Darwin "Dar" Vollrath, director of Wisport, dies at 53
His citizen bicycle racing series will live on, friends and fellow organizers say
by Joel Patenaude 
| Darwin "Dar" Vollrath |
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Darwin "Dar" Vollrath, long-time director of the Wisport citizen bicycle racing series, died in Italy on Sunday, April 3. The father of five grown sons was out bicycling when he suffered a heart attack. He was 53.
As a result of Vollrath's death, the pre-season Friendly Century in Willard, Wisconsin, on April 16 was cancelled. That day a celebration of Vollrath's life
was held in a park in his hometown of Greenwood. Vollrath was prompted to start cycling after he suffered a heart attack in 1993. About the same time, he took over the 5-year-old Wisport Cycling Series. Now in its 17th year, the 2005 series includes 28 events across the state from road races, time trials and criteriums. The best known and well attended event in the
series is the Grand View Firehouse 50, scheduled for August 6. In the winter, Vollrath led the Midwest Snowshoe Championships.
Silent Sports snowshoeing columnist Jim Joque said that in his last e-mail, Vollrath said he had backed away from organizing snowshoe races because his "plate was too full" between his day job as a safety consultant
and Wisport. Nevertheless, he wrote that he had accepted a commissioner's position with the Badger State Games.
Seth Vollrath, 21, competed in the snowshoe nationals in Salt Lake City, Utah, and he and his father snowshoed together in Italy last year.
Seth said he remembers his father teaching him how to ride a bicycle. He doesn't remember training wheels being involved. "I think it was, 'Just get on and you better be able to ride,'" he said of his father's teaching
technique. While there was a lot of competition between the Vollrath boys, Seth said their father "never compared us, but he liked to see it."
The family put on events such as the Willard Time Trial and the Friendly Century Ride. Early on, the brothers tracked points and scored participants, handling a lot of the computer work.
After Vollrath's first heart attack "he changed his lifestyle; started getting in shape and eating well. He got a
second chance," Seth said. "I think he thought he was on a safe road after awhile and didn't have anything to worry about."
Eldest son Aaron Vollrath, 31, said his father "was a staunch supporter of bicycling. He wanted to facilitate a friendly yet competitive environment; not so cut-throat but one that gave a lot of people a chance to excel and get in better shape."
This would have been Vollrath's 12th year directing Wisport. His wife, Deb, who worked on the series as well (she was also in Italy when her husband died), said series co-director Butch Dushack and other Wisport board members "will be taking over where Dar left off."
"One comfort," Dushak said, "was that Dar was doing something he loved when he died. Cycling was his passion."
And for many others, he added, "Dar was the definition of bicycling in Wisconsin. Wisport is bicycle racing to a lot of people. Most of the community events would not exist if not for the series. And it always was and always will be a citizen series."
Dushak said the series' tagline "for the normally obsessed" was funny "because there was really nothing normal about Dar. He was bigger than life."
At 6-foot, 4-inches tall, 230-240 pounds and a handlebar moustache, "he was an imposing guy. But you couldn't find anyone more gentle," Dushak said. "He would listen and talk to anyone. He didn't have an enemy in the world."
Karl Gutknecht of Cycle Ventures said, "Dar was the sturdiest oak in the forest. His lively humor, warm heart and deep generosity such a friend. We all loved him."
Despite his size, the founder of Greenwood's LBR Club (which stood for "Lead Butt Racing") was fast in the competitive 50-54 age group.
David Goetzinger of Dubuque, Iowa, was in Vollrath's division. The two were both built like the former college football players they were Dar, a tackle for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Goetzinger, a running back at UW-Stout.
Goetzinger said he remembered a cycling race in Cumberland in which Dar shot from the back of the pack to chase down a rabbit. "I jumped on his wheel and got a free ride. It reminded me of playing football, sweeping around the end. Dar was pulling his running back around with him. How cool was that?"
For years, Goetzinger has spent nearly every summer weekend to a Wisport event. When money was tight, Goetzinger said Vollrath let him stay at his home in order for him to race.
He said Vollrath created something unique with Wisport on the board of which Goetzinger serves.
"Dar attracted top level riders as well as those who just bought a department store bicycle," he said. "It was tough to draw the line sometimes. But just because you have a USCF (U.S. Cycling Federation) license doesn't necessarily mean your really good or should only be able to race in nationally sanctioned events."
Wisport broke the 400-member mark last year. Each event draws 90 to 150 Wisport members, which tend to make up 80 percent or more of the field. Open as the events are to serious and recreational racers alike, they are still competitive. But the emphasis is on the camaraderie.
"After every race people hang out whether they won or lost, placed or showed, or didn't finish. It is about getting together with fellow cyclists and enjoying the day," Dushak said.
He added, "Dar built something that is going to go on without him." | 
