Kris Schamp

Hey Everyone,

For those of you who didn't receive the email I sent out earlier today, this Sunday, we are just one week away from the third edition of the Six Hours of Mount Hood (http://www.portlandracing.com/6hrs), so I thought I'd pass you along some updates about this fun MTB relay/endurance event for solo riders and two-person teams of all ages (we even added a 2-person 100+ category!) and skill levels. Last year (and the year before), we enjoyed beautiful weather and received rave reviews from racers and our goal is to make this year's edition again the most fun MTB endurance event in Oregon. So if you feel for a day of healthy summer fun, racing bikes on the mountain with friends and hundreds of fellow MTB enthusiast, this is your ticket!

Here are a couple updates I'd like to pass along:

1) Pre-register today and save $10 off your race entry!
Today (Friday June 22) is the last day to enjoy our discounted pre-registration entry fee! After today - and up to Thursday 6/28) - you can still register online, but you will pay $10 extra. So if you are not one of the 120 racers who have pre-registered yet, get off the fence, go to our online registration page ((http://www.portlandracing.com/6hrs/registration.html), fill out the waiver and registration form, and save yourself $10 and some valuable sleep-in time on race day. The first 200 people who have registered will receive a racer-packet-in-a-pint, featuring product samples of Larabar, Nossa Familia Coffee, Hammer Nutrition, a $8 coupon for a free Bob's Red Mill product (redeemable at any store), and a very cool finisher tag. As a bonus, all pre-registered riders will enjoy a call-up at the start of their category and will be entered in the raffle of a special prize!

2) NEW - course preview video posted!
Solo Singlespeed racer and action video whiz kid Scott Barker has posted a real cool 5-minute course preview video on YouTube, showcasing a full lap from start to finish from a racer's viewpoint. Check it out at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I3d9l6IKB0

This year's course will be very similar to last year's course, though - with the snow mostly gone - we might be able to use some extra singletrack in the first 2 miles in the South Trail area. Like last year, the start/finish, and food/aid station will be located at the Skibowl main lodge & parking lot, just off Hwy 26. Each lap will be close to 6 mile long an estimated elevation gain per lap is about 750'. The race (and each subsequent lap) will start with a gentle ride up the West Summit Trail to the Multorpor Lodge, followed by a clockwise loop around Multorpor Mountain, featuring a short climb on the Summit Trail, followed by a flying descend along the Powerline Trail (the reverse of the long uphill grind of years past). Racers will continue their way around Multorpor Mountain via the Rhododendron Trail, then climb out via Optimator Trail, followed by a descent to the bottom of the Multorpor chairlift. From there, you'll weave your way through the woods along the cool South Trai
l back towards the start/finish area, where you - or your team mate - will start the next lap. This course has plenty of flow and is fun to race for all levels of racers. If you are not familiar with the Skibowl trails, just check out the video or the 3D course views to get an idea of what to expect.

3) Race Support:
The morning of the race (from 7 to 9am), we will serve FREE freshly brewed Nossa Familia Coffee and hot Bob's Red Mill oatmeal at the Skibowl main lodge. Throughout the race we'll have a fully stocked food station, featuring Hammer Heed energy drink, Larabar nutrition bars, fresh fruit, and PB&J sandwiches. After the race, all racers will enjoy a free bowl of chili and $1 beers (at least for those over 21), courtesy of our beer sponsor Hopworks Urban Brewing. Cheers to our sponsors!

4) Pre-Riding, Lodging and Camping:
The course will be open for pre-riding on Saturday July 2, from 2pm to 6pm. If you come from further away, or like to make it a whole weekend on the mountain, the popular Collins Lake Resort (less than a mile from the start and the official lodging partner of Skibowl), has 150 chalets and 48 lodge condominiums at their Grand Lodge. There is also the option to car-camp on the Skibowl parking lot the night before the race for a nominal fee of $10 per car (includes access to bathrooms and presence of night guard). Another option is to camp at one of the various Forest Service campgrounds in the area, but since it's the Fourth of July Weekend, it might be hard to find available spots, unless you have made reservations.

5) Prizes & Raffle:
While there won't be any cash on the line, the top-3 podium finishers in each category will go home with some very classy custom medals. And in good tradition we'll wrap up the day with a raffle, featuring more than $1,000 in prizes, courtesy of our title sponsor Sellwood Cycle Repair and all our aforementioned product sponsors.

6) Support Mat Barton and his long path to recovery.
As you probably learned already through my previous email message or via OBRA Chat, last week - at the second race of the Portland Short Track Series - fellow racer Mat Barton suffered a tragic crash, which resulted in a spinal cord injury and left him paralyzed from the chest down. Friends, team mates, co-workers sprang to Mat's help and set up a support fund for Mat at bartonpdx.com. In an amazing display of support for a fallen rider, the whole community has come together and in just 7 days, raised close to $50,000 for Mat. Like last year, Mat and his team mate Austin Crenshaw had signed up to race the Six Hours of Mt Hood in the two-person Men category. As a tribute to his dear friend Mat, Austin has pledged to race the two-person category by himself, riding all of Mat's laps and raising money for Mat while he's at it. Another close friend of Mat, Team S&M rider Beth Orton, plans to join Austin's efforts in the Women's race and they'll both accept donations for Mat's Recovery Fun
d at the race.

By the way, talking about Mat, I like to personally thank everyone who has donated so far. The outpouring of support for Mat has been nothing short of magical. Besides the financial relief it will provide to Mat and his wife Jessica and help them restart their new life, it shows how truly wonderful the OBRA community is and what a great family we are.

Anyway, that's it for the updates I wanted to share with you. Come out to race, cheer on your buddies, and enjoy an Oregon summer day on the mountain!

Cheers,
~Kris

Portland Racing