Mason Wolf Bouncer All Mountain Race Report

[Kyle Bondo]

Greetings Mason Riders,

Here is a summary of our Second Annual Wolf Bouncer All Mountain weekend:

Wolf Bouncer All Mountain Event At-A-Glance

Day 1 was a wet morning out at Fountainhead Regional Park with 22 riders racing in the Cross-Country (XC) opener, followed by 18 rides sticking out the rain to ride the Super-D (SD) event to close out the day.

Daily Totals:

Day-1 XC = 22

Day-1 SD = 18

Day 2 was a windy morning out at Laurel Hill Park (Lorton Prison Ruins) with 21 riders returning to ride in the shorter but faster Super-D (SD) opener. Many of the riders then relocated to the Laurel Hill Equestrian Center to have 20 race in a fast-paced Short Track Cross-Country (STXC) race. The entire event came to a conclusion with 12 riders staying to compete in the final Cross-Country (XC) race on a trail system that has never had a mountain bike race.

Daily Totals:

Day-2 SD = 21

Day-2 STXC = 20

Day-2 XC = 12

Official Results

The Official USA Cycling results for our event have been upload to USA Cycling's website here:

https://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?year=2015&id=2095

Event Aftermath

Both days were a success from the Event Management and Logistics perspective. We would have liked more registered riders, but even with the cancellation of our Open Event, we still had a good turnout for Collegiate Mountain Biking!

Event Accident Summary

There were a few falls that resulted in mostly minor abrasions. Mason Athletic Trainer "Erika" was on site both days to provide an services to those who need a bandage.

Lessons Learned

1. Tie all tents to solid objects. The Reckoneer provided tent blew over and broke during Day 2.

2. Having water provided to racers was a huge benefit to rider happiness.

3. Day 2 venue had no bathroom facilities. Port-o-potties could not be moved in time to provide services to the Laurel Hill venue. Because Fountainhead had open facilities, it might have been better if we had placed the Port-o-Potties at Laurel Hill.

4. We now know that road crossings require Fairfax County Police support. Having APO Baird come out at the last minute was a lucky break. Future police requirements have a 60-90 day lead time.

5. Volunteer support on Day 2 was almost non-existent. Alumni and parents had to be recruited to cover key road guard and course marshal positions. Future events will require ironclad agreements to have volunteer support on-sight, or we will need to offer a volunteer something for their time (perhaps food or t-shirts).

6. Timing by the USA Officials was a minimal advantage. We should have better timing equipment and/or trained volunteers for any future events.

7. Registration requires better training of volunteers so that we make sure all waivers, pre-reg, and bib numbers are completed correctly.

8. Course marking needs to be completed the day before the event, not the morning of. Few volunteers and half of those who did come out having to prepare for the race makes course marking very difficult. Also need to purchase twice as much survey tape, cones, and temporary fencing for future events.

9. Scheduling on Day 2 was change due to time of Sunrise. It is VERY dark in September before 8am. Future races should not start until 8am.

10. Course design was good for both venues despite complaints that the Super-D was not downhill enough. Future events should focus on refining course designs.

11. Next year's event should include Team Relay, Stage, or Omnium events to encourage everyone to stay for the whole series.  

12. USAC registration website is not user friendly for non-collegiate riders. Future events should use alternate registration software for Open events (e.g. Bikereg.com).

Special Thanks

I would like to thank club members Aidan, CJ, Matt, Elizabeth, Jacob, Tyler, and Michael for giving their time to this event. I would also like to thank Alum Michael Levesque for supporting us in a pitch on Day 2, Erika for being our Athletic Trainer on-site for both days, and Ryan Bradshaw for helping us get all the paperwork processed to make this event happen! Thank you all!

Cheers,

Kyle Bondo

Coach, Mason Cycling