Karapoti, the swimming race

Well thought it about time I did Poti for fun... Fun you say... how can 50km of hill drills and Bone Jarring Rock Smashing be fun??? let me elaborate little. Karapoti has this infamous ora of being one of New Zealand's longest running and punishing races. You could say a must "Add To Cart". Well that is true in a sense, but stepping back to look at it, fun does not come to mind... 3 seemingly never ending climbs, 4WD track 80% of the way and river crossings to make sure your feet never actually dry out. But this year was to be different with what event organizer Michael Jacques described as "Certainly the worse conditions I have ever seen," WOOT! Recipe for fun = Take any preconception of times and throw that out the window, Any training you have done on the flat smooth stuff "Remove From Cart", pre-laps of previous Poti races (worthless). Now add Rivers running down the trails like the dribbling mess Slacky was at the PNP Champs, Bogs the size of Dave Aldred's Ego, Braaaap! Rock Garden to steam down all bundled together on one of the BEST Full Suspension XC bikes you have ever ridden the Turner Flux. What a Riot!!!!

Short break down of my race: Yawn!!!
The gun went and I managed to smoke the river crossing 3rd out, only to find later if I had Nana stepped it like some...;) I would have got my mug shot in the local rag.



Started off with some Roadie styling leading into the gorge when the fun began, uncontrollable puddle hopping and eye piercing mud flicks. As we started "Warmup Climb" I found myself in the happy position next to fellow Turner Lover John Randal (Sifter) as we climbed tit for tat, heckling one an others "One Yer Right" "Turner coming through". Top of the warm up climb and Angry Clive Bennett was back looking after his fellow zimmer frame riders (Such a gentleman).

By this point I was loving the technical climbs and just working on not dabbing down. The first downhill and I opened up the taps passing a few good roadies to enter the stream at the bottom (that was now more like a river). More climbing was to be had but I still had energy in the tank to enjoy these. ROCK GARDEN ROAAAAR!!!! On Ya Right, Excuse me, Coming through... I let the Turner churn up the Garden and sail down the water soaked rocks like a glider gently lifted by a warm up draft. Next was probably the most un-exciting section of the race the Devils Staircase. Hicking my not so scrawny runners legs up Devils deemed to be a soul destroying walk to the summit, where I was greeted by friendly smiles of the watering hole crew and camera men poised to take the most unflattering photo you will ever see.

Quickly realizing I was not able to clip my shoes back into my pedals I stopped to find one of my cleats had come loose. Stopping for what one of the passing by ridders described as a "Lay down" to tighten up my ever loosening cleats (Glove off, tool out (NOT that tool), tighten cleat, tool away, back on bike). Right, all clipped in and eating up the trail again at a comfortable pace. Only to find 300mtrs down the track I had left my bloody glove behind... Back tracked to happily find it waiting patiently for me and I was off again. Queue a "Good Roadie" Clive Bennett steaming past me as he loooooves the rollers.

Big Ring Boulevard was a hoot! surprisingly tacky with the rain pelting done. I now missed the glasses I decided not to take as the mud rapidly blurred my vision. Imagine flying down a slippery 4WD trail blinking ever half second to clear your eyes, enough to be able to half see the trail ahead... GREAT FUN! then occasionally having to solidly close one of those eyes in a pirate type squint... Not so cool..

Finally arrived at Dopers where I could see Angry Bennett mashing his pedals in a violent roadie attempt to clear the bottom technical/rocky section. Only to dab down long enough for me to catch him. Thankfully for me this was a blessing in disguise as I was getting a little chain noise, enough for Angry to generously throw me his chain oil. Lubed up I watched Angry disappear into the distance never to be seen again. I continued to churned out Dopers happily pulling in a rider or two.

The final decent down Pram track was a blast as this had some what dried out enough to clock a half decent 50ish km/h. Half way down the Gorge I came across Alex Bushlove Bennett, the Bushlove trooper smashing in the 20km loop. He had also taken a leaf out of my book to have a little lye down but did so using his face and knee... Ouch!!! after checking he was head strong and sprite high I left him with a fellow 20km father and his kid (Thanks to that Father and Son combo for getting Alex down the final parts of the gorge). It was off for the last river crossing and a pleasantly welcome sub 3 on a Karapoti course that was the wettest I had ever ridden.


Karapoti, Muddy Noooooo?!?!?!?!?!

Happy to cruise in home only 1 minute behind the Elite Threshold "ET"

Till next year Poti when I'll be back with climbing legs and a hunger for a dry fast track please.

Lataz
Tigs

P.S I also give you the benefits of using a crud catch on your bike V's not. In the photo above, guess who did NOT use a crud catcher???