Hangovers for Days

Pleased to say that I know how the 2015 "season" will start.

Yes, everyone's favorite stumble around in the freezing cold January darkness event is back.  There are much many important things to say right now.

Firstly, the announcement of this race so early is almost unprecedented.  For the uninitiated, there's usually a whole lotta "is this gonna happen this year or not?" going on in January.  I went to my first one back in 1999 (I think, mebbe 2000... when was Mountain Cycles making the MoHo?), and every year since, it seems like it's not gonna happen and then it does.  There's a reason for this noted improvement.

Eric "PMBAR Honcho" Wever has taken this event under the wings of Pisgah Productions, makers of much pain and good times in the Pisgah National Forest.  This means a downhill race with accurate timing (no more stopwatches and pencils).  No more bickering and arguing about tenths of a second.  Pro level promotion and stuff.  Not that the previous people in charge did a terrible job... it's an affordable grassroots event with an affordable grassroots feel, and it will stay that way.  The grass and its roots will just be greener now.

And for those of you that have been disappoint with the fact that over the last few years there's only been short XC loops (@3 miles) on Fontana Village property? 

The applications are in with the proper authorities, and so we should see a return of the gnarly XC loop from the days of yore.  Mebbe some Lewellyn Cove, a taste of First Blood, a little Elmer Hollow.  Ahhhh.. like the good ole days without all the V-brakes and 26" wheels.  Unless you do the Vintage Bike category... which will probably be a thing.

And lodgings?   Confirmed 25% off cabins and $69 a night for lodge rooms, January 23-25th.  Grab your beds now, as this will probably be the biggest Icycle in the history of Icycles.

I haven't been to the Icycle since 2012.

I was sick before I got there, immediately started in on the festivating, woke up on the couch with no idea where my keys or new iPhone might have been lost/dropped/hidden/turned into a newt (my phone was in Kürdt's pocket), raced the XC...

ended up on my ass, drank beer, made a few downhill practice runs in the daytime, had a miserable, near-death experience race run, drank some more, spent the night on the laundry room floor of the cabin hacking up a lung all night.

That experience was enough to keep me away for the next two years.  I'd already been thinking about returning in 2015, what with the recent acquisition of a light that's not three generations behind current technology and a plan to set my keys and phone in a safe spot immediately as soon as I get there (there's no cell signal and nowhere to drive to anyways).  Now with Eric (and let's face it, Erinna too) taking over?  No brainer.  In.

I'll have no goals or real ambitions... other than staying sober enough between events to actually compete in the night downhill (as opposed to drinking Mad Dog and Chimay after getting lost on the XC course and quitting, challenging people to wrestle...

and breaking a rib doing something I don't remember).  The XC race does have a "worst 90s jersey theme," and I'm a bit bummed now that I gave up my 3/4 zip (SRSLY?) Specialized jersey I wore at the 2001 Icycle.

 

Albeit it was under many layers anyways.

Also the year I won the Sport class DH on my Bullit, drank Mad Dog and did assorted bad things to my body, slept on the floor, woke up the next day, won the sport class XC race and caught the two experts that started minutes ahead of me...

Less a reflection of my skills and power and more about how few people use to come to the Icycle "back in the day."

This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you... unless you go... which you should... because... January should hurt.  Hurt equals training equals winning... later.