Cyko Masters Championships Phelan, CA - July 11, 1999

I got there about 6:00am and it was already starting to get warm. I changed my wheels while I was waiting. As the racers started showing up and warming up on the track I kept looking toward the gate for more people to show up. The turn out for the race was pathetic. I don't ever want to hear any of the "masters" racers complain about a shortage of races in the area. Here was this well-planned and well-located masters race and only the "core" group of mostly friends shows up. Maybe an open race would have attracted more skaters but who knows? We can only hope that Gordon doesn't give up on skate races and start racing Jack-rabbits.

As the racers line up for the start of the 16 miler, we are eager to get going. We are standing there poised for the start but wait! Did somebody say "GO!"? Oh!, I guess so! We had a quick start... "Are you ready?" ... "GO!"

As the race started Richard Nett took off as fast as he could and I was right on him. We dropped the pack before the first turn. The last year he had beaten me by inches and this year I was going to keep a close eye on him. He had told me that he wasn't feeling too good and that he was tired from the last few days of heavy skating. I thought he was just setting up his strategy but after a few turns he let me pass. I started out thinking he was going to be drafting me but he wasn't. I waited to see if he wanted to work together for a few laps but he was not catching up to me.

I decided that I felt good and I would attempt a 15 1/2 mile flyer. I decided to put as much distance between me and the rest of the race as soon as possible and allow for some slowdown later. In the next few laps I saw the gap grow larger and longer. In this winding and twisting course you can easily see where everyone is and you often pass within 10 feet of each other while on different parts of the course. On lap 5 I had a Clif Shot and felt good for a couple more laps. I took a few pictures of the other racers as they came into view throughout the course. By the 8th lap I had about 2/3 of a mile gap and I started slowing down a little. I wanted an other Clif Shot but I had none. On the last lap I rested down the little hill and then finished. Richard came in looking exhausted and I figured that he must have been telling me the truth.

This was the first race that I had won and I was excited but I have to say that there was no other competition in my class other than Richard. I would have liked several more skaters competing for the win. This was the same in many other age categories on that day. Gordon passed out the prizes but there were more prizes than there were skaters! How can he continue with results like that? We MUST show up for these races!

On the start of the 4.8 mile race the sun had burned through the clouds and was starting in on us. The wind was just noticeable. Richard took off fast again and we dropped the pack again. Richard was still hurting and waved me around quickly. I figured that if I did it once then I would try to do it again. I started crankin and opened up a large gap that again secured the win. As I came into the home stretch I was racing against Alice who was trying hard not to get lapped. I passed her at the finish line but she was there first and thus was not lapped. Richard came in shortly after with Wendy hot on his tail.

Of the 18 or 19 racers that attended, I would like to note that 7 came up from San Diego. I am proud to see this kind of response and I hope it will continue.

Joe Prescott
SDSE-IR