Dylan Tremblay clears the fire. © Dave Silver Photography
by Wendy Simms (yes, the real Wendy Simms)
N-I-S-S-C-C-O-T-U. Otherwise known as the Nutcase Intercontinental Single Speed Cyclocross Championships of the Universe. You heard me – the universe. No, we were not officially sanctioned by the UCU (“Unione Cycliste Universale”), but singlespeeders are a rebel breed and it was Hallows’ Eve. So we went ahead with it. Besides, without official sanctioning we were able to use the banned open fire pit jumps, the half kilometer Le Mans start (i.e. a run to the bikes), fireworks, socially unacceptable costumes and the “10 pack” set of barriers that were not up to UCU code. Some cursed it, others loved it and some just dressed up and took their beatings like superheroes. This is their story…
Race #1. Beginner Mish-Mash Gear’d Race
All of those either unable (multiple gears) or unwilling (too chicken?) to participate in the NISSCCOTU singlespeed main event were relegated to the first race of the day. A smaller showing suggested many regular beginner and intermediate racers were saving themselves for the marquee showdown. That, or perhaps they needed to get home early to catch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre marathon on TV. Hard to tell.
The race started with a bang – literally. Race director Norm Thibault lit the first Cherry Bomb of the day at exactly 11:00am and the beginners started their 500m run across the field to their bikes, dodging cow patties the size of Chucky. Rob Williamson (as Braveheart) took the holeshot and never looked back, picking up the Lighthouse Le Mans beer prime, the 1 ¼ lap SaltSpring coffee prime, the 22min beer prime and the win. Not too shabby. Behind him, Aaron Grant chased valiantly but continued to lose time and had to settle for second while Hugh Fletcher, owner of the property, legend and official stoker of the fire pits rolled in for third.
On the feminine side of things, Michelle Lantaigne (Wicked Witch of the West) won the Lighthouse Le Mans beer prime, but the effort proved too much as Charlene Stewart surged ahead soon after to take the 1 ¼ lap Saltspring Coffee prime and continued on for the win. The foiled witch had to settle for second. Meanwhile, pretty little Katie Duncan Rabien (Blades of Glory) in her hot pink ice queen outfit won the hearts of the crowd (and the Best Costume Award) as she triple-axled her way through the course with her pony tail bouncing and a smile plastered on her face.
Race #2. Kids Race
A Halloween grab bag of kids started the high noon event. Kids bikes, dirt jumpers mountain bikes, BMX bikes – the rigs had everything from moto fenders, to training wheels, to spoke beads. Ages ranged from six to 15, with nine and up tackling two laps of the modified course and under nine years old doing a single loop. Some kids were having such a great time, they just kept right on going: until you waved a prize in their general direction and they slammed on the brakes…Nothing stops kids in their tracks faster than free schwag.
Race#3. Nutcase Incontinental Single Speed Cyclocross Championships Of The Universe.
Norm starts the race with fireworks. © Dave Silver Photography
As officials examined the racers’ rigs to make sure they were singlespeed-compliant, gasoline was being poured on the fire pit jumps behind them. A small child from the kids race asked, “but couldn’t they DIE?!” as her daddy passed the Oak Bay Bikes check and headed off to the start line in the distance. Meanwhile, pyrotechnic specialist Stephanie Tarver carefully choreographed Roman candle alley as the winds were picking up.
The sun glistened off of 2008 World Singlespeed Cyclocross Champion Drew MacKenzie’s golden Speedo. The crowd was bedazzled by its beauty (or were high on gasoline fumes, we’re not sure). The racers started their long sprint-trek across the field on foot, picking up their front wheels midway. Young Matt Dawes (OBB Fairy Princess#1) looked to be a sure win for the Lighthouse Le Mans beer prime, but he had picked up the wrong wheel and had to backtrack. Mike Murphy readily took the prime from Dawes but that effort, combined with his overgeared mountain bike proved to be the nails in his coffin as he steadily slipped backwards after the effort.
Once Murphy fell off the pace, it was a duel of the Speedo kind. Norm Thibault (in Rainbow Speedo) tried to break away from Mackenzie and his Golden Speedo, but suffered a wardrobe malfunction as his oversized rainbow got caught in his saddle. MacKenzie then did the Golden Speedo proud and rocketed around the course like the World Champion he is to secure the 1 ¼ lap Saltspring Coffee and the win, making it look easy. Behind him a core group of costume-clad racers chased to no avail, including Russell Anderson (Strongbad), Thibault, Steve Bachop, Dylan Tremblay (Don Juan, Spanish Logger), Jeff Reimer (Parksville Cougar), Peter Stevenson (Laid off Hydro Employee living the Dream) and James Cameron.
Two Wendy Simms look-alikes. © Dave Silver Photography
As the course took its toll, the poor gearing choices became apparent and the costumes began to disintegrate. The group split up with Bachop taking second and Strongbad taking third. Unfortunately for those podium boys, the coveted Nutcase Helmet prizes were awarded unconventionally to the fourth (Tremblay) and 11th (Roland Rabien, dressed as pre-pregnant Wendy Simms) placed finishers.
In the women’s category, it was a battle of the babes as Joele Guynup (in Flashdance attire) and Kristenn Magnussen (Supergirl) were within hair pulling distance for most of the race. Although Magnussen took the Lighthouse Le mans Beer Prime and the 1 ¼ lap Saltspring coffee prime, in the end it was Guynup’s insider golden Speedo communiqué that helped her pull away for the Nutcase NISSCCOTU Superstar edition helmet. Unfortunately, the rest of the field splintered behind them leaving only 3 more officially ranked riders giving Glenowyn Carlson (Prom Queen) and Charlene Hay the fourth and 11th (modified to fifth) place Nutcase helmets.
Of special note was Amanda Wakeling (Circus Chicken) who won the Runner Up Best Costume Award and opted to do a lap on her singlespeed unicycle!
Photo Gallery:
Full Results:
| Race #1 | Gear’ed Men | 5 Laps | ||
| Place | Name | Club | Finish Time | Time Back |
| 1 | Rob Williamson | Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo | 0:45:10 | |
| 2 | Aaron Grant | 0:47:35 | 0:02:25 | |
| 3 | Hugh Fletcher | AMC | 0:48:29 | 0:03:19 |
| 4 | Tom Wojcik | LePeleton | 0:48:50 | 0:03:40 |
| 5 | Dave Lantaigne | 0:53:26 | 0:08:16 | |
| 6 | Derek Vichert | 0:48:01 | -1 Lap | |
| 7 | Brodie Hay | Healthy Habits | 0:59:15 | -1 Lap |
| 8 | Wayne Dawes | DNF | ||
| LeMans Lighthouse Beer Prime: Rob Williamson | ||||
| 1 1/4 Lap Saltspring Coffee Prime: Rob Williamson | ||||
| 22 Minute Lighthouse Brewery Riptide Pale Ale Prime: Rob Williamson | ||||
| Race #1 | Gear’ed Women | 5 Laps | ||
| Place | Name | Club | Finish Time | Time Back |
| 1 | Charlene Stewart | 0:49:16 | ||
| 2 | Michelle Lantaigne | Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo | 0:49:40 | 0:00:24 |
| 3 | Katie Duncan Rabien | Oak Bay Bikes Victoria | 0:57:10 | 0:07:54 |
| 4 | Stacy Cuzzocrea | 0:52:28 | -1 Lap | |
| LeMans Lighthouse Beer Prime: Michelle Lantaigne | ||||
| 1 1/4 Lap Saltspring Coffee Prime: Charlene Stewart | ||||
| Race #2 | Kids Race | 1 Lap | ||
| Place | Name | Club | ||
| 1 | Madeline Stewart | |||
| 2 | Kaden Perkins | Team Mad Men | ||
| 3 | Zack Lantaigne | |||
| Race #2 | Kids Race | 2 Laps | ||
| Place | Name | Club | ||
| 1 | Harrison Goulet | |||
| 2 | Brodie Hay | Healthy Habits | ||
| 3 | Jordan Trill | AMC | ||
| 4 | Claire Stewart | |||
| 5 | Kaiden Vichert | |||
| 6 | Cole Perkins | Team Mad Men | ||
| NISSCCOTU Championship Event: WOMEN | 7 Laps | |||
| Place | Name | Club | Finish Time | Time Back |
| 1 | Joel Guynup | Island Racing Club | 0:57:24 | |
| 2 | Kristen Magnasson | Arrowsmith MTB Club | 0:57:46 | 0:00:22 |
| 3 | Emily Chastain-Sportsman | Bigwheel Racing | 1:04:29 | 0:07:05 |
| 4 | Glenowyn Carlson | Team Alliance | 0:56:59 | -1 Lap but not lapped by women’s leader |
| 5 | Charlene Hay | Healthy Habits | 1:06:12 | -1 Lap |
| DNF | Amanda Wakeling | Comox Valley Cycle Club | ||
| DNF | Tanya Berg | Oak Bay Bikes-Victoria | ||
| NOR | Jen Eriendson | OrganicAthlete | ||
| LeMans Lighthouse Beer Prime: Kristen Magnussen | ||||
| 1 1/4 Lap Saltspring Coffee Prime: Kristen Magnussen | ||||
| NISSCCOTU Championship Event: MEN | 8 Laps | |||
| Place | Name | Club | Finish Time | Time Back |
| 1 | Drew MacKenzie | Island Racing Club | 0:56:32 | |
| 2 | Steve Bachop | Island Racing Club | 0:57:58 | 0:01:26 |
| 3 | Russel Anderson | Everti-Oak Bay Bikes | 0:58:33 | 0:02:01 |
| 4 | Dylan Tremblay | Oak Bay Bikes-Nanaimo | 0:59:21 | 0:02:49 |
| 5 | Normon Thibault | Frontrunners-Nanaimo | 0:59:39 | 0:03:07 |
| 6 | Peter Stevenson | Experience Cycling | 0:59:44 | 0:03:12 |
| 7 | James Cameron | Pro City Racing | 1:01:36 | 0:05:04 |
| 8 | Jeff Riemer | Arrowsmith MTB Club | 1:01:42 | 0:05:10 |
| 9 | Justin Mark | Steed Cycles-Helly Hansen | 1:03:16 | 0:06:44 |
| 10 | Bill McMillan | Nanaimo MTB Club | 1:04:42 | 0:08:10 |
| 11 | Roland Rabien | Triple Shot | 0:57:17 | -1 Lap |
| 12 | Shep Stewart | Oak Bay Bikes-Nanaimo | 0:57:25 | -1 Lap |
| 13 | Halldor Gunnarsson | Riders Cycles | 0:57:27 | -1 Lap |
| 14 | Lee Blais | Ozzies-AVR | 0:57:45 | -1 Lap |
| 15 | Matt Dawes | Oak Bay Bikes-Nanaimo | 0:57:47 | -1 Lap |
| 16 | Paul Brend | IRC-Cameron Law | 0:57:50 | -1 Lap |
| 17 | Jeff Beeston | Trail Bikes | 0:58:09 | -1 Lap |
| 18 | Mike Pollock | Everti Bikes | 0:58:24 | -1 Lap |
| 19 | Glen Wakeling | Trail Bikes-Eatmore Sprouts | 0:58:59 | -1 Lap |
| 20 | Ron Mooewikson | Nanaimo MTB Club | 1:00:30 | -1 Lap |
| 21 | Mike Murphy | Frontrunners-Nanaimo | 1:00:36 | -1 Lap |
| 22 | Rui Batista | Pro City Racing | 1:01:17 | -1 Lap |
| 23 | Davegan Shishkoff | OrganicAthlete | 1:01:25 | -1 Lap |
| 24 | Tom Malczynski | 1:01:52 | -1 Lap | |
| 25 | Scott Sportsman | Big Wheel Racing | 1:02:37 | -1 Lap |
| 26 | Eric Bruhall | Ozzies-AVR | 1:04:21 | -1 Lap |
| 27 | Mark Allison | 1:04:21 | -1 Lap | |
| 28 | Michael Golinski | 1:04:22 | -1 Lap | |
| 29 | Mark Wieler | AMC | -2 Laps | |
| 30 | Tom Wojcik | LePeloton | -2 Laps | |
| DNF | Taylor Smith | Oak Bay Bikes-Nanaimo | ||
| DNF | Robin Dutton | Frontrunners-Nanaimo | ||
| DNF | Greg Olson | Oak Bay Bikes-Nanaimo | ||
| LeMans Lighthouse Beer Prime: Mike Murphy | ||||
| 1 1/4 Lap Saltspring Coffee Prime: Drew MacKenzie | ||||
| 22 Minute Lighthouse Brewery Riptide Pale Ale Prime: Glen Wakeling | ||||
| Dead Last BUT on Lead Lap: Bill McMillan | ||||
