Cascade Cross Series

Great news coming down the pipe from one of our favorite high caliber lady racers in Washington! A new points series for you beginner-to-intermediate gals! Here's her message:

New for 2010 - The Washington Women of Cyclocross Points Series.

Similar in format to the Road Racing Cat 3/4 Points series. The goals of this series are to encourage women to have FUN racing cyclocross, encourage participation in a variety of cross race experiences and to increase the number of women racing cross in Washington state!

7 races have been selected in each of the 4 Cyclocross Series within Washington state.

• 9/12 - Kick Off Cross (MFG)
• 9/19 - Rad Racing GP (MFG)
• 10/16 - Thriller Cross (Cascade Cross Series)
• 10/31 - Steilacoom (Seattle Cyclocross Series)
• 11/7 - Maris Farm (Seattle Cyclocross Series) OR Ephrata Cross (Inland NW Series)
• 11/13 - Woolley Cross (Cascade Cross Series)

Who is eligible? Cat 4, Cat 3 and those new to cyclocross. There is a separate points series for each category.

Thanks to our series sponsors - Redline, Gregg's Cycles, Nuun, Wenzel Coaching - There are FABULOUS grand prizes for each series and participant prizes for all!

More information can be found at: http://wawomenofcross.blogspot.com

You can also become a fan on Facebook! (search Washington Women of Cyclocross)

Any questions, suggestions - email Kari Studley

Cascade Cross is pleased & honored to get one-third of the fun factor in this new series! Kari & I go way back - before she had raced a bike in anything more than a triathlon - and she knows first-hand Bellingham is a great place to be on a bike.

She also picked two great races. Civic Fields (Thriller Cross) has become an instant classic up here, and Woolley 'Cross was my recommendation since it is closer to the other races and familiar to some Seattle CX hardcores. Come check it out and get in the action ladies!

See also my post below if you are a woman in Bellingham and new to 'cross! We are here to support you!

I was just reminded by a friend who publishes the newsletter for the Mt Baker Bicycle Club that I have a Ladies Intro to Cyclocross Clinic coming up next month! Oh, goodie!

I started this up last year in response to a relative dearth of ladies racing at my local events. I spread invites around using the ol' word-of-mouth technique, and added the presence of Nicola Mann as an additional hook. Nicola has been racing at a pretty high level for many years, and probably knows more than I do! She also looks really great riding that bike.

This year Nicola is busy teaching A LOT of people about fitness in general by opening an excellent training studio, Trailhead Athletics. Her and her partner, Derek Shiers, are even running a CX Training class of their own this fall! I highly recommend working with these folks to get faster, stronger, and more stable!

Any ways, we had about 8 ladies turn out last year on the first night, and even fewer on the follow-up night, so the instructor/student ratio was really good. We had ladies on full-suspension mountain bikes, and of course most had zero experience with the sport. The upside is we learned a lot each night in 1.5 hours or less!

Kathy of the Fanatik Bike Shop is sponsoring the event. She came out to learn something that night, certain she would be terrible at it, and went on to win a Women's B race at Squalicum Park in November on a mountain bike! We also had a gal with some road racing experience on the Fanatik team take her bike down to Marymoor Park in Redmond just a few days later and take 6th in the stacked Women Cat 3/4 field at StarCrossed!

So, in summary, if you are looking for a new outdoor activity this fall, something to get you out on a rainy, dark day and still come home smiling, allow me to recommend one of the funnest sports I know of! If you have a bike with any reasonable traction, bring it on out to Civic Fields on Thursday at 6 pm in two weeks, and we'll show you the ropes! Then go racing. You won't regret it!

Howdy, folks! Like a zombie rising from the dead, the Cascade Cross Series is coming back with a vengeance in 2010!

Take a gander at the event dates on the right. That's right - we're going big with FIVE event dates this extra-special explosive 'cross season!

We'll be bringing back the same 3 great Bellingham City Parks courses that everyone loved last year, such as Civic Fields. We are still running later than everyone on the calendar in Cornwall Park in January, but starting even SOONER with a Squalicum Creek Park opener in September.

Also, some special additions. Woolley 'Cross is back from her temporary moment of insanity in the Seattle CX series, with a die hard date of Nov. 13th AND we are also bringing back the eternal favorite from 2007 - the NW WA Fairgrounds are on tap for a Cross Border Clash on Nov. 6th!

There is SOOO much 'cross taking off in a big way this year, but that's not stopping us from going huge right here in our little corner of the NW. We have put these special Bellingham and surrounding courses in a rightful place in your hearts as the place to race 'cross. Look for more parties, more mud, more people having more fun on their bikes in 2010 and beyond!

Preliminary results are posted. Series overall points will be compiled and posted this week on WSBARacing.com. Meanwhile, check out this awesome vid of the A race from RD Watters (who raced 542, Silly, & Hilly Cross)!

I'm pleased to announce the 2009/10 Bellingham cyclocross season finale was a resounding success! Turnout was on par with our popular Hilly Cross in November, with perhaps even more spectators. The strong desire to race and experience 'cross into the New Year was palpable. Party attendees were delighted and entertained. New exposure was gained for our amazing sport. What more can you ask for on a cool, sunny/foggy Saturday in January?

I want to send a huge thank you to the volunteers who helped make this season a success, including the WWU Cycling, Recycled Cycles Racing, and Fanatik Bike Co. teams (see Event Partner links at right). Gigantic credit is also due to Lance Romo and the Bellingham Parks Dept. for permitting every race this year on city property. In my mind, terrain makes or breaks a good cyclocross course, and I did not make the terrain! We are blessed with good parks in Bellingham, so show them your support!

I also appreciate every single person that attended a race in Bellingham this year and years past, either as a participant or spectator. You make the sport what it is - a good time had by all who show up!

We look forward to seeing you next year for more pain... I mean, fun! Bring a friend and the sport will continue to rise to its rightful prominence, from muddy October to frosty January. Then we can set our sights on February!

Yours,
   RyanR>

If you find yourself struggling to understand the hype about cyclocross, or maybe just not finding the motivation to get your bike out this weekend to hit the anaerobic threshold for 30 to 60 minutes in mid-January, perhaps this video about the U.S. Gran Prix of cyclocross from BrakeThrough Media will be of assistance.

This is footage from a weekend in Portland in early December, which many Bellingham 'cross racers attended and even brought home some good results! I can highly recommend the trip down, even as a spectator, and while I may not have waffle vendors or big sponsors on hand at Cornwall, I think you will feel much of the same spirit. After all, this is true grassroots cyclocross!

Greetings, 'cross fans. I've been taking a fair number of inquiries from our neighbors to the north (Canadians), primarily about licensing. The short, easy answer is: No, you don't need one! The entry fee you see is the entry fee you get. Insurance is all inclusive.

I'm taking away a few things from these inquiries. One, there is widespread demand in our region for cyclocross races in January. This is not a national issue. It is a Northwest problem! Canadian CX Nationals have been in November, and in 2009 were in freakin' October. That is a problem! U.S. Nationals are two weeks before Christmas. That is a problem! I don't know where Mexico stands, but we've got to get with the Euro program!

There have been a few rumors circulating that U.S. Nationals may one day soon be moved to January, and plenty of surveys have come back with the majority of riders wishing to continue racing into the new year. We agree, and Bellingham is here to show you the way! We've been racing on snow and ice at Nationals every year in my memory since RI in 2005, so what's the diff? On the flip side, temps hit the mid-60s (18ºC) at 7 p.m. today, so we can't exactly say this is not 'cross weather!

The other takeaway is that there needs to be more 'cross pollination between the B.C. and Washington cyclocross scenes. In fact, myself and another B.C. promoter already have a Cross Border Clash concept in the works for 2010! This smells like a good healthy battle brewing, starting with Chilly Cross.

Another interesting reaction I've been getting from folks when talking about this weekend is my use of the word “exclusive” to describe the party on Saturday. The only thing exclusive about it is the limitation to people who attend Chilly Cross and one guest! There are two reasons for this: 1) I am using every incentive possible to get people out to Cornwall Park in January, and 2) with free food & beer on the menu, I have to limit it in some way to those who participated in the series. Spectating counts nearly as much as racing! If you are on the scene at Cornwall Park, you are in the cool club.

Speaking of Belgium and racing in January, Steve Fisher has just returned to Bellingham last week from a successful January racing campaign in Euro Cross Camp VII, one of several such journeys for him in his career as an Elite Junior and now U23 rider. Look for him to not only challenge for the A win on Saturday, but perhaps tell you a few tales at the after party!

Happy New Year! Okay, friends and rivals. I've been really excited to announce this, but wanted to finalize some of the details. I also figured it would make for some good news to brighten your first week back at school and/or work. Boooo! Let's think about bike racing and more parties! And more cowbell!

As a reward to the supporters of the Bellingham cyclocross scene, from series overall winners to spectators to volunteers, I am throwing an exclusive post-race finale party at the Hotel Bellwether, right in the heart of Bellingham Bay, at 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 16th. It is a 3 mile straight shot from Cornwall Park down Squalicum Parkway, right past the location of Hilly Cross, and a stunning setting for a night out on our enviable coastal town with fellow bike racers and 'cross fans.

I am still dialing down some of the colorful details that will be included in the evening, but you can anticipate some or all of the following: 1 hosted keg of Boundary Bay IPA, trays of assorted appetizers, a killer turntable DJ powered up by YOU using the Power Wheel from the Make.Shift project, current footage from European cyclocross World Cup races, and award presentations to both 2008 and 2009(10) Cascade Cross Series overall winners!

This event is just $5 for Chilly Cross participants and volunteers, and only $10 for spectators & cyclocross fans. But here's the deal - I have to limit this to about 75 glorious cycling bodies, so you have to come down to the race at Cornwall park on Saturday to sign up (+1 guest). Contrast this with the Mid-Atlantic Cross Series Awards Banquet who is using this thing called the “internet” and robots?

I want to see your pretty (muddy) face at a cyclocross race in January! Is that too much to ask?

More details will be posted as they become available. Thanks for keeping it real!

I've finally pieced my life together after the blitzkrieg from the USGP Finale in Portland to CX Nationals in Bend, where I battled mud, ice, cold wind, flats, and embrocation flare-up in a total of 5 races over the span of 8 days. That was followed swiftly, of course, by the lovely experience we call Holidays, when our peak fitness quickly begins to feel like a thing of the past.

Before you travel too far down that road, consider ramping yourself back up for the next (and last) big event on the local cyclocross scene. Unless you're camped out in Belgium right now, that would have to be Chilly Cross, our series finale!

The Cornwall Park course will be laid out in a familiar style for those who have raced at this classic over the years (with a Spiral of Death adding some extra zing). But the real news is... I'm adding something special to cap the end of the local cyclocross season... a series finale party!

I want to reward all the loyal participants of our cyclocross races over the past four years (especially the winners), and hang with all the best of the Bellingham cycling community in one warm space. So save your Saturday evening on Jan. 16th, and maybe plan for some local lodging if you're traveling from out of town. Here's an unconfirmed tip-off if you want to sleep real close to the party.

I hope to make this a multimedia event, complete with Euro race footage to help keep the excitement going all the way to the World Championships on January 30. If you like to help plan parties, please !

Hilly Cross results are finally posted on WSBARacing.com! Remember you must race in the final to score points in the overall series.

Sorry for the delay on those. As I posted on my Twitter account, I've taken the last few weeks to work on some good results of my own. It's now or never for us average folks, as the Seattle CX Series wound up the last two weeks up North, in Sedro Woolley (#7) and Monroe (#8). Now it's on to USGP Portland and Nationals in Bend just down the road in Oregon! What a dream month for cyclocross on the west coast.

I expect to have some fun things to report from the field over the two big weekends. I'm taking the full week as vacation and living the amateur bike racer's dream - 5 races in 8 days. I hope my bike holds up, and I hope to see you out there battling it to the end!

FOUND: Pair of spectacles at registration.

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported Hilly Cross on Saturday! We couldn't really have asked for better weather, considering how wet & windy it's been the past few weeks and how nasty it turned out to be on Sunday for the Seattle CX race down in Sedro Woolley. I'll take a sporadic, chilly wind with some sun poking through any day in November! Hey, we only damaged one tent.

Hordes of ravenous 'cross fans huddled on the burial mound, cheering over the arctic-ish blasts while I raced with the A's at noon. You can't really judge a course without racing it, so that's what I did. Then I could relate to my friends on Sunday who were punished by the mud down in Sedro Woolley and complaining about heavy legs. I thought Hilly Cross was a great warm-up for that flattish course. I also heard you about the organic matter discovered in the thick mud section. Somethings on a course you don't know about until it's too late. Sorry, we'll avoid the poo next time.

I've posted your podium finishers in preliminary fashion. I'll get the official results with lap counts & total race times posted over the next few days. Thanks for your patience - I'm sort of a one-man army on a lot of the follow-up and follow-through for these races.

The volunteers on Friday & Saturday, including -- Rob Trombley and all the guys from Recycle Cycles Racing, Harvey Varga, Jim Clevenger, Rob Tierney, Luke, Chris Ellis, Jeff Cummings, and Courteney -- were hugely instrumental in pulling off a big course like that! I was impressed with the cooperation and fun level we achieved.

Kevin Hall shot a great helmet video of his first lap in the Silly Cross A Men race. Complete with a barrier slam, followed by a barrier hop! If you have not ridden our courses first hand, this gives you some idea of how hugely awesome and varied they are. Thanks, Kevin!

(Side note for the curious: guy lining up next to him at the start in the Western skinsuit is the same as in the banner on this website, Patrick Means)

I shot a video of my own (with a Droid phone) at the Bellingham cyclocross practice last week. It's our bumping drill - have to stay inside the shrinking square, put a foot down and you're out.

We are still getting a great turnout, even as the temps dip and conditions worsen. We have a great crew of CX racers here. Thanks to Jim Clevenger of Runningshoes.com for building our courses every week and setting up drills!

Cassi Gallagher came out to Silly Cross to take some pictures, and posted a write up on her blog from a newcomer's perspective. The Picasa gallery has some real gems for you to peruse, especially the zamboni snow pit sequence shots. But here's one of my faves from the B Race start:

I also have some hot news coming out about our final in January. I don't want to jump the gun and get you too excited about racing in January for the first time, but we need to dial that course location much sooner than last year. I can tell you it could be the one that everybody loves, and it rhymes with "Hornball".

Folks, we got Silly Cross results. Thanks for your patience!

My apologies to the B and A category racers for the lack of total race time. We had the timer running for the B race, but my officials got overwhelmed and didn't hit the split button. I was busy trying to swipe you with my sword (pics coming) and spouting lines from Monty Python. For the A race, the battery on my sophisticated timing device (iPod Touch and an iPhone app) was just dying, so I didn't bother starting it. We'll get that dialed for Hilly Cross.

For the curious, I'd like to explain the power of the huge engine where your cyclocross results are posted. Click on your first or last name in your particular result. If you have raced any other bike race in Washington that has submitted results to the WSBA (mostly road), you will see all of those along side your 'cross result. Same goes for your team name. What a great way to give your sponsor proper credit by filing your result properly under their name.

This breaks if we have your name or team spelled wrong or different, so now you see the importance of filling out your registration form legibly and consistently! if there is a mistake and we can merge your results into one person and team.

This benefit is provided to you mainly because I am also the WSBA webmaster. We are working on getting cyclocross consistent with the other disciplines in the state. Furthermore, we could be storing a centralized scoring system across multiple series -- somewhat like CrossResults.com -- but specific to just Washington.

Thanks for helping grow the sport of cyclocross by participating! We'll see you at the next one.

If you were one of the lucky spooks at MFG Cross on Halloween afternoon, you got to witness the Lion of Flanders try his hand at racing. Often waved and carried about by passionate spectators (especially those ravenous Belgian fans), I thought the lion looked even better on a bike and running the barriers. We hope to provide some pictures for those who missed.

In future news, Hilly Cross has been awarded the status of Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (NWCCC) cyclocross championships by the conference director Bill Wykoff. It is important this year to establish a conference CX champion because of the call-up procedure for the collegiate race at Nationals in Bend.

We are offering this opportunity with a slight bias towards our hometown racers at WWU, past National champions in the discipline and home of a talented favorite, but the race is certainly open to all collegiate athletes from Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Montana. We will run a separate category at the A race at noon - Men in front of the other racers, Women behind - with a time gap as necessary. This is our smallest field during the day, so there should be minimum disruptions and a fair race.

All students pay a discounted entry fee of $15 at Cascade Cross, regardless of category, so we welcome more young and aspiring athletes to try their hand at this addictive sport. We feel once you get a taste, all those other fall school activities will seem rather luke warm.

The news from MFG yesterday regarding Lincoln Park CX on Halloween being canceled is nothing short of a travesty of parks management. The drum signals should be pounding all around the cyclocross community right now. Head over to the MFG website, gather up the Seattle Parks contact info, and make your voice heard loud!

Even if you are not a resident of the city, those of us planning a visit should also be respected, not least the sport of cyclocross in general.

UPDATE! They have already secured an alternate venue. They are announcing Lakewood Park on Twitter. Wow, what an adaptable bunch. Hope to see you there in full Halloween regalia.

RD Watters has provided another first-hand report of local cyclocross racing on his blog. His video captures some great moments, the full size of which is here. Kevin Hall also shot some helmet cam footage of the A race, so we'll post that when we can.

RD won the Cross 542 race in the C category, and upgraded for this race. As a downhiller, he has an interesting perspective on the sport. Great to see some cross over from all the other cycling disciplines! Those with a BMX background like Chris Ellis are also fun to watch (especially when they start catching air and snapping forks).

Results from last Saturday are forthcoming. I still have to return some equipment to Bellingham Parks and my rental costume has to go back to La Rue, some time today in this soggy rain. Now is also time to plan & build a race-able costume for MFG next Saturday at Lincoln Park. I'll see you out there with the other creepy 'crossers!

A raucous good time was had by all! So raucous, in fact, that is all I have the energy to say about that right now.

In all seriousness, however, people in the know realize that today's course was genuine 'cross. We don't short you here in Bellingham, just because we have smaller fields. This is proper 'cross, all silliness aside.

Thanks to everyone who came out: spectators, volunteers, and most importantly the costume clad participants! May the sunshine continue to smile upon you, as long as the mud is well formed overnight as it was today.

Big shout out to the great volunteers from the WWU Cycling Team tonight, who were unfettered by the torrential rains. Now, the course is 90% laid out in superior fashion.

Yes, my friends, the 'cross gods have smiled upon Us Silly Persons.

Will it be the first muddy race of the season? Seems like it, so I guess that makes it the first real CX race of the NW season.

Come n' get it, 'cross kiddies. The Black Knight awaits you.

At least a baker's dozen of Bellingham's finest CX racers made their way south to Everett on Sunday to race Seattle CX and dip their toes in the shores of Silver Lake (if only to avoid the speed-sucking sand on their left). All that riding on Galbraith with our 'cross bikes finally paid off, heh? Probably would have helped to do some running workouts, too.

This course was widely considered to be good and tough - some called it a "man's course". Yet it was our local ladies who dominated it! Nicole Conner (Fanatik) takes 2nd in the Women Cat 3, Shannon Mallory (Redline) wins the Junior 10/12 Women! This is where our sport needs to grow right now. Give the ladies a big cheer!

I can't help but feel the excitement and tension in town now at the opportunity to Race Local. That is a motto to recreate by - if you have the opportunity to get out and get muddy with a fun bunch of folks, or even just cheer at them, without climbing in your car - do it! It is happening this very Saturday, and there will be no shortage of tomfoolery to marvel at and be a part of.

I'm off to dial down my costume. Be afraid...

p.s. I just got word from Jim Clevenger of Runningshoes.com. We just earned one more week of practice at Lake Padden on Wednesday. You know what that means - no course previews! All the better to have more surprises.

I was going to write a post today about how thrilled I am about the weather. About how it is actually raining and we have a chance of actually getting properly muddy at a race for a change.

I was also going to say how impressed I was that the Bellingham CX practice still had a good turnout (the last one at the Lake Padden Ballfields for '09), despite the very ominous storm clouds in our whereabouts. Even with a reduced area to work with, Clev set up a fun, twisty, mostly-grass course that provided some challenges (I crashed and took out Scott Alexander). Next Wednesday, we're finally at Civic. Meet at the baseball area called Geri Fields down by Fraser St. I can show you what the Silly Cross course is made of!

I was also going to say how stoked I am to finally have a race north of Seattle, specifically at Silver Lake on Sunday, so us Bellinghamsters can get in on the big Seattle action without having to fully traverse said city. Us locals are looking forward to caravanning down with grails and other regalia in tow and returning with vast chests of war booty!

But instead, I'm going to talk about the play I saw tonight at the iDiOM theatre. The play is called Storm Still, written and performed by the Nonsense Company, and it was about King Lear (I'm pretty sure). It was also a commentary on this term (borrowed from medicine) called catharsis. It can have a variety of meanings, but as I heard the characters debate about it, all I could think of is cyclocross. Yes, our sport can be seen as complete nonsense. When people try to understand the madness that is 'cross, they must know we are most definitely engaging in our form of catharsis. Look it up!

I could also talk about the fiasco that was Nationals registration last weekend, but that is all over Twitter already, so I don't have to repeat that here (but damn you, SBO, for disrupting my catharsis).

Just register already! CX Nationals are back on the West Coast, and they won't be here for long. Maybe if we're lucky, it will snow.

If you require some education on NW cyclocross culture and cannot make the several hour journey to Portland for a real taste, please peruse this gallery from the Cross Clash last Sunday for a sampling.

The only proper ingredient missing is mud, but these people manage to stay freaky despite the ongoing drought.

Please assimilate the culture before attending Silly Cross. We need your freakiness!

Rough estimates would put the attendance at the Bellingham cyclocross practice last night around 40. This includes rippin' fast hot shots like Ian Crane and Steve Fisher of Rad Racing/Hagens Berman, newcomers in town like Joey from Tacoma (Old Town Bicycle), curious ladies like Cheryl Batty of Fanatik, and upcoming junior racers like Ryan Mallory. My team had 10 members on the grass, so I think we've got the makings of a strong cyclocross presence building here.

In other news, new custom race bibs are being printed, snazzy posters will soon be posted, '08 prizes are finally ordered (and maybe '09 too!), insurance is requested (darn, this gets expensive). You may have noticed a slight price bump for men - this will help us hopefully break even this year, but only if you attend every race, and bring a friend! The under-represented categories (women, juniors, collegiate, youth) are still subsidized.

We're getting ridiculously close to Silly Cross! Are you working on your costume yet!?

The talented design crew down at Carnes Media (on State St. next to Pepper Sisters) scratched this up us on fairly short notice. Hopefully, it will draw some more local racers and spectators for the '09 season. We think it's hot!

The run-up photo is from Joe Martin. I'll be getting this printed up next week and distributed around Bellingham with the help of the WWU Cycling crew. If you want a copy, either print the reduced quality version above, or let know and I'll print an extra on high quality paper for $1.

I'm a bit slow on the uptake on this one, but I just looked at the results from Seattle Cyclocross #1 last Sunday at Evergreen.

I want to give a big shout out to Ryan Mallory of the Fanatik Bike Co. team as the only racer in Elite Juniors. Good job, dude!

Ryan likely raced his first 'cross race up here in Bellingham in the past few years. We need more juniors laying it on the line like Ryan. Please encourage your local youth to try 'cross!

Luke Seemann of the Chicago Tribune has published a nice thorough set of articles describing the sport of CX, complete with helpful photography and other tips.

There is even advice for proper spectating! I like “Be the Mickey to their Rocky.”

MORE COWBELLS!

We are finally nailing down some dates for 2009, and they are coming up fast. Except for one.

The astute observer will notice a January date on the schedule. That's right, January. The month where Europeans are still racing 'cross, and we in the Northwest never are. Why? Something about Nationals in December? Well, Canadians' Nationals are in November. Should they stop racing then? Of course not! Why get fit for 'cross and quit two months in?

So yes, sports fans, we are taking the plunge. When faced with a difficult or experimental project, and the question is continually “Well, who's gonna do it?”, eventually if no one answers the call, my response is “Okay fine, I'll do it!” So here it is. I'll do the first NW 'cross race in January (that I've ever heard of).

Here's the catch to make it all work. Last year, the series overall points were limited to those who raced in at least two events. This year (2009/10), you must attend the final! So you can pick one from the October and November dates (or better yet, do both), but only those who race in January are eligible for the overall.

“But, Ryan,” you say, “I never got my series overall prize from last year. Why should I care?” Well, for one, because the courses are awesome, and we there will be no shortage of excitement and challenges in store for you this year. But I will also deliver your custom goods when you arrive to the races this year. Fair deal?

Okay, I've finally got the bug! Just needed a few races to blow the cobwebs off. Now I'm stoked to put on races again. I've updated the calendar, I'm combing locations, I'm gathering equipment and volunteers. Are you getting fitter? You should be. My courses may not be as nice as years past. See sidebar at right.

I'm getting plenty of inquiries about the 2009 season already. Fair enough in August, but frankly I'm just not ready to let go of summer yet! I've been enjoying some of my old hobbies, like rock climbing, and trying out new ones, like paddling. But the die hard 'crossers cannot be held back from their destiny - another season of mud, sweat, and beers!

So I have been reevaluating my motivations for putting on a new series, and why they might not be as strong this year (we'll see - often it comes on late). Here's a few insights on where my head is at for 2009:

One purpose I had when expanding the Cyclocrazed Series into something more regional was to offer a change up from the "standard" format. Our region had basically one style of CX racing to choose from: one schedule of categories, one way of setting courses, one way of registration and scoring. People like to see innovation and a different approach to things, and I strived to give you that.

But this year, Terry B. and crew may be fulfilling that role with their new MFG Cyclocross Series. They are certainly in a position to offer you a different brand of racing, judging from the experience at StarCrossed and the ton of planning & marketing they have done already. The Puget Sound region now has a choice again among big time 'cross series, without driving to Portland (in fact, Portland will be coming to us for the glorious cup clash at Tumwater)!

I was stoked to be given the opportunity to participate with MFG by hosting an event in the series. I think that demonstrated how well received the Cascade Cross events had been so far. I searched pretty hard for a location down south that was suitable, and important long term strides were made, but all the stars didn't align for me in the debut year. Maybe in 2010 we'll have something special for you.

So let's look at my other motivations. Certainly the most basic one has always been providing folks in the Bellingham area some exposure and opportunity to race 'cross without driving down I-5. I feel people are more likely to try something out first in their hometown, whether as a racer, spectator, or volunteer. Once they see the excitement and fun, they are sure to try it again, perhaps even buy a racing license and start to travel to the bigger events.

It was very rewarding to see 'cross back in Bellingham, and with the help of my usual suspects, I think we can still make that happen for you. I will be sure to offer up a couple low-key races in Bellingham, just for the locals. Of course, those that have raced on my courses know they are worth traveling to our "small town" for! Case in point: be sure to check out 542 Cross for an early season warm up, one day prior to the MFG season opener.

For those paying attention to the road racing scene, you may have noticed my involvement with the WSBA. That's because I took on the role of Web Developer for WSBARacing.com in late 2008 and have been bringing a fair amount of upgrades to the results & ranking system this year. There is plenty of demand for improvements to the software, which I enjoy, and it is still a good opportunity for me to help grow cyclocross in Washington. For one, I can try to give it an equal status on the website, from the calendar listing to importing your results from 'cross to show up next to your road accomplishments.

I hope you have stuck with me this far. I've met some great people and seen a lot of dirty, sweaty, smiling faces over the past 4 years of trying to grow the number and quality of cyclocross events offered in Washington. I am glad to see the sport taking on a life of it's own as people come to understand the madness that is 'cross. Stay tuned for something exciting this year, train hard, and we'll see you out there!

A new cyclocross series in the Seattle area is announced! It is called MFG Cyclocross, and it's brought to you by Terry Buchanan of Star Crossed fame, Zac Daab of Hup United, Jim Brown of Rad Racing GP, and yours truly!

The full announcement is here. You can also follow them on Twitter for the most rapid news updates.

While you're out battling snow and freezing rain at the road races, you can imagine yourself at exciting, warm, festive CX races all the way to next fall! We wish you luck. Please do the same for the awesome factor of the new series.

For those of you on the Web 2.0, social networking, mobile phone gadget bandwagon, I will be Tweeting (and reading) about all things cycling here: http://twitter.com/cascadecross.

Look for specific updates related to the series when the 2009 season gets closer!

Thanks, sports fans.

In a big push before I hit the road for the USGP Portland Cup, I just got the lap counts and times into the results for Viking Cross! These are time adjusted for the staggered starts, so now you can see how you stacked up against all the other categories. Note to math buffs: all lap counts should be + 1/2 lap (so 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 for C,B,A respectively).

I'm also getting rolling on a new photo gallery feature. Got Patrick Mean's B race pics showing up from Belly Cross, and a few of my own from the A race at Viking Cross. Joe Martin had us covered at DocKore Cross (along with most other races this season). I'll be working on a ton of photos from the beautiful day at Woolley Cross when I get back!

If you have any photos from our first season, you can send them , or if you just get them on Flickr and a link to it, I can make magic happen!

There is talk of some Seattle folks meeting at a pub in N. Portland known as “The Nickel”, so maybe I will see you there, or maybe (just maybe) I will beat you off the line along with all the other 90+ B Men at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning! If not, I'm certain to try again on Sunday. Drive safe.

Overall is posted!

I will make some small tweaks over next day or so, correcting team names and adding times for Viking Cross. If you see any obvious problems, please !

We had some awesome racers grace the Viking Cross course on Saturday, one even showing up early on Friday to help with the set up.

That volunteer was Debbie Driver of Ragnarok, with perfect attendance in the series and therefore 1st overall in the Women's B category. This note came from her:

This is a note from Phil Pons, Mens C racer and 4th place overall in the series, addressed to me and the Bellingham Parks department:

That nicely sums it up, Phil! I would just like to know why I wasn't invited down for that $100 in food and drink? We do appreciate your endless supply of PBR at the run-up, 3 of which kept Toby Swanson fueled and motivated during his long foray off the front, and your spirited Viking horns.

This is a note from Zack Phillips, first overall in Mens C after taking 2nd at every Cascade Cross race:

Thanks also to some great score keepers and data entry volunteers, overall results were announced throughout the day at Civic Fields. Looks of blissful amazement were expressed. Lewd podium shots were taken. Monday night I plan to publish just the facts, ma'am.

After that, I will write a brief race report, get prizes made up based on your size requests and mailed out, post photos from all the awesome races, and finally start planning next year's series!

No rest for the weary, but we really had so much fun, who wants to stop now? We're just getting rollin'.

Big thanks (to name just a few) to Wick, Sean Wittmer, Mark Peterson, Marshall Will, Tela & Ian Crane, the WWU Cycling Team, Jeff & Clayton Cummings, Dick Henrie & Lance Romo of Bellingham Parks Dept. for helping make the 2008 cyclocross season a memorable one with fresh faces and cool places.

Here's looking forward to 2009! Now go, fight, and win down in P-town!

It's just a half hour past Thanksgiving, and I'm pleased to announce the overall after 3 races is calculated. Check it!

I scored from 1st down to 18th place. Everyone in that range will show points, even if you only did one race. That's so you can see where you stand going into tomorrow's race! Also known as “preliminary”.

After Viking Cross, the results will reflect the two race minimum, which should break up a lot of the ties. The number of repeat racers in this series is much lower than you might think! Consistency rules.

Regarding the Overall

With our final location finally established, I can devote part of my Thanksgiving holiday to riding, and part to getting the overall calculations correct (and maybe a tiny part eating - but not too much!). They will be posted here as well on WSBARacing.com.

If you have done at least two races including Saturday, you will have an overall standing. We do not drop a "worst" race. We do not award double points. You race, you get points. You don't race, no points. So simple it's brilliant!

Prizes will go to the Top 3 in each category, and will be custom embroidered tech vests (1st), brimmed beanies (2nd), and shop aprons (3rd). If you are in such an enviable position following Saturday's race, be sure we have your correct mailing address and preferred garment size (see the sizing info at the links above). We will hopefully do podium shots to cement your glorious deed into the annals of infamy, but your prize will be unceremoniously mailed.

Happy Turkey Day! Hope to see you well rested but not too fat on Saturday morning.