(thanks Green Circle Photo… Sorry for stealing)
I slept in Saturday morning, trying to push things as far back into the day as possible. It’s hard to chill-out all day when you know there is a race, the brain & body won’t let it happen. By the time 6pm rolled around I was already nervous with excitement.
At 7pm I brewed up a “conservative” 6-shot stovetop espresso and made my way to the course to get ready for our 9pm race. The crowd was already rowdy and ready for a party. I was surprisingly alert and excited by Ed’s new course, which featured more twists and turns than you could shake a stick at, plus a smoke-filled tunnel of EZ-up tents and a plywood jump thrown in for good measure.
There was a facebook-issued challenge for all past national champions to race in their Jerseys, but I failed twice on this by not having a Facebook account (I know…) and by framing mine behind glass at home! No matter though, because it was debut night for the new Deadgoat Skinsuits, just in time for cyclocross season. Cross-racing just feels right in a skinsuit. Maybe its in keeping with the over-the top level of equipment and preparation in the sport, or maybe because it is just an ironic statement to wear a full spandex suit for a sport that predominantly takes place through neighbourhood parks and playgrounds…
The start was fast and furious, and I was keeping in the top 3 through a combination of luck and savvy bike piloting skills. In reality the lap was a minute of climbing followed by 4 minutes of fast twists, turns, sand pit. On the third lap, a heavy pine-bough face-lashing knocked out my contact lens. Loss of depth perception (perfect for a night race) coincided with a classic 4th lap melt down and crash to take me out the running. The photo above is a pretty good depiction of the “Oh Sh!t!!!” that was going through my mind from that point onward!
I love the crowd and party atmosphere that these events get, it’s really fun for the supporters and gives racers the option of performance, or having a good time on you own terms. Even if that means dressing up like a banana/pig/cactus. In Alberta where our audience is predominantly the part-time enthusiast, it’s good to take yourself less seriously.
Photo of the night award goes to Jeff “Semi-Pro” Nielsen for best plank-jump of the night:
The Dark Knight is a thing of beauty, allows a lot of people to have a lot of fun, and provides a lot of entertainment. Just look at how excited Jon is watching you jump!
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