FAT TIRE FEST IS READY TO ROLL
Nearly two decades of off-road fun and Chequamegon
Fat Tire Festival shows no signs of slowing down
By Mark Parman "We're in our 19th year," says Gary Crandall, director of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, "closing in on 20." He says this as though he wonders where all the years have gone since that first race in 1983. The race has come a long way in its nearly two decades, from a primitive,
unknown affair, sort of a cult sport, to a full–blown three–day festival that can't handle the numbers who want to participate. According to Crandall, this year about 375 entries were returned for the September 15 main feature. Trek has teamed up with Subaru to sponsor the 2001 edition of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. SRAM remains the drivetrain sponsor,
and Telemark Resort will once again host the event. At Telemark on Friday and at the Armory in Hayward on Saturday, the Trek Wrench Force will provide technical service if your bike needs last–minute repairs. Expect no big changes in the course for this year's race, which has remained basically the same for the past 10 years. The courses don't
vary from year to year because all the volunteers know where they're going, plus they can get people out of the woods easier in case of injury or fatigue. Besides, both are great courses, the last 10 miles of the Fat Tire 40 – the Seeley Firetower and the undulating Birkie Trail – weeding out weaker riders. If everything goes as planned, the course, both the Chequamegon 40 and the Short & Fat, will be marked by Labor Day.
This summer has been quite dry in the northwoods for a change. If the weather pattern holds for the rest of August, expect a fast course, although a lot can change in a few days. Remember the deluge the night before the '91 race?
There's been some logging in the Sawyer County forest, particularly around the Seeley area – Phipps Fire Lane, Janet Road and Martel's Pothole – which experienced 70+ mph straight line winds in August of
2000. Crandall says the numerous cuttings won't affect the course.
"There's the usual logging. We've gone through five or six jobs in the past."
Once again the field will feature several past champions. In the men's race, 2000 Chequamegon 40 champion Steve Tilford, the dean of mountain bikers, will join 1999 champ Scott Quiring on the starting line. Rishi Grewal, brother of 1984 Olympic road race gold medalist Alexi,
may fly in for the race, and don't be surprised if Minnesotans Jeff Hall, Gene Oberpriller or Dewey Dickey put in strong showings. Last year's second–place finisher, Todd McFadden, could also be a factor.
The last four women's champs will toe the line in Hayward for the 40 miler: 1997 and 2000 winner Catherine Walberg, 1999 champ Kyia Malenkovich, 1998 victor Brett Schulze and 1996 winner Cindy Bijold. This race will no doubt be too close to call.
In the women's Short & Fat, I wouldn't bet against Cindy Storm, who's won the 16–mile race 10 of the last 13 years. Local favorite Scott Chapin has been training hard, and if his asthma doesn't kick in, may repeat his 1996 Short & Fat victory.
After the race, the Chequamegon/Clif Bar Clean Up Crew will once again be sweeping the course, picking up castoff energy bar wrappers, blown inner tubes and wayward water bottles. Irv and Jan Berlin will
captain this important crew in an effort to "leave no trace."
Sunday, Sept. 16, will feature a full slate of activities, including the Cable Criterium, the Rough Stuff Rendezvous and children's events. At noon, the festival drawing takes place at Telemark, top prize a Trek Fuel mountain bike.
For those new to the Cable/Hayward area, sign up for the CAMBA (Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association) trail tour on Friday.
Led by experienced CAMBA guides, this 10–mile tour showcases some of the trails that Chequamegon riders have come to love.
What's remained the same since the 1983 inaugural event is the race director's commitment to fun. "Fat fun in the forest is what it's all about," says Crandall.
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