Red Hill Rampage

I just got back from a great lunch time mountain bike ride on Red Hill, which was absolutely nothing like the Red Bull Rampage.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIQWg6M2J10&feature=related]

It’s amazing how much the sport of mountain biking has evolved in the past few years. The Rampage is the mutant love child of an X-Games BMX freestyle comp and full-on downhill mountain bike racing.

About the only thing my mountain biking shares in common with this is we’re both on two inflated rubbber tires. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we see BASE-biking, Shane McConkey style.

Brad is Bachelor of the Year

Over eight years ago, I met 18-year-old Brad Ludden in Vail. He was a young kid with a big vision…to teach kids with cancer how to kayak. His dream inspired me and small group of committed Vail locals to help Brad start a new charity, which we called First Descents. I served on the board of First Descents for seven years, helping to shepherd the organization through years of exponential growth. What started as a one-week kayak camp in Vail has grown into nine camps, in three states, helping hundreds of young adults with cancer. My board position was term-limited last year but my time with FD remains one of my proudest achievements.

Fellow vertebrae Sarah Hubbard took up the torch last year and served as FD’s camp director for a week of climbing in Jackson Hole. It was the highlight of her summer.

Well, last month Brad was chosen as Cosmopolitan’s Colorado Bachelor and today he was named Bachelor of the Year. This is all a little embarrassing for Brad, but its damn good exposure for First Descents.

Brad on The Today Show.

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Gear Junkie Giveaway

Our favorite gear tester extraordinaire, Mr. Stephen Regenold, aka The Gear Junkie, has a a pretty damn sweet contest running on his site right now. Simply submit your name and you’re entered to win one of five all- expenses paid REI group adventure trips for you and a friend, plus a sh**pile of free gear.

1. Mount Washington Winter Climb
2. Sequoia Winter Mountaineering Clinic
3. Yosemite Snowshoe Trip
4. Ice Climbing Basics in New Hampshire
5. White Mountains Hut-to-Hut Snowshoe
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Pretty sweet. As they saw in this election season, vote early and often. Enter here.

Purveyor of all Things Stupid

My Monday morning started off right when the new GQ with Megan Fox landed on my desk with the mail. I didn’t think it could get much better but then I opened a manila envelope from Steve Casimiro, addressed to a “fellow purveyor of all things ridiculous.” The envelope included a couple of choice bumper stickers from The Adventure Life that tell it like it is.

I used to have a strict ‘no bumper sticker policy’ on my truck but now I’m proudly displaying my stupidity to the world.

Big Weekend of Racing for the Backbone Crew

Len on the podium with Lance and Max

Len on the podium with Lance and Max

Well, our downstairs office dweller and overnight cycling celebrity, Len Zanni, along with his teammates Lance Armstrong and Max Taam of Team Aspen, pulled of a huge victory at the 12 Hours of Snowmass yesterday. Len rode strong all day and definitely held up his end of the bargain on the team. At the last minute, Len was forced to ride the race’s final anchor lap and he successfully held off a strong late stage push from world champion Mike Kloser of Team Beaver Creak. Len got a standing ovation when he showed up at the office this morning.

Velo News has a great recap of the race, in which Len, “categorized himself as a B-level pro with a couple of kids” (we know better) and Lance brags about eating Honey Stinger. Quite the endorsement!

We’ll post a Verteblog exclusive interview with the one and only Len Zanni later today.

Ian and his wife Sari also had a good race, winning the co-ed trio division at the 12 Hours of Snowmass. Recap here.

Crystal Mill Falls

Crystal Mill Falls

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Jess Smith, who had a great race at the Glenwood Triathlon last week, strapped on her trail shoes for the annual Lead King Loop, a beautiful but challenging 25K race that starts in the historic town of Marble and rolls through Lead King Basin, through the old mining town of Crystal, past Crystal Mill falls and back to Marble. Jess finished second in her age group and fourth overall!

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And finally, Mr. Scott Leonard, the better half of Mavis Fitzgerald and associate publisher of the Mountain Gazette, had a big weekend of racing at the 2008 Colorado Rally in Steamboat. He races for Team Salta/Checkpoint in Mavis’s old 1986 VW Golf (which now looks nothing like the car Mavis used to drive around town once Salta and Scott were finished modifying it). Scott and his partner had a strong finish against some of the sports’ best drivers, including superstar Travis Pastrana.

Lenny vs. Lance UPDATE

Turns out Lenny was holding out on us yesterday. In his typically modest fashion, he failed to mention that while he raced against Lance on Wednesday, he’ll be racing with Lance on Sunday (along with another local badass, Max Taam). There aren’t too many people who can call themselves Lance’s teammate, especially when they’re from the US, they’re NOT a domestique and they ride a mountain bike.

Lenny was trying to keep all this on the DL so the pressure wouldn’t mount, but then Sari outed him on her blog and then Velo News picked up the story too. So much for Lenny’s nice, little laid back race with the 7-time Tour de France winner on his team. The question is, will Len get spoiled with his access to Lance’s mechanic, masseuse, bikes, supplements, etc. And, will Lance fuel up with Honey Stinger and their awesome new organic chews?

Good luck Lenny. We’ll be rooting for you. Check back on Monday for a full recap.

Lenny vs. Lance

Big Agnes co-owner, local mountain bike legend, and our downstairs office dweller, Len Zanni, got a little surprise at the final race in the Aspen local series last night: Lance Armstrong.

Lance has been hanging around the valley ever since his comeback performance at the Leadville 100 last month. He says he likes training at altitude and that “it’s pretty similar to European mountain towns,” but I hear the reason he’s hanging around is because he’s dating a local girl.

Anyway, Mr. Zanni lined up against Mr. Armstrong last night at the base of Smuggler Mtn for the 10 mile race. According to Zanni he was ahead of Lance for a while but he got blinded by all the paparazzi flashbulbs at the finish.

In the end, Lance beat Len by just 14 seconds. But, Len claimed the overall series title.

Lenny crawling up Lance's muffler

Lenny crawling up Lance's muffler

Read the full race report here (“Lance Strong-Arms Local Field”…the copy editor must be really proud of that headline in the Aspen Times).

I just found out I’ll be lining up against Lance at the 12 Hours of Snowmass on my single speed this weekend. At least the SS gives me the perfect excuse when Lance yells “Passing on Your Right” behind me. And I’ve got a secret weapon on my team, my wife.

In Love with a Shoe

Newton Running is a little Boulder shoe company that has been making big waves in the running shoe world since their launch two years ago. Along the way they’ve garnered an evangelical following of runners who sing the shoe’s praises…sometimes literally.

One happy customer liked her shoes so much that she penned lyrics to a song about Newton Running, sung to the tune of Gavin Degraw’s pop hit, “In Love with a Girl.”

If you don’t know the tune, here’s the video. Much to my co-workers chagrin, I actually played the music and sang along with the Newton lyrics…they fit amazingly well.

Ode to my Newton Training Shoes
(To the tune of Gavin De Graw’s song “In Love With A Girl”)

So many shoes gonna look like they want you,
Try to get you thinking they’re really fast.
But there’s nothing like the fit of the one that has put in the time
And you know its gonna be there.

Back your forefoot when no other shoe does it,
Don’t let nobody slow you down, when your fast.
There’s no pain in protecting your pace,
From the 5 to the Tri to the runners high.

I’m in love with a shoe who knows me better,
Fell for the color just when I met her.
Took my sweet time when I was at the store,
Newton understands…

And you know how to treat my toes right,
Not too loose and not too tight.
Helps me to soar when I’m in flight.
Newton understands me.

I’m in love with a shoe (I’m in love with).
I’m in love with a shoe (I’m in love with).

Read Sing along with the rest of they lyrics here.