T. Kenji Sugahara
Kenneth,
Thank you for bringing this up. From OBRA's perspective, throwing
water bottles is inexcusable and we are pursuing this issue
aggressively.
In fact, some teams have been contacted already.
We have noted that our members and WSBA members have been very
responsible. It's also our responsibility to let our officials know
if we observe someone littering. Why? Because those actions put our
races in jeopardy.
Chad and other promoters work hard to put on these races and they have
to do deal with the aftermath of this behavior.
This is one issue that irks me to no end, and we as an organization
cannot tolerate this.
We have been discussing this at a high level, and we will be taking a
stronger stance in upcoming races.
(Remember- you can always ask put materials into the official's car,
or drop bottles off at locations such as feed stations)
Thanks for hearing me out.
T. Kenji Sugahara
Executive Director
Oregon Bicycle Racing Association
503-302-4935
On Jun 10, 2008, at 6:56 PM, Kenneth Philbrick wrote:
> I know there has been much discussion both on and off this list
> concerning the water bottles and the Mt. Hood Stage race. As
> competitor at the stage race while I didn't throw a bottle many in the
> Cat 3 field did. A friend of mine, John Henry Maurice, president of
> the Salem Bike Club, was out training for Race Across Oregon and wrote
> a fantastic account of the effect that littering has on the perception
> of the race and our great sport.
>
> Best,
>
> - Kenneth Philbrick
>
>
> By John Henry
>
> "I had two miles to go before I reached Pine Grove, a small town just
> north of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. I had a small problem. I
> saw another water bottle discarded along the road. The problem was I
> did not think I could carry any more bottles. I was on Day Four of the
> Race Across Oregon Four Day Training Camp. So far, I had over 350
> miles behind me and I had to ride to Timberline Lodge, 35 miles away,
> to finish the training camp. But instead of establishing a rhythm and
> working toward the final climb of the camp, I was stopping every few
> hundred yards to pick up discarded water bottles.
>
> Three miles ago, I had stopped in at Walter?s Corner Market near the
> small town of Wapinitia. I was ahead of my support vehicle so I
> wandered into the store and purchased some juice and something to
> munch on. The store clerk was being cold toward me, which I attributed
> to the fact that I was a stranger and she thought she would never see
> me again. None the less, I tried to open a conversation with her.
> Remembering that the Mt. Hood Classic bicycle race had passed by her
> store the day before, I asked her about it.
>
> That was a mistake. She looked me in the eye and sneered, 'Yes they
> did ride by and as far I am concerned, I hope they never come back!'
> Ouch! What did they do to cause such a reaction? I asked. That was
> another mistake. For the next fifteen minutes I heard a litany of
> complaints, most of them ones I have heard before, but the one that
> struck me was that the riders were litterers. She said I would find
> many water bottles between here and Pine Grove, just five miles away.
> She continued, 'And I know that it was the bikers as the local throw
> out beer cans!' I apologized profusely and agreed that littering was
> not acceptable. She calmed down a bit and wished me well when I got on
> my way.
>
> Back on my bike, it was hot and I was riding against a strong head
> wind as her words echoed in my thoughts. I found myself checking the
> shoulder of the road, looking for water bottles, and not finding any
> at first. But then, less than one quarter of a mile from her business,
> I found my first water bottle. I stopped, laid down my bicycle and
> walked down into the sandy ditch to pick it up. I put it in one of my
> jersey?s back pockets. Getting back on the bike, I peddled for a short
> distance before I found my second bottle. I stopped and picked it up.
> Soon, I had three bottles in the back pockets of my jersey. Then I saw
> my fourth. It when inside the front of my jersey, as did another, and
> another and another. Soon, I was wondering just how many water bottles
> I could carry. Just after Pine Grove, my support vehicle passed me and
> I waved it down. George Thomas, Race Across America finisher, and
> promoter of Race Across Oregon, counted out thirteen water bottles as
> I placed them one by one into a trash bag.
>
> Apparently, in the heat of the race, empty water bottles were tossed
> away by the bicycle racers, but I do not blame them. Unfortunately,
> this behavior seems to be common on the racing circuit. The fact that
> I picked up thirteen water bottles in just five miles proves this to
> be true. However, this littering caused severe bad feelings in the
> local community. It is not nice to throw away your trash into people?s
> front yards.
>
> But don?t think that only bicycle racers cause bad feelings in the
> community. Unfortunately, my duties as President of the Salem Bicycle
> Club required me to respond to a Monster Cookie complaint letter.
> Apparently, there was a interaction between some bicyclists and some
> motorcyclists. This interaction escalated to inappropriate hand
> gestures. Once again, I found myself apologizing for the actions of my
> other fellow cyclists.
>
> 'Share the Road' is a popular saying in the bicycle community. Well,
> I?m here to say that it takes two to share. Please understand that our
> actions as cyclists directly impact the community?s perception of
> cyclists. Please folks, please understand this and act accordingly."
>
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