Big thanks to Paula Solanoy for creating this year’s poster design. I love the concept and the photos by Erik Peterson, Jill Collins, and John Crosby really tell the story of the MOMAR. Look at all those sponsor logos too! What a great team we had last year and I’m hoping they all sign on for this year too!
The MOMAR has teamed up with FEAT Canada to bring you 9 dynamic speakers in an electric atmosphere. You will experience 40 years of climbing, extreme skiing, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, freediving, cycling and hiking all in one action packed night of adventures and expeditions. Join us on Sunday, February 12th, at Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver for one inspiring night of speakers.
Click on the link to get your tickets and use the discount code FEAT3G7 to get 25% off the door price.
Do you like BUFFs? If so, click here for you chance to win one.
The Atmosphere Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR), Cumberland edition, was recently voted ‘Best Adventure Race in Western Canada’ by Get Out There Magazine for the fourth consecutive year.
Every year, Get Out There Magazine, a Canadian-based endurance sports and outdoor recreation publication, asks its readers to vote for the people, places and events that are the best at making active living in Canada so great. In addition to ‘Best Adventure Race’, MOMAR was also voted as having the “Best Post-race Party’ and ‘Best Race T-shirt, again for the fourth year in a row, and won ‘Best Race Kit’ for the first time.
MOMAR Director, Bryan Tasaka is thrilled about this honour. “This is really a tribute to all the hard work that gets put into these races,” says Tasaka. “MOMAR staff, volunteers and sponsors are incredibly dedicated, having a genuine passion for creating top-notch events with a fun, relaxed vibe. We are honoured with these awards, and are beyond grateful for those who took the time to vote.”
Once again, there were so many great moments from the 2011 season of the Atmosphere Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing Series. We started the year off in a brand new venue, Burnaby, and ended in Cumberland for the 12 year in a row. I had hundreds of photos to review and came up with 20 images and two videos. Enjoy!!!
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1. WE WERE THE FIRST – Photo by Mark Teasdale —- A partial group shot just before the start of the inaugural race in Burnaby, BC. The weather was ideal — cool in the morning and bright sunny skies in the afternoon. The race started and finished at Barnett Marine Park, a bit of a hidden gem in the Lower Mainland.
2. WHAT A PADDLE LEG – Photo by Mark Teasdale —- Todd Nowack leads this group of paddlers on a 10km paddle in Burrard Inlet /Indian Arm and up to Jug Island and back. Todd won this race and Cumberland (another series sweep!) and adds two more to his overall win tally.
3. SWEET SINGLE TRACK ON BURNABY MOUNTAIN – Photo by Matthew Beckett —- Frontrunners’ Stefan Jakobson cruises down the trails during the MOMAR Burnaby. Frontrunners is our longest running sponsor having been with us for the past 12 years. Love you guys!
4. COMPASSIONATE VOLUNTEER – Photo by Andrea Beckett —- The MOMAR has the BEST team of volunteers. They are always so hardworking, enthusiastic, and ready to help a racer out when needed. Here, longtime volunteer, Thomas Howard (and his chicken) takes the time to click a shot of a wiped out racer before helping him up (and asking if he’s ok). What a guy!
5. CELEBRITY APPEARANCE – Photo by John Crosby —- Not only did we have one of the best female adventure racers (Jen Segger) on the start line of the MOMAR Burnaby but we also had Raid the North’s race director, Geoff Langford, too!
6. CHAMPAGNE WISHES – Photo by Mark Teasdale —- Team Beer O’Clock (Nicole Gibbons, Beth Henschel, Alison Perras, and Jaimie Isaac) from Vancouver celebrates their first place finish (4F) with champagne and big smiles. They found all 36 checkpoints in 7h and 13m. Great job!
7. HEART AND SOLE – Photo by John Crosby —- The Momamas were the winners of the Sole Spirit Award. Tons of spirit all day long.
8. VIDEO: WATCH THE FOOTAGE – Video by Erik Nachtrieb of 1iOpen Productions —- Big thanks to Erik for coming out and shooting video and putting together this stellar video that captures the essence of our inaugural race in Burnaby. Click here to watch.
9. WELCOME TO THE FOG – Photo by Erik Peterson —- Paddlers set out on Comox Lake for the start of the Cumberland MOMAR. This was the foggiest morning that we ever had and it made for a really eerie but calm paddle stage.
10. NEW CHECKPOINT – Photo by Erik Peterson —- There has been 12 races in Cumberland and finding new terrain is always a treat. Here, a new trail was cut allowing us access to a set of fantastic bluffs with a great view of the glaciers to the west. Team Frontrunners Westshore (Nick Walker and Eric Findlay) look pro as they approach CP 3. I predict a big year at the MOMAR for this duo in 2012.
11. A FAMILY AFFAIR – Photo by John Crosby — It was great having Vernon’s Sheila Sovereign take on the 30km sport course with her niece Karly. The Vernon Morning Star reported: “We did really well with the route finding, but we really had to take our time and think it through,” said Sheila. “I did the Squamish MOMAR and the trail finding was way easier. This was actually pretty tricky so we really had to pay attention.”
12. LOST AND CONFUSED – Photo by Erik Peterson —- We’ve all been there… you know… in the Orienteering Stage of the MOMAR… your navigator isn’t quite sure where to go as your teammate waits (im)patiently for a quick decision. Right? Sarah Newman and Geoff Huenemann from Bike Over Teakettle figure things out in the final stage of the MOMAR Cumberland course.
13. SPIRIT OF TWO BODIES IN ONE – Photo by John Crosby —- In the most touching story in the history of the MOMAR, Steven Crerar from Campbell River races the MOMAR Cumberland in memory of his brother Bryan Crerar, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2009. Steven and Bryan had raced together for four previous MOMARs and this was now Steven’s first solo. More on Steven’s story, click here.
14. FOUND IT! – Photo by Erik Peterson —- Aside from crossing the finish line, is there any better feeling than finding a Checkpoint? Sometimes they can be found easily and sometimes they are hidden; either way, seeing the orange and white flag is a great feeling. In this photo, ELM Fearless Leaders (Kathy Campbell and Lynn Swift) punch the CP at the top of DCDH.
15. OH THOSE CUMBY TRAILS – Photo by Erik Peterson —- A forest is sometimes just a forest but when you get a community of dedicated trail builders you can end up with a forest with it’s own very unique identity. The trail network behind the Village of Cumberland is simply the best on the Vancouver Island. In the first years of the MOMAR Cumberland, we took racers on the Crafty Butcher trail, but subsequent logging kept it out of future course routes. Last year, the trail was refurbished and a wicked double teeter todder was added making this the must ride trail of the race. Super fun, super fast, super buff.
16. OH THOSE CUMBY TRAILS – Photo by Erik Peterson —- Just south of the start/finish line for the MOMAR Cumberland sits a steep boulder filled forest and rugged cliffs. The terrain here is super cool and is the home to a rock climbers, wasp nests, bears and our final orienteering stage. It’s one of my favorite places in Cumberland.
17. YOU’RE ONLY AS FAST AS YOUR SLOWEST TEAMMATE – Photo by John Crosby —- Last Year’s Losers (Irene and Neil Borecky) cross the line with almost all of their limbs attached…. Runner up for the Sole Spirit Award. What a riot.
18. ATMOSPHERE – Photo by John Crosby —- A big BIG thanks goes out to our title sponsor Atmosphere who have been with us for the past three years. Without their support and the support of all of our other sponsors, the MOMAR would not be possible (or at least you wouldn’t get a cool shirt, shiny medal, tasty dinner, rockin’ party, accurate maps, heaps of prizes, a crazy MC, etc… ). And it was great to have a staff team from the Victoria store compete too! In this photo: Steven Craig, Hannah Mashon, William Rankine, and Nick Brame.
19. ROCK STAR – Photo by Erik Peterson —- What a great moment it was when MOMAR’s own event coordinator, Tamara Rhodes, took the stage and sang a few songs with Megalicious at the MOMAR Cumberland after-party. This capped off another killer after-party!
20. THREE AMIGOS – Photo by ‘some dude with my camera’ —- Dave Norona, Normon Thibault, and me (Bryan Tasaka). These guys were at the first MOMAR back in 2000 and they are still here today — 35 races later. Wow. What a run.
21. THE REAL HEROS OF THE MOMAR – Photo by Erik Peterson —- The MOMAR is produced by a core group of hard working, organized, and dedicated event team. Thank you Tamara Hung, Janine Tasaka, Sheron Chrysler, Elaine McHugh, Lisa Au, Liz Tribe and Gary Robbins!!! (Note: Dave Norona represents Lisa, Liz, and Gary for the purposes of this team picture)
22. THE NASTYASS ADVENTURE RACER – Video by Kootenay Kaos —- Words cannot properly explain what the Kootenay Kaos are all about… it’s best if you just watch the video.
That’s it! Nothing but great memories! Let us know what you think by posting a comment below.
I thought I would re-post a great interview that Gary Robbins (MOMAR Burnaby Course Director) featured on his blog last month. www.gary-robbins.com.
Todd Nowack is a Victoria based, Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing sponsored athlete. On July 23rd he’ll be captaining a co-ed team of four racers against the most challenging endurance event in North America in 2011, Raid The North Extreme.
GARY: Tell us a bit about your racing history. For those who don’t know, where did you get started with it all?
TODD: Like many other adventure athletes on the west coast, I got into adventure racing with the MOMAR and have kept going ever since. I was an avid mountain biker and was just getting into trail running and various other outdoor pursuits when I was asked to team up with the infamous ‘Snot Sisters’ to be a ‘Booger Brother’ in the Cumberland 2005 event. We ended up winning the team-of-4 co-ed category and that race got me hooked.
GARY: How many MOMAR races have you done to date and how many of those have you won?
TODD: I have done all the races since the Cumberland 2005 MOMAR with the exception of 2009 when I was living in Norway. This makes it 12 total races with 7 overall wins: 2 solo, 4 with teammate extraordinaire Gary Robbins (Editors Note: I DID NOT add that but I will leave it in since it has a nice ring to it) and 1 with Natasha Dilay (only team-of-2 co-ed to ever take an overall title).
GARY: What was your favorite MOMAR experience and/or course to date?
TODD: ‘Three-peating’ in 2007 at the Cumberland MOMAR with yourself. We had won the previous two races of the year and had lots of pressure to win as no racers had ever won all MOMARs in one year. Winning that race was definitely a highlight but the feeling of being completely dialed in during that race still hangs with me. I think that was the first time where we both really knew exactly how hard we could push, when to back off, and how to flow from control to control while being efficient. I still have memories of us ‘running’ through the town of Cumberland like scarecrows with cramps everywhere, our legs stiff like pencils, and our arms and back stuck like the Tin-Man from Wizard of Oz while Brian is yelling at us that we could sit down and have a coffee and still win. Memorable times. Favourite course would have to be one of the incarnations in Cumberland. The single-track riding is phenomenal, the area is beautiful and the community is fantastic! (Another Note: I swear I did not know that would be his answer, and I did not add it after the fact myself! PS Couldn’t agree more Todd)
GARY: Will we be seeing you lining up for our first ever Burnaby MOMAR race?
TODD: Yep. I will be there racing solo and looking to have yet another great time and experience.
GARY: Have you ever raced an expedition race like RTNX before?
TODD: I’ve done two other expedition races (RTNX 2007, and the Baja Travesia 2007). I’ve also done some 24 hour and 36 hour races, and some orienteering ‘Rogaine’ events. I have yet to have success in expeditions with brutal 20+ foot swell kayak conditions in Baja that wiped out several teams including leaving us unranked due to abandoning one of our kayaks and gear. In RTNX 2007, we had some really bad luck with tearing our inflatable kayak open (even though we were being extremely careful and watched other teams literally drag their boats over sharp rocks) this situation delayed our paddle by many hours pushing it into the night where I ended up suffering from hypothermia after my body temperature had dropped by 3 degrees due to being exposed in our open cockpit kayaks.
GARY: What did you learn from these previous experiences that you feel you can apply towards your next shot at this format of race?
TODD: Eat lots of pizza and drink lots of beer to make sure that you have a good spare tire to keep you warm in times of need. Seriously though, I think these races come down to fitness, experience and a bit of luck. Had we been able to make it out of the swell and get to the checkpoint in Baja (which was literally right there) we would have continued ranked and placed close to the top. RTNX would have been the same had it not been for a piece of rusted rebar that was sticking up out of the beach and virtually invisible. Either way, luck would not have it. For this coming race, I’m going to bring all the fitness and experience I have, stay out of trouble and race smart. I’m done with this bad luck stuff 
GARY: Tell us a bit about your teammates?
TODD: Pete Cameron and Leanne Mueller are a very strong and experienced adventure racing couple based out of Ontario that have partaken in numerous races over the years and are always contenders in any event that they enter. I met them at Raid the North Extreme in 2007 and had the pleasure of racing head-to-head with them during the final stage of the race. In 2009, we had teamed up to race the biggest race of the year, Explore Sweden, but due to some technical issues, were not able to race together. So, it seems fitting that we are teamed up again. While I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting our fourth member, James Galipeau, I have only heard good things about him, one of which being that he is a team strongman (able to take extra gear, pull others, put his head down and never stop). The great thing about this team is that we have three solid navigators (Pete, Leanne, and myself) who all have proven race navigation experience and all of whom we can count on for pre-race mapping work, route choices, race time decisions, etc; this is an incredible advantage . I have never been in this situation and cannot say how incredible this will be knowing that we can trade off navigating when the mind begins to crumble after countless hours of no sleep and physical hardship.
GARY: How is the rest of the field stacking up this year? Where would you place yourselves, and what are your racing goals for RTNX?
TODD: Being that Primal Quest is no longer and there are no other large events going on in North America, RTNX has virtually sold out with a great number of strong teams signing up which is awesome to see. Compared to 2007, the field will almost be double. In terms of our placement and goals, a great thing I learned from speaking with my teammates is that we all really have a similar approach to racing; we race against ourselves and where we end up at the finish is where we end up. As long as we all put in our best possible effort during the entire race, I don’t think any of us would care what place we came in. That being said, of course were shooting for first. J
GARY: Rumor has it you were injured throughout the winter. How has your training been going lately, and describe for us what a typical week of training might look like right now?
TODD: I have been suffering with an ‘upper body injury’ (insert NHL pun here) that I am still recovering from. While I’m still not 100%, I keep in shape on my bike commuting long distances, rolling my kayak down to the beautiful waters off Brentwood Bay to partake in long paddles, and doing lots of walking and hiking off-trail through the forest to simulate expedition racing conditions. I’ve been playing it on the safe side and not running much so I’ll have to see how I fare on my legs on the new MOMAR Burnaby course.
GARY: What’s one piece of advice that you have received or learned over the years that you would pass on to new and aspiring adventure racers?
TODD: Learn how to navigate. Join a local orienteering club and get to the point where you can run while reading a map and navigate on and off trail; this is a very rewarding experience and will enhance your outdoor pursuits. Don’t train, just get out lots, compete here and there, and have fun! I’ve never trained a day in my life J
Great stuff Todd! Thanks for your time and best of luck at the race this summer. I know I’ll personally be glued to my computer looking for live updates and cheering you guys along.
The brand new edition of the MOMAR Bike Jersey is now available! Designed by the boys at Suarez, we are offering a blue unisex version and a female pink version. Classic in design and strong in quality, the 2011 MOMAR Bike Jersey will get you noticed when riding the trails.
Be one of the first 25 to purchase the jersey and get it at a special price of $65 (regular $75). Place your order by March 15th to guarantee your size. Jerseys can be picked up at the MOMAR Burnaby (or by other arrangements).
To order, please visit the Retail page on the MOMAR site.
Time to go school, adventure racers. The MOMAR Training Clinic Series is back!
We have a great lineup of clinics this year that includes:
All of the instructors (Sarah Seads, Tom Jarecki, Doug Doyle, John Barron, and Todd Nowack) are long time MOMAR racers except for Magnus Johannson, but he is Canada’s National Orienteering Coach! We have also partnered with Big Dog Biking in Cumberland who will be teaching the MOMAR 150 bike course.
The MOMAR is happy to announce a new partnership agreement with BC Ferries. BC Ferries joins the MOMAR team as a Community Sponsor for the 2011 season.
Where would the MOMAR be without BC Ferries? With races on both Vancouver Island (Cumberland) and the Lower Mainland (Burnaby), the ferry is the first stage for many participants making the trek over Georgia Straight for the race. Many pre-race meals of White Spot burgers and fries with gravy have been consumed by only the most serious of racers.
Be sure to make a reservation on the ferry for the MOMAR weekend and note that there isn’t an overheight charge anymore so you don’t have to worry about having your bikes and kayaks on the roof.
We’ll be giving away a ferry prize package very soon so stay tuned!
Thanks BC Ferries! Toot Toot!
We would like to welcome Skeet & Ike’s to the MOMAR team of sponsors! They will be sponsoring the refreshment station at the Burnaby MOMAR so look for them when you cross the finish line. Also, be sure to look for a sample treat in your goodie bag too. Here’s what they are all about:
Out here on the left coast, we look at life a little differently. We like to keep things really simple, focusing on what’s important and not getting too stressed about all of the “other stuff”. We integrate that attitude into our products. Skeet & Ike’s snacks are made with integrity, using high quality organic and natural products that WOW customers. We are creating REAL food backed up with REAL values.
We take this same approach with our Hippie Chips™. We’ve put a unique spin on plain ol’ tortilla chips by adding simple whole food ingredients, and that’s it. No processed seasonings, flakes, fibers or flours, just the real stuff the way nature intended. You get a product that looks like real food and tastes even better.
So, go ahead and try our snacks – we think they’ll speak for themselves.
Look for them on the shelves of your favorite grocery store.
Trekking in Cumberland. Photo by Dave Silver Photography
The Atmosphere Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing Series becomes only the third Canadian race series to join the US based Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series.
The winners of the 2010 Get Out There Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards have been announced and the Atmosphere Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing Series wins in three categories. For the third year in a row, the MOMAR was voted Best Adventure Race, Best Post Race Party, and Best Event T-Shirt in Western Canada.
Here are two photos from the MOMAR After-Party with a packed dance floor and great live music. Interesting fact: Over 95% of participants and volunteers stay for the banquet/awards/party and with guests, there are close to 500 people that fill the party hall. I’ve been told that some teams race just so they can come to the MOMAR After-Party.
Here are our award winning shirts. The blue one was designed by my brother Rod Tasaka who owns and operates Surface Collective — a MOMAR sponsor. The owl shirt was designed by Paula Solanoy who does our poster designs. The MOMAR has been producing quality shirts with a female cut since 2002. The back of our shirts are not covered in “logo soup” and only have the Atmosphere and Make-A-Wish logos in a small area on the bottom of the shirt. We focus on a cool graphic design that makes the shirt wearable. Numerous people have told me that the MOMAR shirt is the only race shirt they keep and wear. Good and sustainable, right!?
The MOMAR would like to thank its staff, sponsors, volunteers, suppliers, and participants for helping us put on a top notch race experience for everyone involved. We would also like to thank everyone who took the time and voted for us. And thanks to Marissa and her team at Get Out There Magazine for the award and recognition.
Thanks to everyone who signed up for the Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race duing the month of December. The winners of the early bird prize packages as determined through a random draw using Excel’s =RAND() formula are:
I will email all the winners with details on how to claim your prize.
Thanks to Frontrunners, Surface Collective, Big Chop Summer Paddle Series and The Yeti for contibuting prizing!
It’s not easy capturing the essences of an adventure race that spans 50km of remote wilderness. However, the MOMAR is incredibly fortunate to have an amazing team of both professional and amateur photographers moving throughout the course on race day taking some awesome shots. BIG THANKS goes out to David Silver, David Fornier, Nick Sopczak, Sophia Ha, Matthew Beckett, Carla Yarrow, Rumi Kodama, Aimee Asselin, Melissa Marsh, Earl Purvis, Jordy Ydse, and Caroline Falconer!
Here is my list of the Top 20 Best Photo Moments from the MOMAR in 2010. The first ten are from Squamish and the last ten are from Cumberland. Enjoy!
1. MOUNTAIN BIKING DOWN HALF NELSON – Photo by David Fournier —- The Half Nelson Trail opened just in time for the MOMAR in Squamish. Local trail builder Ted Tempany led the design and construction which was a government funded project. This 3km roller coaster like ride is a true rush for the XC rider and was a highlight of the Squamish course. This photo captures the Trent Hillbillies in fast action.
2. UP THE CHIEF - Photo by David Fournier —- I still remember the ‘oh shit’ look on many racers’ faces when on race morning ’09 we handed out the maps and it revealed the tightly guarded secret that we were sending them UP the 600m Stawamus Chief. This stage was near the end of the race again this year as David captures the ‘death march’ up to the top. It’s all about the reward though, right? Next stage: Rappel!
3. RAPPELLING OFF THE CHIEF - Photo by Nick Sopczak—- A team member of the Ponytails descends off the top of the Stawamus Chief down to a rock shelf 150′ below. The Sea to Sky Highway and Howe Sound are in the background. The MOMAR is the only company to have ever used the Chief trails for an organized race. Big thanks goes out to Colin Moorhead and his team at the Squamish Rock Guides for managing the rappel!
4. TEAMWORK AND FUN PERSONIFIED – Photo by Rumi Kodama—- Richard Alm lead a team of Innovative Fitness trainers and clients through the rigours of the MOMAR. There are other photos showing Richard crossing the fast flowing and glacier cold Mamquam River numerous times with not only his teammates’ bikes, but also with his teammates on his back. What a stud!
5. CROSSING THE MAMQUAM – Photo by Jordy Ydse —- This is the Mamquam River crossing where the water is cold and the bottom is slippery. Team Corsa Cycles look like pros making the trip across. Big shout out goes to Dave and Sandra at Corsa for their incredible support since our first year in Squamish.
6. BATTLE WOUNDS – Photo by David Fournier —- Megan Fretter and Hailey Van Dyk of Team Atmosphere show off their injuries during a rest stop on the Chief. Megan apparently went over the handlebars and cut both knees; the medics had to order her to stop and get patched up. Hailey’s is more in the ‘boo boo’ category.
7. MAKING RICHARD SIMMONS PROUD – Photo by Earl Purvis —- There’s always a strong contingent of teams that bring some serious spirit to the MOMAR. At the Squamish MOMAR, it was The Richard Simmons Fan Club (Brie Ansell and Erin Van de Water) who had the most and walked away with the Spirit Award.
8. FINALLY! FINALLY! FINALLY! – Photo by Earl Purvis —- Vancouver’s John Markez is an incredible adventure athlete and is always a favorite to win the MOMAR. For years now, John has come close but something (big crash, urban nav, controversial CP location, etc) always seems to prevent him from having that totally clean race. But at the Squamish MOMAR this year, there was NO stopping John and he FINALLY won it all! Woohoo!
9. HOW DO THEY DO IT? – Photo by Mark Teasdale —- It always amazes me that the MOMAR racers can hammer through eight hours of racing and then still have the energy to stay until last call. This year’s afterparty at MOMAR Squmaish was fantastic with a great band and DJ that kept the dance floor packed all night long.
10. JEN SEGGER RULES! – Photo by Mark Teasdale —- Yes. She. Does. For years, I had always wanted to bring a MOMAR to the Sea to Sky corridor but it wasn’t until I saw professional adventure racer, Jen Segger, at the Yeti that the ball actually started rolling. Jen became Squamish’s Course Director and designed some of the most challenging and spectacular MOMAR course to date. Thanks JEN for raising the bar and for your amazing work with the MOMAR!
11. IT TAKES A GREAT TEAM TO MAKE THE MOMAR HAPPEN – Photo by David Silver —- Friday Night Registration is a big part of the MOMAR’s complete weekend experience. In Cumberland, we’re hosted by the Riding Fool Hostel and the casual and historic nature of this venue is great for giving the racers and volunteers a chance to hang out with a cold beer. In this photo, we have our volunteer Emily handing out beer, RFH staff Innis, and MOMAR staff (Tamara and Lisa). Cute MOMAR shirts too!
12. THAT’S A LOT OF KAYAKS – Photo by David Silver —- It’s always a great sight seeing the hundreds of kayaks take to the water on Comox Lake for the start of the Cumberland MOMAR. I would bet that there is not another race from Alaska to Peru that has this many kayaks on a race start line as there is at the MOMAR. Of course, this could not happen without the incredible support of all the kayak companies that rent and deliver boats for this race!
13. GREAT RIDING IN CUMBERLAND - Photo by David Silver —- Cumberland ‘s trail network is amazing and it’s a big reason why the MOMAR has remained in the Comox Valley all these years. Two new trails were build last winter called Thirsty Beaver and Blue Collar and both were part of this year’s MOMAR. Racers love them both despite the mucky conditions. Thanks to all the people like Jeremy Grasby, Dan Espeseth, Terry Lewis, Al Munday and many more who dedicate countless hours to creating all the flowy trails.
14. WHERE THE #%$& ARE WE? - Photo by David Silver —- A significant portion of the MOMAR Cumberland course requires teams to self-navigate from one checkpoint to the next. Here’s a team trying to orient themselves from a viewpoint on the Trekking Stage. Those teams with good map reading skills and patience usually have the advantage over the teams that rush their way through or follow other teams. It’s always interested to watch from the transition to see who emerges from the trails first (and last).
15. ASS OVER TEAKETTLE - Photo by Matthew Beckett —- We’ve all been there. Wikipedia should use this photo to go with the phrase “Ass Over Teakettle.” Enough said.
16. REDNECKS LOVE ADVENTURE RACING - Photo by David Silver —- I think this is my favorite costume of all time. The Bong Cousins (Irene Borecky & Dave Hope) came complete with mullets, beer hats, and a pregnant belly. They were the unanimous winners of the Spirit Award for the Cumberland MOMAR. Seeing this photo still makes me laugh.
17. PROPS TO JEREMY – Photo by David Silver —- He’s the owner of the Riding Fool Hostel and has raced in 9 of 10 Cumberland MOMARs. He’s won a few and been on the podium pretty much all the other years. And he does it all in a plain old sea kayak and a single speed mountain bike. Jeremy Grasby is his name and we honoured him with an Award of Excellence for his amazing support for the MOMAR over the years. Great guy.
18. THE CHILI MAN - Photo by Sophia Ha —- Not only has Al Bergman of Berg Bikes sponsored the MOMAR for the past six years, but the Berg Chili Stand has become a fixture at the MOMAR finish line. Credit goes to Berg Bike athlete Lisa Hughes Fisher for making the awesome veggie chili. Think custom when it’s time for a new bike.
19. ALL DONE! – Photo by Carla Yarrow —- It takes racers up to 8 hours to finish the MOMAR and for those that come in close to the cutoff time, the MOMAR inflatable arch and finish line chute is enough to make them (almost) weep. We put a lot of effort into making every racer’s finish line experience special — MC Dave Norona will call your name and cheer you on, volunteers will give you a finisher medal and rattle some cowbells, and we’ll take a souvenir photo of your sweaty smiling face to prove you did it!
20. SUPPORTING MAKE-A-WISH – Photo by David Silver —- The MOMAR is very proud to have the Make-A-Wish Foundation of BC/Yukon as our official charity. Over the past four years, MOMAR participants have generously donated $17,000.00 to a cause that “enriches the lives of children with life threatening medical conditions through its wish granting work.” Here’s a photo of Dee Raffo who was the lucky winner of the trip for two anywhere WestJet flies.
Well, that’s it! So many great photos and so many great stories to go along with them. I could easily do a TOP 100 but 20 took me long enough.
Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you at the MOMAR in 2011.
Bryan Tasaka
Event Director
It’s been a week since MOMAR Cumberland and in that time people have been sharing their race experiences all over the blogosphere. I’ve also had numerous emails from both racers and volunteers telling me what a great time they had. It’s so great hearing everyone’s stories especially those from the mid pack who are out there more for the experience rather than a podium finish. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to write these up; I love reading each one and hearing first hand how things went out on course.
I have posted all the blog reports that I have found so far on the Race Results page of site, but here they as well. Grab a coffee or a beer and enjoy the reads. Be sure to add your comments to the posts if you like them!
Unfortunately, due to some technical delays, the final results will not be posted until late Monday night. However, Tony Austin, official photographer of the MOMAR, has posted his photo gallery online. Go to www.pbase.com/autie to view and purchase. Other photo galleries will be posted as they go live. In the meantime, here are a few great shots from the weekend!
And a Happy Mother’s Day to all the MOMAR mommies with a special shout out to the Chilliwack Yummy Mummies who were the winners of the Denis Fontaine Spirit Award presented by Keen Footwear (see photo below)…
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