May 25/04 8:08 am - Padden MTN Pedal and WHIMP Fest, Granny Gear Career Opportunity

Posted by Editoress on 05/25/04
 

Padden MTN Pedal and WHIMP Fest Bellingham WA, June 26th & 27th
Mark Peterson, Race Director

The Padden MTN Pedal a cornerstone of mountain bike racing in the Pacific NW will anchor the newly created Bellingham based mountain bike festival, WHIMP Fest held on June 26th & 27th, 2004. The Festival is aptly named for the Whatcom Independent Mountain Pedalers a.k.a the WHIMPs who have been the driving force in making the mountain biking in Bellingham and Whatcom County what it is today. The full story of the WHIMPs can be viewed at www.whimpsmtb.com but suffice to say that the 1500 hours of volunteer trail work hours per year for over a decade is just part of what they do.

The Padden race has been known far and wide as one of the finest events in the Pacific Northwest. This is partly why Padden is THE granddaddy of all Pacific NW mtb events, celebrating its 12th consecutive year. A great course that has seen numerous upgrades over the years just continues to get better. It features the unique moto style shoulder to shoulder start, fast rails to trails climb to kick off the heart rate and technical single track descents and sharp climbs on the backside of the loop. The Expert loop is 3.4 miles long but packs 800 feet of climbing per lap meaning the pros climb over 3,000 feet. Technical high speed descents follow the hard climb leaving very little time for rest.

Key to a good result at Padden is a fast start. Participants line up shoulder to shoulder and shoot for a 10 yard wide whole shot before they hit a rails to trails gravel climb. The climb separates the field quickly but if you are a technical descender you can make up time on the pure climbers. The Experts complete 6 laps while the Sport class does 4 and winning times for both classes are approximately 2 hours. The loop is technical and interesting. By the time you have the lines dialed the race is close to over and your lungs and legs are begging it to be. The shorter loop course makes for a very large spectator turnout and just when you want to kick it back a notch the yelling and encouragement from the crowd won't let you.

The Belly Big Air Contest will celebrate it's fourth year and is a crowd & rider judged 5 run format. With a huge kicker gap jump and thumpin' beats it always gets the 150 + person crowd rolling. The WHIMPs and the Bellingham Parks Department are hard at work on a Dirt Jump Track and hope to have it completed in time to host the competition there. In the event it is not ready we will truck dirt in and build what is needed for what has become a staple of the event.

New this year to the Padden Event will the Freeride Challenge. The course will consist of Freeride style stunts and obstacles. Participants will proceed through the sections on a timed basis with dabs resulting in an assessed time penalty. The lowest time is the winner. The course will have different difficulty levels for each ability class.

FREE group rides will be lead by WHIMPs members on Saturday June 26th. Rides will accommodate all ability levels. From Greenway tour to the 6 hour epic.

For more information visit www.whimpsmtb.com

NO License required. NO Pre-Entries.
RACE FEES:
Senior Pro/Expert $30.00
Vet/Jr Expert $25.00
Ages 16 and Under $15.00
Speed Trials $15.00
Big Air $15.00


Granny Gear Career Opportunity

Granny Gear has an exciting opportunity for the right person and we are looking to talk with you right away. If you or a friend is looking for a chance to work with a tight knit, fast paced team, in the heart of great biking country - email us your resume right away.

Office Manager Position at Granny Gear Productions

Position: This person is the front line employee that interfaces with all of Granny's racers. Position is full time and includes travel to great locations 5 times a year minimum [places like Snowshoe, Moab, Northern California, Temecula California and beautiful Canaan Valley.] This person must have a sense of humor, wear many hats and be a “completion driven” individual who is always organized. Position includes health care, and paid vacation benefits - salary will be commensurate to candidate's experience. Position open immediately.

Location: Granny Gear is based in Davis, WV adjacent to nationally known Canaan Valley. Tucker County has two state parks, America's 500th National Wildlife Refuge, and thousands of miles of trails and wild rivers. The area sees 180+ inches of natural snowfall annually and is minutes from ski areas. Canaan Valley is the Mountain Biking haven of the Eastern USA and is quiet and affordable rural living in a small mountain town. Our office is a quick walk to the best restaurant in town and right next to the trail.

Duties include:

• Working with racers through online registration and on all communication channels - the voice of Granny Gear daily.
• Working with Corporate Sponsors on all communication channels
• Scheduling, design, and implementation of race & event related services
• Scheduling meetings, travel, and maintenance schedules
• Purchasing of equipment, supplies and prizes from suppliers
• Supervision of office staff on a project basis
• Coordinator of volunteers & staff at race events
• And as always - other duties as assigned - this small team moves very fast to host world-class events across the country!

Recommended Experience: The ideal candidate is a person who is educated, articulates ideas well, is a fast learner and truly enjoys people. Strong computer literacy with both Microsoft office applications and Adobe software products is a plus. An individual who loves to travel - to great locations in North America, 5+ times each year - is essential. Any experience with trail work, volunteers, and biking is a plus but not required. Granny Gear is an equal opportunity employer and seeks applicants from a wide range of experience. Please send a resume and cover letter (no calls please) to Carl Bolyard carl@grannygear.com or fax them to 304.259.5596