BCBR Day 4

After a wicked eve in Powell River the boys are off to Sechelt. Thanks again the Westview Centre Motel for all their help and the laundry service. Try to get that in Van!! The big worry for us was that they would get the early boat and I would have to wait 2.5 hrs as the NTSB has a 1 person, 1 lifejacket rule. Get to the ferry and think it’s a lil dodgy and we talked to Karen, one of the volunteers and she said no worries its all good. One more horseshoe from Jamie’s ass used. A quick 55 min peel to Sechelt and another great stage. 60km and 1800 m ascent!! Trying to get Robins brake form squealing so it’s a mad dash on he boat, pro mobile mechanics as I rip parts off Mary to assist in the repair of the race machine. My rotor and pads and all is well…and just in time as the racers are changed and ready for the other side! Big huge racer photo op in the bow of the ferry, 350 plus riders all huddled up cozy like!! Pretty cool. They unload and get ready for the chute and with nowhere to park I make it up to the Egmont turnoff with a whole whack of others, unload and walk down with the came, as usual, shooting the riders warming up. About half hour to start so I chat with some folks…BLAHBLAHBLAH! Hear the police escort come through and see the pack coming and look who it is 50ft out in front….J.S.B!!! WTF is he doing up there? And where is Simone? And how quick is the pack going swallow him up and shit him out the back? From what I heard…it wasn’t long! Good for him though, he led a stage….LOL.

After they all pass I grab the hot rod and head into town. Thank god for nav, or I'd be in Sooke!!! Go do a few errands, chocolate milk and run over town looking for juicy pads and speed beans….ya right!! In Sechelt? Didn’t think so. Oh well. Get to the hotel and its right on the drag and the drag is right on the ocean…SWEET! Go check in and the ladies there were uber helpful as well. Hooked me up with the hose for après race which was awesome. You got to love small towns. She had an answer for every question I had and if she didn’t the answer wasn’t no, it was lemme find out and ill let you know. GREAT SERVICE RULES!! All checked in, cooler has cho-mo in it so I unload the cam and go walking. Had a beer with Mary from Obsession Bikes. Those guys are studs. They’ve been working ball to wall since day one, even doing an all nighters after day 3…and probably everyday since. Thanks for the beer Mary cause it was 28 and I was dying!! Head into the woods sans bike as its pretty tight and I have no front brakes…which normally wouldn’t bug me!! Talk to a lady about her choice of beers at the time, BUD LIGHT? Steve would appreciate that as I still raz him about Demo Days!! But as I told her you cant turn down gift beers and she agreed.

Walk thought this super buff single-track rainforest trail that I would love to just hammer through on Mary……my Mary! But all I have is my camera. Which is giving me fits as my aperture speed wont adjust…..so all 150 pics I took today are fooked!! That makes me pretty grumpy?!?! Oh well, im not here for me, im here for The Schmengys! I pack it in and start walking back, looks of suffering on a lot of the riders faces. Then Mical and Jeff rip past and give me a big woo hoo!! A lil while later my boys tear ass past me so I book it out running my ass off in flip flops….not the best footwear to run in but I had too make sure the guys got their cho mo....and they did.

The boys look punched and you can see the suffering they endured in their faces. Fuelling up at the finish I hook up with them, tell them where the hot rod is and listen to how gnarly the track was. They passed a lot of rough people. Tell me they went passed Logan who said something along the lines “ there is no joy iin my life right now”. He was sitting on a log at the time. At the end of it all I heard that the stage was maybe +9km from originally taped? OUCH! Chris Shepard even informed me he needed an IV. Now that’s a stomper of a track. The guys didn’t even change, just straight to the hotel for ice bath hot shower combo!! Got them all loaded in teh room and washed the bikes to get it over with. Talking with one of the support wives from Hardcore Bikes and she has this sweet Nissan Mini Motorhome that is so rad!! Then get to wiping down Jamie’s bike and as I dry the fork I notice a crack in the arch…..F*@k!! Tell him and we decide that whatever, ride it like you stole it. If it breaks no one dies anyway so no biggy. Anyway, no falls or major incidents’ on trail and only roughly 10 mins behind leaders. A great day of suffering for my boys! *pats back*

Do the awards and wander around tent city for a bit shooting as the guys hung out with the other riders……..which didn’t last long. Superstore for some food, hotel to prep all the gear and get to bed!! As you know, long day tomorrow!

R