Ron and Dorothy Strasser
I did not mean to start a long one, but some good things have been brought
up. There is no magic bullet to making every race a success. Each one has
a personality that draws different interest. I love the mud as much as the
sandy soil of the south and east side of the state. I am lucky in that
respect... I will race as many and whenever, but my entry fee alone is not
going to keep the promoter's meals on the table. I do know that the venues
that not only offer a challenging course to the better racers, but do offer
REAL offerings for the family members to either take part in kiddie races or
have other activities to spend their day.... seem to get better draws. Not
so for Ski Bowl... which may say something about the burnout, low level
promotion or XC "is" dead in the summer in Oregon. I know one fact. I
worked in schools for 25 years and when kids have something to be excited
about they hop on that wagon and give it their all. At the short track
series, Brian Engelen runs the kiddie race and I help out by being the
rabbit for them to chase. I have fun doing my races, and cheering on other
races, but when I am watching these kiddies give it their all during their
race I know we will have racers in the future if we give (or...this is
America... sell them) a venue. The most touching moments of my Monday
evenings are when I am racing and I hear the little kids cheering me on by
name or as "rabbit". It is NOT about me... it is about their enthusiasm and
keeping it alive. WE SET THE EXAMPLE. We can give or take. Our choice. I
also want to know how Einer is doing after his crash. He has the heart and
spirit of a ten year old. I hope to see you Monday Einer.
The previous sermon was from someone (me) not qualified to speak with any
authority regarding any subject unless one is bent enough to believe what
was just stated .
ron
----- Original Message -----
From: "Evan Plews"
To: "OBRA"
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:00 AM
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Skibowl RIP
>
>
> It is a sad day for me to know that XC at SkiBowl is dying. I have been
> racing there since 1993 and have so many memories. Without a doubt the
> trails there have made big impression on my cycling experience.
>
> Sunday I woke up a 4:30am Mountain time and flew home from Denver just
> making it in time to slap my bike together and race--thats how much I
> wanted to ride Skibowl ONCE this year!
>
> Unfortunately my derailleur imploded into the rear wheel 1/4 mile into the
> race, but I decided to go back to the car and replace the rear mech so I
> could keep racing no matter what the result. After a significant delay, I
> was back out on course and having one of the BEST Skibowl races ever. How
> 'bout those trails going from virgin to buffed in a couple hours? I
> suppose I was living on the edge (of Cannonball) literally! Why not rail
> it one last time...
>
> Anyway, I rode so hard on the downhills that I blew my rear shock and I am
> now waiting for new one. Oh well, seems fitting to have SkiBowl win the
> last duel after so many battles over the years. Thanks Petr and all for
> the LONG run. If you ever have another XC race, count me IN!
>
> FYI, did you all know that once apon a time there was a NATIONAL race in
> Oregon? Yep, it was at SkiBowl--maybe we need to revisit that effort and
> showcase some great racing for the rest of the world. Hopefully they
> appreciate it more than the local crowd.
>
> Over,
>
> EP
>
>
>
>
>
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