I met the family who owns and runs Ya Betcha, Deb Bieganski, and her two daughters, Jamie Lynn Drewlow and Meranda Mosher. Like Maureen and Jim Christopher at the Heartland Kitchen Café, they’re quite pleased with the increase in business since the park opened last summer. It’s pretty clear to me that their outgoing personalities have something to do with that. I will be back.
John Schaubach, a fellow geezer and a volunteer with the CLMTB Crew (responsible for maintaining the Trout and Man Cage trails) was one of many local volunteers helping to put on the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival this weekend. Evidently he’s been one of the many Cuyuna locals who has put in countless volunteer hours to help make the park a reality.
So a big cheer went out on Saturday night when his name was drawn for the raffle of the Trek X-Caliber 29er. Nice bike. I have one and love it.
Yep, another mountain biker named Griffin was at the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival this weekend, Griffin Myslivecek, from Grand Rapids. He took 1st place in the Time Trial (Sport Class, 18-28 group) and the Hillclimb (Sport, 18-35). I took 2nd place in the Time Trial (Sport, 41-55) and 1st in the Hillclimb (Sport, 51+). Griffin’s leg and I think other body parts were tattooed with Cuyuna red, a small price to pay For Glory. For Honor. Cuyuna.
Classy looking medals: Ride Hard. Eat Dirt. Have Fun. And some nice prizes for the podium.
In the waning hours of yesterday’s Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival, I reminded CLMTB Crew president Aaron Hautala that he said he was definitely going to do the big jump into the US Airbag that was set up in the center of Crosby. I thought he was going to play the I’m-too-busy-running-this-festival-to-have-time-for-that-kid-stuff card. But I was wrong. He put on his game face and did it. Here’s the play-by-play in 9 photos:
But the experience was so fantastic and the people I met were so fun and interesting that I bought a bike as soon as I returned home and my recreational life has been pretty special ever since.
I’m going back this weekend for the 2nd Annual:
A collaborative fundraiser planned by and for the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists, an IMBA Chapter and the Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce in an effort to continue to foster the growth of mountain biking as a sport in Minnesota and the community of Cuyuna Lakes.
The schedule of events is pretty amazing but be sure to see the blog posts for more details, for example:
Hans is a god, even in my world of motorcycle trials, so I was thrilled to be invited to join him and some other mountain bike industry guys for dinner and beers. In the photo, L to R: Gary Sjoquist, Advocacy Director for QBP; Hans Rey; John Gaddo, Inside Sales rep at QBP; and Jeff Verink, sales rep with GT Bicycles and the talented master of ceremonies for the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival.
While chatting with John Gaddo, I learned that he grew up in my hometown of Northfield. Many locals might know his dad, general manager at the former WCAL-FM. John mentioned that he was also a trials bicycle rider but I had no idea the level of his skills until he teamed up with Hans for the bicycle trials exhibition on Saturday night.
I borrowed my son Graham’s mountain bike for this trip, but it’s safe to say I’m hooked on this sport and will have one of my own soon. Blog on!
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