pisgahproductio
05-08-2006, 12:09 PM
1st Sam Koerber / Ben Koerber 4CP's 7hrs. 40 min.
2nd Dennis Helton / Bob Koerber 4CP's 8hrs. 7 min.
3rd Marshall Hance / Eric Cutlip 5CP's (-2hr. bonus) 10hrs. 35min.
4th Ed Odea / Harvey Minton 4CP's 8hrs. 37 min.
5th Karen Masson / Marvin Masson 4CP's 8hrs. 40min.
6th Ben Poss / Matt Rice 4CP's 8hrs. 48min.
7th Todd Branham / Matt Lee 4CP's 9hrs. 21 min.
8th Mitch Graham / Justin Becker 4CP's 9hrs. 35min.
9th David Cook / Zach Broussard 4CP's 9hrs. 55min.
10th Bruce Steinfurth / Ross Clark 4CP's 10hrs. 10min.
A big 'Thanks very much' need to go out to the racers, volunteers, and sponsors (including Dirt Rag!) of the 2006 Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race. We had a record attendance of 53 teams of 2 from 15 states. We had volunteers from BioWheels, SORBA, Mountain Sports Fest, Warren Wilson College, and friends and families of racers. We had prizes from too many sponsors to list here but you can check them out on the sponsors page at www.pisgahproductions.com.
To the racers, thank you for participating. Like I said in the pre-race meeting, I can only provide the event. You guys provide the good time. I had one of the best days in my life, I figure y'all had a memorable day at least.
To the volunteers, thank you for all the hard work. Organizing and directing an event is a real challenge. When the volunteers show as much enthusiasm for the event as you did things can only go well. I feel that this was the smoothest run PMBAR yet. I cannot come close to doing it ALL myself. Without you the race would have been completely different.
Finally, to the sponsors, thank you for the unbelievable contributions of product for prizes and the Asheville Humane Society Raffle. Every single finishing racer got a prize and we raised nearly $200 for the humane society. The racers deserve to get something good after a day in the woods like they experienced, no matter what place they came in. Needless to say, the homeless critters need all the help they can get. $200 buys bedding, food, and other essentials. Again, a huge thanks goes out to the sponsors.
For those that don't have an idea of what I'm talking about: On May 6th 2006, on the most beautiful day of the year, deep in the heart of the Pisgah National Forest, 53 teams of two racers raced to reach 4 of 5 checkpoints, in any order, and return to the start/finish. Routes varied from 60-85 miles with untold amounts of climbing. Local boys Sam and Ben Koerber (Yes, Willow's Bros) came in first place after reaching the required 4 checkpoints and returning in 7 hours and 40 minutes. Second place went to Dennis Helton (BioWheels) and his team mate, the father of the winners, Bob Koerber. Third place went to Marshall Hance (Endless Bikes) and Eric Cutlip (Endless Bikes)who literally went 'the extra mile' by going to ALL FIVE checkpoints. By hitting the extra CP they earned a time bonus of 2 hours and knocked Ed Odea (Kona) and Harvey Minton (Independent Fabrications) into fourth place by 2 minutes! Every time we produce this race I'm amazed by the speed at which some racers can get through the woods.. Awesome job guys.
Racers trickled in all day finishing both officially and DNF. All racers were treated to a big fat kind burrito from Mamacitias and liquid refreshments provided by BioWheels and French Broad Brewing Company. The party-like atmosphere raged on for hours and hours and late into the night. The crowds thinned as teams arrived, ate, drank, got bandaged up, shared stories, and drifted home or back to their campsites. We, however, had to wait and wait and wait for the final teams to come in. Another race was starting in the same field at 6 am the next day so sometime after midnight we packed all the tents and cleared the race area. We still had two teams on course. Worried family milled around the now empty field. We did the best we could to console them and otherwise keep them preoccupied. Time passed very slowly in those last hours but suddenly we heard hoops and hollers coming from the woods. Team Richitelli / Smoyer came in at 1:15 a.m. after reaching all 5 checkpoints. Way to go guys! As the last place finishing team they get a free entry to next years race! Around 3 a.m. we decided to lay down. We figured the last team out had hunkered down for the night out in the forest. We were relieved to know that every team had passed the gear check so with their equipment they should be able to survive a night in the woods. To our great surprise they rolled into camp at 3:45 a.m. after being lost for most of the day. Wow. Way to hang in there. Thanks for waking us up and checking in!
So the first finishing team came in after 7 hours 40 minutes and the last place finishing team came in after 17 hours. The last team out was on their bikes for an amazing 19.5 hours. I think my goals for the race was achieved: To organize a home-grown world-class event that challenges racers to dig deeper than ever before and to accomplish what they had never before considered possible... and to have a kick-ass party.
Thanks again to everyone that made this event happen. One final thing though, I need to give special recognition to a few folks that without their help, I don't know where the Pisgah MTB Adventure would be today. Erinna Hegarty, thank you for your love and support and for putting up with me talking and thinking about this race non-stop since January. Chris Wode, the uber-volunteer... What can I say? Your help for weeks before the race, for set-up the night before, for running the photo/off limits police position, for checking on checkpoints, acquiring the kegs, for tear-down after the event, and for everything else. Mike Brown, thanks for letting me bounce ideas off you, for being a sponsor liaison, for setting up checkpoints, for pre and post race gear-check and sign-in, and for basically running the logistical end of race day. Drew Dillon, thanks for volunteering, day of, to run racer check-in and for being the burrito gate-keeper. Well Done. Finally, thanks to Wade Carpenter at the U.S. Forest Service, the most flexible member of the most rigid bureaucracy that I've ever dealt with. Without your guidance the Pisgah MTB Adventure would not be possible.
Thanks again everybody. I feel that the 2006 Pisgah MTB Adventure was a huge success. Registration for the 2007 Pisgah MTB Adventure will open in February. See ya next year!
Eric Wever
2nd Dennis Helton / Bob Koerber 4CP's 8hrs. 7 min.
3rd Marshall Hance / Eric Cutlip 5CP's (-2hr. bonus) 10hrs. 35min.
4th Ed Odea / Harvey Minton 4CP's 8hrs. 37 min.
5th Karen Masson / Marvin Masson 4CP's 8hrs. 40min.
6th Ben Poss / Matt Rice 4CP's 8hrs. 48min.
7th Todd Branham / Matt Lee 4CP's 9hrs. 21 min.
8th Mitch Graham / Justin Becker 4CP's 9hrs. 35min.
9th David Cook / Zach Broussard 4CP's 9hrs. 55min.
10th Bruce Steinfurth / Ross Clark 4CP's 10hrs. 10min.
A big 'Thanks very much' need to go out to the racers, volunteers, and sponsors (including Dirt Rag!) of the 2006 Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race. We had a record attendance of 53 teams of 2 from 15 states. We had volunteers from BioWheels, SORBA, Mountain Sports Fest, Warren Wilson College, and friends and families of racers. We had prizes from too many sponsors to list here but you can check them out on the sponsors page at www.pisgahproductions.com.
To the racers, thank you for participating. Like I said in the pre-race meeting, I can only provide the event. You guys provide the good time. I had one of the best days in my life, I figure y'all had a memorable day at least.
To the volunteers, thank you for all the hard work. Organizing and directing an event is a real challenge. When the volunteers show as much enthusiasm for the event as you did things can only go well. I feel that this was the smoothest run PMBAR yet. I cannot come close to doing it ALL myself. Without you the race would have been completely different.
Finally, to the sponsors, thank you for the unbelievable contributions of product for prizes and the Asheville Humane Society Raffle. Every single finishing racer got a prize and we raised nearly $200 for the humane society. The racers deserve to get something good after a day in the woods like they experienced, no matter what place they came in. Needless to say, the homeless critters need all the help they can get. $200 buys bedding, food, and other essentials. Again, a huge thanks goes out to the sponsors.
For those that don't have an idea of what I'm talking about: On May 6th 2006, on the most beautiful day of the year, deep in the heart of the Pisgah National Forest, 53 teams of two racers raced to reach 4 of 5 checkpoints, in any order, and return to the start/finish. Routes varied from 60-85 miles with untold amounts of climbing. Local boys Sam and Ben Koerber (Yes, Willow's Bros) came in first place after reaching the required 4 checkpoints and returning in 7 hours and 40 minutes. Second place went to Dennis Helton (BioWheels) and his team mate, the father of the winners, Bob Koerber. Third place went to Marshall Hance (Endless Bikes) and Eric Cutlip (Endless Bikes)who literally went 'the extra mile' by going to ALL FIVE checkpoints. By hitting the extra CP they earned a time bonus of 2 hours and knocked Ed Odea (Kona) and Harvey Minton (Independent Fabrications) into fourth place by 2 minutes! Every time we produce this race I'm amazed by the speed at which some racers can get through the woods.. Awesome job guys.
Racers trickled in all day finishing both officially and DNF. All racers were treated to a big fat kind burrito from Mamacitias and liquid refreshments provided by BioWheels and French Broad Brewing Company. The party-like atmosphere raged on for hours and hours and late into the night. The crowds thinned as teams arrived, ate, drank, got bandaged up, shared stories, and drifted home or back to their campsites. We, however, had to wait and wait and wait for the final teams to come in. Another race was starting in the same field at 6 am the next day so sometime after midnight we packed all the tents and cleared the race area. We still had two teams on course. Worried family milled around the now empty field. We did the best we could to console them and otherwise keep them preoccupied. Time passed very slowly in those last hours but suddenly we heard hoops and hollers coming from the woods. Team Richitelli / Smoyer came in at 1:15 a.m. after reaching all 5 checkpoints. Way to go guys! As the last place finishing team they get a free entry to next years race! Around 3 a.m. we decided to lay down. We figured the last team out had hunkered down for the night out in the forest. We were relieved to know that every team had passed the gear check so with their equipment they should be able to survive a night in the woods. To our great surprise they rolled into camp at 3:45 a.m. after being lost for most of the day. Wow. Way to hang in there. Thanks for waking us up and checking in!
So the first finishing team came in after 7 hours 40 minutes and the last place finishing team came in after 17 hours. The last team out was on their bikes for an amazing 19.5 hours. I think my goals for the race was achieved: To organize a home-grown world-class event that challenges racers to dig deeper than ever before and to accomplish what they had never before considered possible... and to have a kick-ass party.
Thanks again to everyone that made this event happen. One final thing though, I need to give special recognition to a few folks that without their help, I don't know where the Pisgah MTB Adventure would be today. Erinna Hegarty, thank you for your love and support and for putting up with me talking and thinking about this race non-stop since January. Chris Wode, the uber-volunteer... What can I say? Your help for weeks before the race, for set-up the night before, for running the photo/off limits police position, for checking on checkpoints, acquiring the kegs, for tear-down after the event, and for everything else. Mike Brown, thanks for letting me bounce ideas off you, for being a sponsor liaison, for setting up checkpoints, for pre and post race gear-check and sign-in, and for basically running the logistical end of race day. Drew Dillon, thanks for volunteering, day of, to run racer check-in and for being the burrito gate-keeper. Well Done. Finally, thanks to Wade Carpenter at the U.S. Forest Service, the most flexible member of the most rigid bureaucracy that I've ever dealt with. Without your guidance the Pisgah MTB Adventure would not be possible.
Thanks again everybody. I feel that the 2006 Pisgah MTB Adventure was a huge success. Registration for the 2007 Pisgah MTB Adventure will open in February. See ya next year!
Eric Wever