick write up:
Simms takes a study break and Lalumiere gets his second win.

After pulling her race numbers off her skin suit from Tokyo Cross (February 2014), Wendy Simms (Kona) took a study break to win her only COTR appearance of the year at the Kona Kup, Beban Park, Nanaimo. Taking the holeshot on a slippery and technical course she lead wire to wire. Simms had not raced on the Island since 2013 as she is in the middle of doing a PhD while working full time (and “mom”ing). Beban park is the closest course to Simm’s house making popping up for a bit of exercise feasible.

Raphael Lalumiere (Russ Hayes Racing) took his 2nd win of the season in a close battle with Drew MacKenzie (Shimano, Pearl Izumi, Marin) and Rob Parkin (Russ Hayes). Lalumiere slipped away from his competition on a ultra-slick course that was deteriorating through the day.

Notes from Race Directors:

It was great to be back at Beban Park. Brought back a lot of memories. Super cool to see so many new faces as well as ones that were there in the beginning.

Thank you to:
· City of Nanaimo
· Nanaimo BMX club
· The Nanaimo Equestrian Club and the VIEX.
That’s a lot of keys to collect!!

Thanks to Norm for keeping the series cool, fun and growing for the last ten years.

Thanks to Roland and Katie for the stats.

Thanks to Hilary Grant for always being there for timing.

Thanks to Sheppard, Mike, Ken, John, Derek, Alan, Paul, Bryce, Norm, and Max for helping set up. I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone.

Thanks to Pete for the WD40 sponsorship and for working all day pressure washing.

Thanks Cheryl and Sylvia for the help in registration.

Thanks to Delaney for helping set up and being our first aid attendant.

Thank you to Caleb and Elliot for coming from Kona to video and photograph our race.

Look for the footage soon on the Kona Cog on the Konaworld website.

A huge thank you to Dik Cox and Kona Bikes for sponsoring our event from the moment we started working together and for making such great Cyclocross bikes.

Thank you to all the racers for coming out and for encouraging others to come out.

Lastly congratulations to Wendy for taking down the Women’s Elite!! It’s so cool to see you still killing it!!

Corey and Sean

2) COTR #6 My Little Pony at Arbutus Meadows. Nanoose. Sunday. November 8th.

Results at: http://www.crossontherock.com//php/race-results/?raceid=63

Quick Stats:
Racers: 284
Finishers: 277 (98%)

“Racers” does not include kids racing the Zoom Zoom Half Track or the ‘Lil Nutcase Kids Race

Our biggest ever My Little Pony Cross
Ranking #3 for tamest races of all time

4th biggest race of all time in 10 years of COTR.

Quick write up:
Mark over Gillick. Lalumiere doubles up.

Carey Mark (Steed Cycles) had a wheel to wheel battle with Janna Gillick (Cowichan Cartel) that did not sort itself out until the finish line with Mark taking a 1 second win.

Raphael Lalumiere (Russ Hayes Racing) made it 2 for 2 on the weekend after Rob Parkin (Pro City Racing) took the early lead but flatted half way through the race (eventually finishing 4th). Lalumier now takes a lead in the Expert Men’s category into the last race.

Notes from MIVA President Corey Friesen:

“Thank you to Norm and the top-notch crew at Cross On The Rock as always for putting on a weekend for the ages. COTR has grown immensely over its 10 years and MIVA is proud to be a part of the series.

Thank you to race director Ron Hewitson for his hard work in setting up the Pony Cx. Plenty of planning, meetings, route scouting sessions, and course layout prep was done by Ron. Thanks to the MIVA board of directors for all stepping in to fill roles on race day. Thank you to the MIVA membership for answering the bell (and then some!) to help out not only with the Pony Cross, but the Kona Kup as well.

Seeing 25-30 people out on Saturday evening, AFTER soaking themselves in mud all afternoon at Beban, with headlamps on, running like a well-oiled machine staking out Sundays course was a sight to behold. THANK YOU!”

3) Let us give something away!

We owe a prize back draw from all the people that took time to write into Saanich parks after the Pro City Racing GP.

We had 94 people write letters.

Random number generator picked: #74

#74 is: Ross Mac Farlane

Ross let me know how I can get a prize pack to you or grab it off me at the race this Sunday.

The Last Cross on the Rock Race will be this Sunday, November 15, 2015 at Shawingan Lake School with the Ronde Van Hogwarts. Double points and double excitement are bound to happen.

Cross on the Rock 2015. Season #10. Newsletter #10.

There was a PLAGUE at Bear X-ing of people crossing the finish line (for
warm up or to go from one place to another) that were NOT racing DURING a
time while people WERE racing. KILL THAT PLAGUE PLEASE. Don’t cross the
finish line during other people’s races. Go around.

Another Bear X-Ing Note: I forgot to give a congratulations to Nicholas
Kupiak (Broad Street Cycles, Stucky Life, MIVA) for his win in Expert. Nick
has shown steady improvement over the last few years with 7th in
Intermediate his best ever placing in 2013 and an 8th his previous highest
in Expert. When Nick attacked on the last lap of Bear X-Ing you could hear
the roar in the Broad Street tent on the course and watch as spectators ran
from one part of the course to another to cheer him to the finish. A great
finish with a 1 second margin over Raphael Lalumiere (Russ Hayes). Second
expert race this year to be won overall on a single speed.

A double header in cyclocross is tough to pull off. Both as a racer and as
an organization. If you have raced for a while or want to race for a while
it is a good skill to have. Travelling to events is maximized when you can
get 2 races in on a weekend. COTR has not done one for a couple of years
but with the compacted season (because of SSCXWC) we thought it was a great
way to get 7 races in for the year. Make sure your gear is ready. Make
sure you pack your stuff (and your license). Bring some nice clothes for
Saturday night. Book a hotel room at the Ho Jo. Thanks for supporting your
series!

In this Newsletter:

1) Race (Kona Kup at Beban Park, Nanaimo. Saturday)
2) Party (Oak Bay Bikes. Saturday Night)
3) Race (My Little Pony Cross. Sunday)
4) The Pits
5) Want a free pass to SSXCWC from Mazda?

Don’t forget to quote Cross on the Rock (COTR) if you want an inexpensive
room for Saturday (possibly also Friday) night at the Howard Johnston
Harbourside Hotel.

Want an extra chance to win the Kona Private Jake this weekend? Double down
by volunteering at one of the events! E-mail Ron for My little Pony Cross:
. Hewitsonron@gmail.com and Corey for Kona Kup: cpiket68@hotmail.com In
order to be in the draw we need to have the volunteers names before the
weekend. (Volunteers don’t have to be there to win. Racers do).

1) Kona Kup at Beban Park, Nanaimo. Saturday. November 7th.

See Map Below

KONA bikes is sending their media guy out to film the event and talk to
people. Shine up your KONA if you ride one!

Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo and KONA will be giving away a Private Jake. You want
to win…..you gotta race and you gotta be there! GREAT chances to walk
away with a nice new bike!! This bike also has sliding drop outs making it
EASY to convert for SSXCWC

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Beban park was the site of the first un-official cross
race north of Victoria on Vancouver Island in 2003. The course we designed
that year was more than 14 minutes per lap and the race of 5 people was won
by Robin Dutton. In 2004 we hosted the first ever sanctioned cross race on
Vancouver Island with Andrew Pinfold winning. We hosted a race there every
year from 2003 to 2012 including the National Championships in 2006 which
were the biggest ever up to that point in history.

The course this year will be a combination of old and new. Same start
straight away on the pavement. Same areas. Lots of new turns.

Returning will be the BMX track….but not the last straight away (it is not
cross bike friendly so remember that when pre-riding). The BMX track is
bigger than the last time we used it so ALWAYS USE CAUTION and ride within
your skill level both during practice and during your race.

We will also be incorporating the stairs that were built in 2006 for the
race and recently uncovered from 3 years of blackberries.

The sand riding ring will return.

With the weather forecast you can expect a bit of mud!

This is a TOUGH course that combines both fitness and skill where a great
overall cross racer normally has a solid result.

REGISTRATION, BATHROOMS and AWARDS: Registration will be in the same area as
the last few times we have had this event. The small red barn pretty much
smack in the middle of Beban park. We are debating on awards location so
stay tuned. There are quite a few bathrooms in many locations around Beban
park to use. Please do NOT go into bathrooms (or other areas) with muddy,
dirty shoes.

TEAM TENT AREA: This will be along the main first straight away. There will
be no in/out during the day. You must be IN before the races start. Keep
an eye for cones and respect the racers and volunteers when setting up.
Tents must be staked or tied down. This can be a very windy location.

PARKING: There is a massive amount of parking at Beban park. We recommend
the lot to the south of the race venue in the area of the lawn bowls, pitch
and put and tennis courts. We do NOT recommend the area to the north of the
course by the soccer field and that should be avoided.

BIKE WASH: The WD-40 Bike wash station will be set up at the end of Barn #2
on the North side of the upper course to the east of the sand riding ring.
Look for the tent and listen for the power washer. Bikes of racers that are
racing have line privileges during their races.

FOOD and BEVERAGE: The BUZZ coffee shop will have coffee on site Saturday
morning. Taco revolution will be on site as well for some great food
pre/post your race. Watch the hot sauce before you race!!

2) Social at Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo. Saturday Night. November 7th.

Come chat with other racers, crew and bike people Saturday night after you
have cleaned up. Try to figure out who is who when they have regular
clothes on and no helmet. Have a social recovery beverage. Talk about
bikes, the liberal party or bikes.

Start time: 7:30

This social party is sponsored by MIVA (Mid Island Velo Association) and
Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo

There will be Beer from Longwood Brewery and snacks.

Taco Revolution will also be there with tacos for sale.

Finish time: T.B.D.

Address: 3700 Island Hwy.

3) My Little Pony at Arbutus Meadows. Nanoose. Sunday. November 8th.

NOTE: Map was not adjusted/available when this newsletter had to go out so
it will be posted on the web site and FB when we get it.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Last year’s race utilized Arbutus Meadows in its
entirety. It was fast with long straightaways, lots of places to hide from
your nemisi and nemeseses. Super fun. 2015’s course be even super funner
because there is nowhere to hide. NOWHERE TO HIDE!!!! Heckling your fellow
racers is naturally encouraged through course design because this course is
compact, tight and flowy. Put on your turning tires and grease your headset.
Estimated distance is 2.8kms. Your mother in law will love it too because
she can heckle you I mean watch 80% of the race within a short walking
distance. Even with a walker. Did I mention there is NOWHERE TO HIDE??? Our
volunteers will enjoy a quick build and tear down as well. Please email race
director Ron Hewitson if you can help out. Hewitsonron@gmail.com.

REGISTRATION, BATHROOMS and AWARDS will NOT be in the large riding arena
like they were last year, rather in the far building. Please refer to the
attached map.

TEAM TENT AREA: same as the last 2 years which is along the pave climb. You
will need to be IN before the races start and you will not be allowed OUT
by vehicle until AFTER all the races. (Parking in that area is still to be
confirmed so make sure you talk to the parking crew)

IMPORTANT – PARKING: Parking will be the same as 2014, in the gravel area
beside the large riding arena. Look for parking officials wearing the orange
safety vests. Trust me, they are not to be trifled with. They do like bribes
however.

BIKE WASH : The little kids ‘Lil Nutcase race, WD-40 bike wash, finish line
and pits are all in the same area as last year the pave climb. Please refer
to the map.

FOOD and BEVERAGE: We are pleased to bring back the Limon Food Truck from
Parksville. We had so many positive comments last year from diners we had no
choice.

4) The Pits

I was asked to clarify the pits and outside assistance at COTR events. Let
us just say we are not the world cup. Our first priority is to try to get
people out racing, having a great time and finishing the races but in a fair
and competitive way.

The pits are for you to put spare gear in. Bikes, wheels, a seat…..what
ever you need.

If you have a mechanical on the course or want to change your bike the pits
is the place to do it.

You have to complete the course though meaning you can not cut the course to
get to the pits if you have a problem. If you are PAST the pits you can not
cut BACK to the pits to get help.

Many times the pit entrance is not perfect. We are not perfect….just do
the best you can and we should be OK.

IF you have a problem WAY far away from the pits and there just happens to
be someone there that might be able to give you a hand….what do you do?

Again see our priorities. No one wants to win a race or do better because
of the misfortune of others so again….do the best you can. We suggest you
pull over or off the course. Fix what you need to. Then re-enter the
course at the same location.

Always finish the course.

If you need any further clarity on this please fire me a note.

5) Want a free pass to SSXCWC from MAZDA?

Well we will be giving away a few more of these on Saturday at the KONA KUP.

Here is the gig. Half Track (same as the Zoom Zoom Half Track). Right
before the Kids half track happens. After the beginners finish. Line up in
front of registration. First male. First female. Then 2 more randoms.
One gear only. If you have already won a ticket Noir….you can ride to
support or block!