The third annual GearJammer cross-country bike race was a hit with riders Saturday (Aug. 20), many of whom could be overheard discussing the treacherous single-track course.
Perhaps it was locals' knowledge, or it may be the high per capita rate of elite riders, but Squamish names took at least one of the top three spots in most categories, and for many, that meant a provincial championship.
Meghan Kindree took the top honours in the Elite Women, also earning herself the provincial championship jersey, with a time of 3 hours 7 minutes. Ryan Edwards took third place in Elite Men with the jersey going to Matt Martindale of West Vancouver who repeated last year's win. And Kyle Salter took the jersey in the U17 category. Other local notables include Jordan Butts who won the Citizen Men under 19 category closely followed by locals Kodi Stoddart, Hayden Drygas and Evan Drygas. Phil Cairns topped the list in U17 Sport Men with Michel Demers taking third. Danielle Dornik earned second place in Jr. and U17 Women, Chris McCrum took first in Sr. Sport Men, and Charlotte Klein took first in Sr. Sport Women.
The names are just a few of the local top winners, but this year's event may very well stand out as the year of the "poster boy". Test of Metal organizer Cliff Miller was honoured with his own "poster boy" category - in which he placed first with a time of 4 hours 36 minutes. He was roasted during the awards ceremony and handed a poster showing a picture of Miller riding a bike with a hole in his shorts and a dog nipping at him. The scene is also displayed on a tarot card depiction of "The Fool."
The razing is well-deserved, said GearJammer organizer Curtis Roberts, because Miller is the "man who set the bar" for Squamish biking events. Miller took on the 47 kilometres of tough terrain in his first race since 2000.
"It was great fun," said Miller minutes after the race. But, he was soon overheard laughing with the gathering crowds of spectators and racers who agreed: "It hurt," he said.
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