Lucky 13

Hup came to the Ice Weasels all guns blazing...in a good way. We came to party and to race our hearts out....Big Tomeke lit up the interwebs with hands down one of the funniest xtranormal animes evah! No one was spared! And it was brilliant. Between that little ditty and Toms early season long form rap on twitter I'd say we have an inhouse multi-media super talent in the making...The picture above is not a Hupper doing suburban fratboy gang signs...that would be Mike's disclocated digit...Hup (and others) took some hard knocks at the Ice Weasels cometh! Ice, snow and a metric ton of amped up racers has a way of punishing even the strong. Mike was flying before he had to jet over to the er for a quick splint job. But he was back in short order to heckle and eat Hupcakes...I think they released him...he may have just made a break for it so he didn't miss out on the antics.
I was under the totally false impression that Ice Weasels was supposed to be a party...now don't get me wrong it was a party. The 2 kegs of Harpoon were bone dry by 1 o'clock in the afternoon...they weren't tapped until 10...you do the math....Hup was prepared for this and came with our own beer stash that we gladly shared...But back to the racing business...holy crap it was a throw down! 90 4s! A super competitive combined 3 field which I loved. In the 3s we all lined up together u35 and 35+ and it made for some very spirited racing. Tom and I were able to get the old Shake and Bake back in action! And it was in full effect! 

Being highly superstitious by nature I was having nightmares of race # 13...I put it out of my brain and just did what I do mon-fri on a race week, go through the motions and push that nagging feeling of my impending doom aside. Pre-rides were awesome. Lined up next to Brian which was totally hilarious. We totally jinxed ourselves though. We were laughing about our ridiculously low tire pressures...hahahaha its so low...hahahah isn't that what you are supposed to do in the snow...hahahah I really shouldn't bunny hop the barries...Oh did we pay for our Hubris. Brian destroyed the field for two laps....he was way off the front and then he started having fun waving to his adoring fans and even taking requests for some barrier hoping. 

Now Brian is a mtn biking/bmx god so some 8" barrier is a joke to him. Unfortunately he was running about 18 psi in his front tubie...kablammm. Totally rolls that friggin tubie...Doohhh! Still on a jacked front tyre he rolls in 5th! I was having a great race. Great race. Loved the course-those boys put some serious thought into it and it showed. But like Brian I had about 18 psi in my tires. It was fine for 2 laps and then poofff goes the front tubie. Totally flat. I ride it for a lap until I realize its toast. I go by the Hup tent stop, look for my teammates who now want to hand me beer and Hupcakes...god I love my teammates! I say while that is all great could I please have a front wheel delivered to the pit? 

Well they whip into action and by the time I get around to the pit Markie Mark and Jesse are there wheel in hand. They change me out, slap me in the ass...which kind of stung in a good way if you know what I mean and I am friggin flying now that I actually have a front wheel with some air in it. I start catching guys as I can actually turn without crashing and am hopeful that with 2 to go I can actually do some damage. I come to one of the small barriers get over it fast remount and then disaster. I hit glare ice as I hop on and the bike just gets yanked out from under me. I hit hard on my knee still clipped in and feel my knee get jacked up. Shit is popping and tearing inside it. I roll on the ground in pain all tangled in my bike. Jesse is right there asking me if I am ok. I pull my shit together, suck it up and say to myself..self even if your knee is totally blown out this is the last race of the season get on it.

I hop on grit my teeth and just start pedaling..I somehow catch a guy and get around him. I keep moving forward. Pedaling is ok but the barriers and sketchy run up are torture. I see the finish and am soooo stoked its over. I roll in Jesse meets me at the line gets me back to the tent, checks me out and gets my head straight. Damn I love that guy...

The rest of the day is just hanging out, eating Buffalo Burgers ( Thanks Meg!) watching the team just have the best time ever, and loving life! Pain is fleeting but cross and teammates are like a drug that can cure anything that ails you....frankly I didn't even notice how bad my knee hurt until I got home and started icing it...Thanks Colin, Thom and Kevin for putting on the most kick ass cross race in the NE! Ice Weasels is now and forever going to be where cross legends are born...so much happened. So many riders just rode out of their minds, got hurt, crashed a million times, took beer handups, jumped barriers, and just had more fun than should be humanly possible! And thanks to my good friend James for the incredible action pictures check the full set on flikr!

What an incredible way to finish up the 2009 cross season! Have a safe and Happy Holiday! Hup Hup Hup!!!!