Scott Vandenheuvel, 35, of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, finishes the last section of singletrack
at the Rudy Rack Big Ring Classic at Nine Mile Forest June 4. He placed 51st overall in the
Sport class. Nine Mile will also host the 24-Hour Mountain Bike Championships July 29-30.
Photo by Joel Patenaude
Bicycling with Mark Parman
Behind the scenes
From peleton member to volunteer course designer,
24 Hours of Nine Mile alters author's perspective
For years, starting in 1982, my perspective on bicycle races came from inside the peleton. I paid my entry fees, raced, picked up my prize money (if I happened to have a good day), split it with teammates and drove home. I didn't think at all about the logistics of putting on a race; the hard work
behind the scenes. I just showed up and did my thing, thinking that the race was all about the racers.That all changed when my old GPGS (Gentleman's Poodle and Grouse Society) team decided to put on a race, which eventually morphed into the 24 Hours of Nine Mile. Since I knew the trails at Nine Mile near Wausau, Wisconsin, Kevin Eccles – elected by GPGS as race director – put me in charge of the course, starting my apprenticeship as a race helper. Since then,
I see races from an entirely new perspective: from the race organization's and volunteers' perspective. Event workers and volunteers typically play an anonymous role, the racers capturing all the headlines and the glory. That's one effect of our results-driven society (or perhaps it's because race results are easily quantifiable and comparable and volunteer work isn't).
Timing a race clearly indicates a winner and the losers. On the other hand, we tend not to want to read about or watch volunteer activity. Reporting on the activities of a corner marshal at a local bike race doesn't make interesting news, not usually. For whatever reasons, we want to read about the winners, the unusual. We want a compelling story. I could complain that volunteers don't get the respect or the press they deserve, that we need to be
recognized. Then again, who am I to complain when I wasn't one and didn't really see them for years. So I won't dwell on the ungrateful racers who don't appreciate those who help put on their races. In my experience, most of the racers have been genuinely thankful for the efforts of the race organizations and all of the volunteer work. Many thank us personally. Sure, a few people grouse a little, mostly in a
good-natured way and offer constructive criticism, but it's impossible to please everyone.
As a course marshal, I hear a few suggestions. Some want more singletrack, some want more hills, some want more flats, some want a longer loop, some want a shorter loop. Everybody wants a course that will favor their particular strengths and riding style. It's human nature to want an advantage over the competition.
The design of a course reflects many factors, including the requirements of the county forester and the local bike club and concern about trail degradation, both the singletrack and ski trails. Some years, we deliberately avoid certain sections to allow the woods to recover. Or if the county just reseeded an eroding ski trail, we reroute past it to allow the new grass to take root. Safety, rider ability, recent logging, checkpoint placement and accessibility also factor in course layout.
Figuring out a course design – well, that's the easy part. Marking the course starts the real work. Every year, I've done this with John Howard, along with a few other lucky folks (including my wife, Susan, and John's grandson, Bubba). We load up the John Deere Gator with course tape, stakes, fence, turn arrows, caution signs, reflective tacks, fluorescent paint, hammers, mauls and soda. (Beer would be nice, but the
warning label on the Gator strictly forbids the consumption of alcohol while operating machinery.) I bring my bike, hoist on a backpack and ride the singletrack, marking what needs to be done since the Gator with its six wheels can't get through the tight sections.
John is what I call a Nine Mile super volunteer. He not only helps with the 24 Hours of Nine Mile, but he also helps out with the cross-country skiing program at the county forest. He cuts firewood for the chalet
wood stoves, clears brush and downed logs from ski trails, and breaks new trail. He's 70-something, has two artificial hips, but he never complains, even in the late July heat and humidity and when the black flies and mosquitoes feast on our blood. In fact, I've never seen him move so fast as the time a few years back when we stirred up a legion of ground-nesting wasps.
On Sunday at 10 a.m. when the race ends, John is ready and waiting to pull down the course. For this
chore, we take a pickup and pile all the refuse of the race into the bed and stack the reusable signs and stakes. This isn't nearly as enjoyable as setting the course up.
As we pick up slimy Gu packets littering the trails, my body aches from riding the 12-hour duo with Susan. It's been a long weekend, yet we're afflicted with the post 24-9 blues. But John is always chipper, and if we're lucky we might come across a forgotten cooler with a few leftover beers. Last year, I seem to
remember a couple Summit Pale Ales floating in a plastic foam cooler abandoned at a checkpoint we cleaned up.
John is just one of the many volunteers that make 24-9 possible. There's Ed and Butch and Les and Mike. Eric might miss the event this year since he's down in New Orleans helping out. A host of others also make the event possible. Each of us helps out at 24-9 for a variety of reasons, and I can't speak of the others.
For me, though, I think I do it to be part of something that's healthy, exciting and perhaps a little bit off the wall. It's a chance to spend a weekend in the woods with a bunch of crazy mountain bikers. There's not much I'd rather do.
Mark Parman lives in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he teaches English and journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County. He bought his first serious bike, a Raleigh Competition, in 1982 and hasn't stopped riding since.
FIRST WISCONSIN SINGLESPEED CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR JULY 8
The first annual Wisconsin Singlespeed Championship is scheduled for 11 a.m. July 8 at Blue Mound State Park. The race, hosted by the Capital Off Road Pathfinders (the local Wisconsin Off-Road Bicycling Association chapter), will be held in conjunction with the 12 Hours of Blue Mound event.
"The rules are pretty simple," states the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS) website,
www.wemseries.com. "One bike. One gear. The first one to finish will be the winner." The singlespeed championship will recognize both male and female winners.
Expect a course of approximately 25 miles. "It's about 90 percent singletrack," said Garett Kipp, promoter of the 12 Hours of Blue Mound. Riders will run three laps of the eight-mile course, the same course used for the 12-hour race. Most of the course winds around the mound, although the start and finish will be at the
top of the mound.
Kipp expects the singlespeed championships to travel to another WEMS site next year. Residents from all states can compete in the race, but separate awards will be given to the Wisconsin champions.
The 12 Hours of Blue Mound will also host the Blue Mound Downhill Challenge on July 8 at 10 a.m.
The registration fee for the one-speed race is $25. Riders need a state trail pass, and vehicles must have an
annual state park sticker or day pass. On-site camping is available.
More information should be forthcoming on www.wemseries.com, which has a link for the Wisconsin Singlespeed Championship.
– Mark Parman
NINE MILE FOREST HOSTS 24-HOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS, JULY 29-30
The 24 Hours of Nine Mile will host a national cycling championship for the first time since its start in 1999.
This is also the first time a national cycling championship has landed in Wausau, Wisconsin.
National titles will go to six categories: men's and women's solo, junior team (four riders), masters 30-plus, and men's and women's teams. Riders must have an annual NORBA license to compete in these championship categories.
The 24 Hours of Nine Mile will also offer 20 other categories in nonchampionship categories, providing a unique blend of serious and not-so-serious competition.
Race director Kevin Eccles expects another 200 riders, up from the nearly 600 who raced in 2005. Riders will take on a slightly longer course of 12-14 miles with a mix of singletrack and cross-country ski trail to accommodate the somewhat larger field.
Log onto www.24-9.com, e-mail Kevin@24-9.com or call 414/651-2447 for more information.
– Mark Parman
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