Slip Sliding Away
With the thermometer hovering around 15 degrees and a light snow falling, the stage was set for the first race of the 2009 Kisscross Snowcross series. At a few minutes after noon, racers gathered in the toasty garage of Founders racers Shari and Nate Versluis, warming themselves by the glowing fire of the wood stove and waiting for the race to begin. Organizer and racer Rick Plite shouted instructions through a bullhorn. “A” racers would be racing nine laps, “B” racers had six laps to complete and “C” racers would cross the finish line after four. The overhead door was raised and moments later, after a literal shotgun start, racers headed for their bikes, staged in the snow in a modified LeMans fashion.
As is the custom for Snowcross races, all classes started together en masse. Following a brief stint on the road, the course turned into the orchard. Thanks to Nate Versluis, the group had a plowed path to follow as they wound their way through the trees. The rolling course featured sloppy sections, icy patches and two snow-packed barriers thrown in for good measure.
In addition to the many cross bikes tackling the course, there were a few mountain bikes and a souped up road bike. There were even two tenacious youngsters testing their fortitude. In the ultimate act of resilience, Nate Versluis abandoned a single speed mountain bike with a broken chain in favor of finishing the race on a cyclocross bike missing its saddle.
Slip sliding away was the order of the day. Several brave spectators, sporting numerous layers and ringing cowbells as they cheered on the competitors, were treated to crashes galore. Wrecks were rampant, from spectacular catapults into neighboring snow banks to slow motion washouts.
One of the most exciting moments in the race was the “sprint finish” of the two “A” riders vying for first place. In the end, the A race went to Joe Kedrowski of Founders, who battled it out the entire race with Terry Sensiba coming in a close second.
All in all, it was a great day to race Snowcross. The course was challenging, the company was spectacular and all the activity helped chase away the chill. Rounding out the day was a post-race gathering in the heated Versluis garage, featuring the signature Kisscross randomly awarded prizes, a soup and chili potluck and a keg of Founders. Kudos to Kisscross for organizing the event and the Versluis family for providing the much appreciated hospitality.
Visit the Results section of MiMBR for a complete listing of finishers in all classes.
