Supporting The Cause

Bacon wrapped dill pickle anyone? 

 Ten years ago this weekend I was up in Cherry Grove Minnesota doing support for the original Almanzo 100 event when it was run out of Spring Valley, Minnesota. 

It wasn't "on my bingo card", as the saying goes, even a week beforehand to do this gig. It was all a last minute thing due to a sponsor pulling out at the 11th hour. 

At the time, I was partnered up in Riding Gravel and my partner in that effort had called me asking if I could join him in supporting this checkpoint/aid station, or whatever Cherry Grove was meant to be. 

My vision at the time was a spot in the road to grab more water and maybe we'd be handing out gel packets. What I didn't know was how this would end up becoming a sort of party/hang-out scene, not unlike what you might see at Mid-South, for instance. 

There was beer. There was whiskey. There was bacon wrapped dill pickles! It was a scene for sure, and it all went over really well, actually. So wel we were asked to come back for the next two years. But that first year was quite a wild time, especially since I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

 I was really happy it turned out as well as it did. I was even more happy to have had some small part in helping with an iconic gravel event. So iconic it got its founder, Chris Skogen, installed into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame with me in 2022. 

Ten years ago...... Already? Wild to think this. What is even wilder is thinking about how some gravel riding racers and punters think gravel events started around this time. Or even afterward! That's mind blowing to me to even try to comprehend.  

So many good memories came out of those three years doing the Almanzo 100 support. This first year I went up with N.Y. Roll and his old dog, Ella, who is no longer with us. My son, Jacob came along and made a huge impression on the riders by refilling their water bottles. This was also the event where the infamous "Red Bull" incident involving my son, a can of Red Bull given to him by N.Y. Roll, and my son's passing out in N.Y. Roll's SUV happened. Jacob never let N.Y. Roll live that one down. And now he's gone as well..... 

Yeah, a bittersweet memory filled time for sure. Crazy how much things can change in ten years. Even this event is gone now. 

Just crazy....