July 27, 2003 (Canmore, AB) – When it comes to the elements that truly define a great 24-hour mountain bike event, all one has to do is simply spend a weekend in Alberta and more importantly, make sure that weekend is spent in Canmore. Over 1,500 mountain bike enthusiasts did just that as the July 19/20 24 Hours of Adrenalin(tm) presented by Jeep once again took over the Canmore Nordic Centre for the 8th year-making it one of the longest and definitely one of the most popular events in the season schedule. With perfect weather, a new 16.8km course that was challenging yet forgiving, a venue that provided everything from showers to ice cream cones, a 24-hour visit from Santa Claus and a curious bear to boot, the weekend can only be rated as a complete success by everyone involved.
Excited riders were greeted by Friday afternoon sunny skies and incredible scenery as the second event in the 2003 Canadian 24 Hours of Adrenalin(tm) presented by Jeep series welcomed teams from across Canada to the site that hosted the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic cross-country skiing. Meeting up with old acquaintances provided a perfect opportunity for riders to indulge in some socializing and in the spirit of the laid-back attitude that Canmore participants seem to embrace, Saturday's task at hand did not take the fun out of Friday evening's spirit.
Saturday brought more sunny skies and the anticipation of the 12 noon Merrell LeMans Start to the “lucky” individuals chosen to begin the weekend with a mad-dash for footwear. If that wasn't enough to weed out the less sane, then the prologue lap around the expo area certainly was. And with the “glamour” events complete, the real riding was under way.
Settling into their laps, riders were on a number of occasions able to pass through the expo area and notice the effort put in by those who chose to decorate their campsites. Teams that certainly made their pits stand out were the Barbie Rejex, Twisted Sprockettes, Trailer Trash Boys – who built a bike out of beer cans! – and garnering the “Best Pit” award for their homemade 20' x 20' castle (yes, castle), Knights on Shining Bikes. Not to be outdone, riders who decorated their helmets were competing in the highly anticipated Louis Garneau Best Helmet Contest – this year won by Team Flea Ridden.
Several other sponsors' programs were a huge success over the weekend as well. This included the Master Lock Tough Under Fire Award for the fastest night lap. This award sees four different participants recognized for their efforts – the fastest male and female in the Corporate Category as well as the fastest male and female in all other categories (at night of course). As usual Oryx's demo program was also well received, as participants got a shot at 'riding the beast'. As well, Hydrade made their debut this weekend as the new sports drink sponsor of the Canadian series. A huge success as well, was the Platypus 24 Minutes of Adrenalin, which saw over 100 kids participate. This is a new record for participation in this non-competitive kid's event.
Contests aside, be reminded that there was some riding going on at the Canmore event. As the 24 hours progressed, seemingly every category was dominated by Calgary riders. Host sponsor, Calgary-based The Bike Shop had riders and teams at the front of the 4-Person category, the corporate category and the Men's Solo Category. Riding for The Bike Shop, eventual Men's Solo winner Colin Bell was quick to point out that this was his first solo event and that he looked forward to bringing his skills to the 24 Hours of Adrenalin(tm) World Solo Championships, August 30/31 in Whistler, BC. At the conclusion of her race, Women's Solo winner, Canmore's Cyd Fraser was also quick to point out the areas of her anatomy that were a little more sore than the rest. She too will be bringing her…anatomy to the 24 Hours of Adrenalin(tm) World Solo Championships in Whistler.
The 24 Hours of Adrenalin(tm) presented by Jeep at the Canmore Nordic Centre is a success for many reasons. The event is embraced by the community, by the riders that participate, by the national and regional sponsors, and by anyone that has anything to do with the adventure that the weekend brings. The popularity of the Canmore event continues to grow and based on the popularity of this past weekend's event that growth seems limitless. And on that upbeat note, here's looking forward to next year's event!
Check out the 24 Hours of Adrenalin' page at MTBR.com for even more exciting details of the event, including the Race Report and Photo Essay Contest.