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Badger State Trail grand opening on July 8 The grand opening of the Badger State Trail – stretching from northern Illinois to Madison, Wisconsin – is set for Sunday, July 8, in Belleville, Wisconsin. Following the noon opening ceremony and ribbon cutting will be a 12:30 p.m. "Trek to the Tunnel" by walkers, runners and cyclists. A 1,200-foot long restored railroad tunnel and 40 trestle bridges are features of the Badger State Trail connecting the Jane Addams Trail in Illinois to the Green County, Wisconsin, communities of Monroe, Monticello, Belleville and Paoli. Future plans include a connection to the Capital City Trail in Madison. The event will include food, entertainment, displays by user groups (ATV'ers, snowmobilers and bicyclists.) Call the New Glarus Woods State Park DNR Office at 608/527-2335 for more info. Ripon, WisCONSIN, to host time trial on July 8 In honor of Ripon, Wisconsin, and its hometown hero of over a century ago, Louis Reed, a time trial bicycle race will again be held Sunday, July 8, in Ripon's Barlow Park. Reed held three state bicycle records during the first national bicycle craze in the 1890s and Ripon twice hosted the Wisconsin Championship Races in that same era. The Louis Reed Time Trial, now in its 17th year, is open to all comers, young and old and of all abilities and equipment. In time trials such such as this, each cyclist races only himself against the clock. As in all previous years, there is no charge and registration is done prior to the event which starts at 8:15 a.m. The Time Trial Race will begin at the site of the 1893-94 races and follow a circular course of ten miles along County E to Watson Road, over to Radio Road and back to Barlow Park. July 8 is also Ripon Fest, so cyclists are encouraged to come for the race and stay for the parade. For more information, call Eric Westhagen at 920/346-8228 or e-mail him at mktquant@centurytel.net. 12-Hour MTB Rodeo Stampede on July 7 Mountain bike endurance race in Spooner, Wis., to benefit young development team The Riverbrook Momentum U23 Development Team will host the 2nd annual 12-Hour Rodeo Stampede on July 7. The mountain bike endurance event will start at 9 a.m. and use the challenging trails at Spooner City Park in Spooner, Wisconsin. Race director Chase Sova describes the event as a low-key event and the perfect tune-up for the 24 Hours of Nine Mile in Wausau later in the month. The 12-Hour Rodeo Stampede will feature a new Festival Freeride category, a solo category for riders who want to ride throughout the day. Riders in this category can come and go as they please, riding as many or as few laps as they desire. The course uses a 6-mile lap, which Sova describes as "pretty technical." All proceeds from the race will go toward funding the Riverbrook U23 Team, now in its second year as well. Brothers Chase and Chad Sova, both students at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, organized the team last year to give support to young and developing mountain bikers in the Midwest. This year's team has about 15 riders, the youngest being 10 years old, all slated to help at the 12-hour race. The U23 (under 23 years of age) team riders receive a team kit. "You give a kid a jersey and shorts, and he gets really excited," Chase Sova said. Team members also get some coaching, access to tools and car pooling, and Sova would like to pay for some of the elite riders' entry fees. With surging gas prices and high entry fees, racing is an expensive proposition for junior riders. Riverbrook Bike & Ski is providing technical assistance at the race as well as to the team. Former Saturn pro rider Tim Swift and TJ Woodruff (momentumendurance.com) are also helping coach the young team riders. For more information about the race or the team, contact Chase Sova at sovaca@uwec.edu or 715/635-2134 or 715/520-7587. Planet Bike marks a decade of making a difference Planet Bike, the Madison, Wisconsin-based manufacturer of bicycle accessories, is celebrating its 10th anniversary of doing business its own way. Ten years ago, Bob Downs started a business he hoped could be profitable as well as environmentally, socially and politically aware. He left his employer, Trek Bicycles, to launch the company. "Planet Bike began as a social experiment that dedicated itself to doing business in a different way," Downs said. "With Planet Bike, I wanted to help bring about positive change for people, their communities and the environment." To that end, Downs committed to giving 25 percent of Planet Bike profits to bicycle advocacy efforts. This year, the company will have donated $500,000 to the grass-roots bicycling movement. By 2010, its goal is to donate $1 million to other organizations dedicated to making America a friendlier place for cyclists. The company was founded on the belief that the bicycle has great potential to improve the world and the lives of its people. Because 50 percent of urban trips are less than three miles, there is great opportunity to shift such trips from cars to bikes. Planet Bike has endeavored to help people make that shift by making their communities friendlier places for the self-propelled, which produces cleaner air, healthier citizens and more connected communities. Downs biked 900 miles to Washington, D.C., to attend the 2000 National Bike Summit and lobby for improved conditions for cyclists. There he connected with leading bike advocates who were pioneering a new network of grass-roots organizations that would become the Thunderhead Alliance. Planet Bike made a financial contribution to the fledgling organization that helped launch an effort to ensure that all 50 states and at least the 50 highest populated U.S. cities are represented by effective and sustainable bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. Planet Bike, which continues to support the Thunderhead Alliance, has expanded its sponsorship of other major bicycling programs. Some of the programs include Trips for Kids, the National Bike Summit, the Chicago Bicycling Ambassador program and the Texas Bicycle Coalition's Safe Routes to School program. Planet Bike sponsored the city of Madison's Platinum Bike Committee, an effort to make Madison the most bicycle-friendly community in America. Planet Bike donated cash and staff time to this effort. For its efforts, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin named Planet Bike the 2006 Outstanding Business of the Year. The city of Chicago will recognize Planet Bike with the 2007 Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council Award for Planet Bike's efforts toward promoting bicycling in the city. Social experiments aside, Planet Bike's goal is to make innovative, high-quality and practical bicycle accessories. Products include bicycle lights, fenders, cycling computers, pumps, saddles, locks, gloves, handlebar tape, racks and cages. Product advancements include the four-line computer, which is now a standard in the industry, and the world's first self-contained HID light. CXC Skiing receives national awards In mid-May, the Central Cross-Country Skiing Association (CXC) received three top awards from the United States Ski and Snowboard Association including the 2007 Cross-Country Club of the Year award. The awards were presented at the annual USSA Chairman's Awards Dinner in Deer Valley, Utah. "It's a big honor to receive this award for CXC and myself personally," CXC Chief Executive Officer Yuriy Gusev said. "It was possible only because of our volunteers who dedicated countless hours to our organization, and sponsors who supported us from the beginning and invested in our sport." Bryan Fish, CXC Ski Team head coach, was recognized as a Cross-Country Domestic Coach of the Year and also as a USSA Development Coach of the Year across all snow sports. In his first year as cross-country coach for the fledgling CXC Ski Team based in Hayward, Wisconsin, Fish saw his athletes win U.S. and SuperTour titles and medals at the U-23 Nordic World Championships. "For Bryan, this is an outstanding recognition of the hard work, talent and experience in the first year of an amazingly successful program. He deserves every accolade that could come his way," said Ken Schoville, Minocqua High School coach and former president of the Wisconsin High School Coaches Association. CXC governs competitive cross-country skiing in the 10-state central region. The organization oversees youth programs, supports the Junior Olympic Qualifying System, Central Collegiate Ski Association, senior and master's skiing, provides continuing education for coaches and officials, trains Olympic-caliber athletes and is the Midwest pipeline to the U.S. Ski Team. CXC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. For more information, go to www.cxcskiing.org. Get a whiff of La Crosse at this 5K on July 28 The fifth annual running of a 5K through – how can we say this politely? – some of the more odoriferous neighborhoods of La Crosse, Wisconsin, will take place July 28. And the cross-country runners at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse who put on the race are proud of the route they've selected. "This scenic 5K starts right on the Mississippi River near the sewage treatment plant," writes Connor Lonning of the Health Education and Physical Education Program. "It then winds its way through the run-down streets of La Crosse's industrial park. After running through beautiful Riverside Park, the runners come back and finish at the famous (Bleep)house Flame." And from that the race gets its name, which this magazine is reluctant to print (except in the calendar). This is how La Crosse Tribune reporter Matt James avoided using the actual name of the race in an article he wrote in 2005: "Just in case there was any confusion, like the title might be 'Outhouse 5K' or 'Penthouse 5K' or 'Crackhouse 5k,' the bleeped word is a synonym for 'poop' and it rhymes with 'pit.' As in, I could get in a whole pit-load of trouble if I used the real name." Although local media has been reluctant to publish reports on the race because of its name, the organizers bluntly describe most aspects of the event with gratuitous derivations of the same word. The fact remains, the 5K attracts a couple hundred runners every year, including many fast collegiate athletes from the Midwest. Lonning said this year's field will include Will Leer (3:41 for 1,500 meters and a multiple national champion) as well as All-Americans Tyler Sigl, Brian Butzler, Gary Garcia, Paul Moran and Mike Herlihy. "The flame may put off a horrible smell, but the competition is anything but (bleepy)," Lonning said. Furthermore, he predicted, "We expect to triple the number of participants from last year." If anything, the price is right. For just $5, runners get to race and party afterward. Beer and a DJ will liven up the festivities. College housing is also available the night before the race. Again, for contact information, refer to the calendar listing for this July 28 5K in LaCrosse. New thrills added to Wausau Whitewater Course Recent renovations to the Wausau (Wisconsin) Whitewater Park course can be enjoyed by canoeists and kayakers during several open release dates this summer, according to Wausau paddler Kevin Hickson. There is a full schedule of events for the summer season as well. American Canoe Association Open Canoe Slalom Nationals and North American Championships is set for July 20-22, and the Midwest Freestyle Championships will take place August 18-19. Recreational water releases are sandwiched between these events. This past spring, additional features were built into the course. "The end result of the week's (worth of) work was a powerful improvement, top to bottom, of the course's characteristics," Hickson wrote. "There are more play spots and friendly challenge features throughout the course. You have to come and check it out for yourself." Here's what paddlers can expect: • Between the dam and the first railroad bridge, a new hole exists. It is a beginning, friendly feature with large, serviceable eddies, great for playing, running and practice. • The railroad bridge hole was improved and is "absolutely, positively excellent," Hickson said. "If you play – and I will make a risky statement here – there is no better place in Wisconsin to have a blast." • The Washington Street Bridge hole is a bit broader and easier to catch from the surfer-right eddy. • No change to the Big Drop, but Little Drop saw modest modifications, making it slightly easier to punch through on the river-right side. • Three new features exist at the bottom quarter of the course, and all are beginner- to intermediate-level changes. There are two combination wave/hole features with a hole feature between them. The top wave/hole is easy to spin in and surf. For more information, go to www.wausauwhitewater.org. Birkie Trail hosts marathon relay, half marathon & 5K on Sept. 22 A new trail run event will be launched as part of the 35th anniversary of the American Birkebeiner ski race. The Birkie Trail Run, formerly a 15K and 5K running event, will be relaunched as a 26.2-mile marathon relay, an individual 13.1-mile half marathon and a 5K fun run. All events will take place on the hilly Birkie Trail on Saturday, September 22. "The Birkie has grown exponentially since Tony Wise launched the marathon distance cross-country ski race in 1973, and we decided the 35th anniversary was the perfect year to expand upon his vision and redesign our fall running event," said Ned Zuelsdorff, executive director of the Birkie. "We think Tony would have been pleased with the new event and with expanded year-round Birkie Trail use." In the 35 years since Tony Wise launched the Birkie, 189,285 men and women have skied the 51K American Birkebeiner and 23K Kortelopet. Thousands of others have participated in shorter races and events catered to youth, teens, families and recreational skiers. "Skiers consistently say the Birkie motivates them to stay healthy and fit year-round, and runners consistently ask if we'll add a longer and team-oriented running event," Zuelsdorff said. "The Birkie Trail Run seemed a natural way to respond to both skiers and runners and get them on the famous Birkie Trail during one of the most beautiful times of the year in northern Wisconsin." The Birkie Trail marathon relay will allow for three- and six-person open, women's and mixed teams. Relay teams will be handicapped based on participant ages and genders. Water, energy products and medical support will be available on the course, but teams will be responsible for transporting team members to specified relay exchange points using a single vehicle. Higher clearance vehicles are recommended due to some of the forest roads that will be used to get to the runner exchange points. The individual half marathon will include men's and women's divisions and 10-year age classes. All runners must be at least 16 years of age on race day. The 5K fun run is open to anyone age 10 or older on race day. To register for the Birkie Marathon Relay, Half Marathon or 5K Trail Run, log on to www.birkie.com/?page=1073 or call 715/634-5025. February 21-23, 2008, the Birkie – the largest and most prestigious cross-country ski marathon in North America – will celebrate its 35th anniversary. Spanning 51K from Cable to Hayward, the Birkie is part of the Worldloppet series of 14 international races, part of the American Ski Marathon series of 14 races and part of the lives of citizen skiers from around the world. Find out more at www.birkie.com. Minn. DNR awards $1.7 million in trail project grants The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently awarded more than $1.7 million in Recreational Trail Program grants for 37 trail development and maintenance projects for 2007. "These projects will help expand and preserve current trail recreation opportunities in Minnesota," said Andrew Korsberg, DNR trail program coordinator. The Recreational Trail Program provides matching grants up to $100,000 for local and statewide projects that expand or maintain outdoor trail recreation opportunities. Grants are funded from federal gas tax revenues to the Federal Highway Trust Fund and are distributed nationally for trail-related projects. "These funds provide needed rehabilitation and maintenance of existing trails as well as create additional trails throughout Minnesota," Korsberg said. "Projects funded are diverse, and promote recreation opportunities for many different trail users – from snowmobile users to mountain bikers." Of the 37 trail projects funded, 16 will be for nonmotorized use and another 10 will improve multiuse trails. The grant funding for nonmotorized trail projects includes $1 million for a tunnel or bridge on the Gateway State Trail, which starts in St. Paul, and $1.4 million for laying down a bituminous surface conducive for bicycling on the Glacial Lakes State Trail from New London to the Kandiyohi/Stearns county line, a distance of some 20 miles. The grant money will also go toward trail rehabilitation of the Root River State Trail in southeastern Minnesota ($375,000), improvement of the state's cross-country ski trails ($50,000), maintenance of the Superior Hiking Trail ($56,000) and construction of 10 to 15 miles of North Country National Scenic Trail ($50,000), among other projects. The state aims to spend nearly $1 million of the grant money on snowmobile trail grooming equipment and another $150,000 for equipment to maintain off-highway vehicle trails. The Minnesota Recreational Trail Users Association (MRTUA) makes recommendations to the DNR on which projects should receive funding. The association is made up of volunteer representatives from 10 recreational user groups, including members who represent ATV users, bicyclists, cross-country skiers, equestrians, hikers, inline skaters, mountain bikers, off-highway motorcyclists, off-highway truck users and snowmobile users. This year the DNR received 61 requests seeking more than $3.5 million. The Recreational Trail Program was first established in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. Minnesota has annually provided trail grants since 1996. Currently, the Recreational Trail Program is authorized and funded from the 2005 federal transportation funding bill. More information on the Recreational Trail Program and a list of funded projects can be found at www.dnr.state.mn.us/grants/recreation/trails_federal.html. State trail-users association awarded MRTUA has been honored with the President's Volunteer Service Award for 900 group hours of volunteer service. The award is given to groups that have completed an exceptional amount of volunteering. The association serves as the advisory committee for the Recreational Trail Program at the state level. Association members are volunteer leaders both in statewide trail issues and also leaders within their recreation type. "Our board members are honored to receive this recognition for their volunteer efforts in building, maintaining and promoting recreational trails in Minnesota," said Nancy Hanson, president of MRTUA. "The association's diversity has led to thoughtful and high-quality policy direction relating to the Recreational Trail Program," Korsberg said. More information on the Recre- ational Trail Program and MRTUA can be found at www.dnr.state.mn.us/grants/recreation/trails_federal.html.
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