May 13/99 11:50 am - Ontario Track League, Courier Championships, Manitoba, B.C.

Posted by Editor on 05/13/99
 

Ontario Track League

The second event in the Ontario Track League will take place on Saturday May 15th at the Wind-Del Community Park track, Windham Centre, Delhi.

Racing starts at 12 noon with registration at 11a.m. Entry fee is $10.

Events are geared to all levels of ability and track racing knowledge including newcomers. For further information contact the Track League Coordinator at
bigvalto@aol.com


2nd North American Cycle Courier Championships

Jet Fuel Coffee Shop presents the 2nd North American Cycle Courier Championships (a.k.a. NAC3), a week of bike messenger culture, including two days of all-out bike racing action, when North America's top messengers will converge on Toronto to compete for the honour of being named best on the continent. Seasoned veteran couriers will show off the professional skills that make them invaluable to businesses, law offices, ad firms and government in cities across the continent. Racers have already registered from San Francisco, Minneapolis, Ottawa, Washington D.C., New York and Boston. (Racer registration is $40 Cdn; non-couriers are permitted to enter, but priority will be given to current or former messengers.)

The event will also be a useful forum for representatives of many newly established BMAs, or Bike Messenger Associations. BMAs have sprung up in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., Vancouver and Toronto. These exist to foster community solidarity and to improve working conditions in a dangerous and mainly non-unionized industry that often exploits its workers. Some of the issues under discussion are accident insurance and access to Worker's Compensation, the illegal practice of charging couriers a rental fee for basic equipment like radios, and the failure of many courier companies to apply normal, legislated labour standards to couriers, who are often treated as independent brokers.

NAC3 is an official event of Toronto's Bike Week. Proceeds go to St. Stephen's Community House, a multifaceted, non-denominational agency that offers a broad range of urgently needed social services in downtown Toronto. (The Toronto bike messenger community has raised over $15,000 for St. Stephen's since the inauguration of an annual bike race known as the St. Stephen's Courier Classic.)

In 1995 Toronto couriers hosted couriers from around the world during the 3rd Cycle Messenger World Championships. Europe has had its own championships for several years; Toronto couriers attended the first North American Championships in Montreal last year. The next World Championships are in Zurich in summer 1999.

NAC3 is also proudly sponsored by Amsterdam Brewery, Boundless, Cadmus Communications, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), College Park Shops, Courier Cavern, Daredevil Clothing, deVinci, Hideousewhitenoise, eye Weekly, Spreads and the Toronto Hoof & Cycle Coalition (THC).

Preliminary Schedule of Events

PRE-EVENTS (Please note: times are subject to change)

Monday, May 31, 7 p.m. to midnight, Jet Fuel Coffee Shop, 519 Parliament Street.
OPENING NIGHT OF "STAND-BY: STREET PORTRAITS OF BICYCLE MESSENGERS": Trevor Hughes' insightful black-and-white portraits are a fluid representation of the courier experience captured in stillness. Admission: $10 (complimentary bar - proceeds to St. Stephen's Community House)

Friday, June 4, 7 to 9 a.m., Spreads, 4 Temperance Street
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS: Toronto's bike messenger bar opens its doors to offer free breakfast to any cyclist in honour of the North Americans and the City of Toronto's Bike Week.

Friday, June 4, 4 p.m. to midnight, Cloud Park on Temperance Street
WELCOME PARTY: An evening of mingling and messenger culture to welcome the out-of-towners and re-establish old friendships, including a site-specific dance performance by Dog Girls, a Courier Cabaret, open-air films and DJs. Admission: Free

CHAMPIONSHIPS, DAY ONE (Saturday, June 5) (Please note: times are subject to change)

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., ELIMINATIONS: Individuals compete to place in Sunday's Finals. Racing under the conditions of daily messengering. (Ataratiri neighbourhood, east of Parliament, south of King)

4 to 7 p.m., SPRINTS AND SKIDS: Specialty races that demonstrate fine-tuned bike handling skills. (Ataratiri neighbourhood, east of Parliament, south of King)

7 p.m. to midnight, SPECIALTY COMPETITONS: Track standing, backwards circling and a brand-new event - the Lock Toss! A party atmosphere prevails as messengers show off their unique riding abilities. (Temperance Street)

CHAMPIONSHIPS, DAY TWO (Sunday, June 6) (Please note: times are subject to change)

9 a.m. to 6 p.m., CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS (College Park, behind College Park Shops, Yonge Street at College)

6 to 9 p.m., BUNNY HOPS AND SKIDS: More cycling skills competitions (Temperance Street)

9:30 to midnight, AWARDS PRESENTATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS: Top competitors are honoured, and the evening closes with a DJ and goodbyes as out-of-town competitors prepare for another day of work as usual, back home on Monday morning. (Cloud Park on Temperance Street)

GENERAL INFO: 416-539-7007.
SPONSORSHIP/HOUSING/VOLUNTEERS: 416-977-8477
WEBSITE: http://hideousewhitenoise.com


St Adolphe Mountain Bike Criterium, Manitoba

All details of the event are maintained on the event web site: http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~daavid/bike/StAdolphe.html

Race Details:

Date: June 19, 1999
Event: St Adolphe Mountain Bike Criterium
Time: 10:00 am beginners, 11:00 am other categories
Location: St Adolphe, Manitoba
Sponsor: Woodcock Cycle


Belcarra Trail Day, B.C.

Ok - you've always wanted to come out to a trail day, AND you know you want to race Belcarra - the Ridge Classic - this year (GREAT NEW COURSE). The only way to pre-ride this year's course and get a jump on the competition is to come out to trail day on:

Saturday, May 15 10:30 am

Meet at the second gate on Burrard Thermal Plant road (lower down the road than the first gates) Bring work clothes, work gloves, snack, tools if you have 'em (picks, shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows).

Get a Cycling B.C. upgrading point too! (please leave your name and plate number with Sebastien of EMP). RSVP and info: Sebastien (trail director) (604) 434-8820

See you there!


Happy Birthday To...

Road and Track racer Annie Gariepy (yesterday) and mountain biker Julian Hine (today).