Ullie summed up the good stuff already but I wanted to add a few shout outs!

We had a rad time hanging with buds and getting brutalized by this course. Christina broke her saddle because her sheer leg power ripped the seatpost into the seat tube. I tore some legs off and actually ate it twice. One guy I was racing with yelled at me as I passed him after falling “ARE YOU OK? YOU HIT SO AHRD YOU BOUNCED?!” I just looked back and yelled “BRUTAL!”

A great time was had hanging with Kevin, Jose, Sharon, Jeremy, Byron, the Rusty Switchblade crew, and others. Besides the dry, warm weather it was a great race!

Jose has WAY more photos on his Flickr (here), but here’s some stuff we snapped.

Cross Crusade Hillsboro 2011

Unlike last weekend Hillsboro lacked any sun, but there was
still a lack of rain, which made the course fast and furious. There
was a large Cthulhu gathering which made the wild life run from their
forest homes and the sky darken….it was great!

I loved this course from the sand pile to the platform run up, it
was just fun from start to finish.  I got a good spot on the start
line this week, but unlike in the past once the dust had settled from
the sprint I was able to hold my place for the most part.  I often go
to what I know so when I saw Tony P. ahead of me flying the Team Beer
colors the chase was on, I was slowly closing in on him for the first
and second lap, I noticed him going into the pit for a wheel change
and knew this was my chance.  I put the spicy mustard on and was
passing and trading spots with racers all day, I could see Tony P.
making his way up to me which motivated me to drive hard, this made
all that more fun.  I suffered through five laps with Tony on my heels
which pushed me past some friends that I didn’t think beatable this
year, with the help of the cheers from my fellow Cthulhu’s and many
others this all made for the best race I have experienced in all my
years.

I can’t forget to mention the great efforts from Byron, Max,
Christina, and our newest member Kevin, Sharon with the move up to A’s
and our Captain taking pics in support after raging the Cross on
Saturday.

Go Cthulhu!!

The Ninkassi logo transformed into a painful joke

There were rumors abounding the morning we arrived at this race, most prominent was that this course would provide more climbing than the notably hilly Cross Crusade Rainer race. I didn’t believe it. I looked out over the hillside, across the Ninkassi logoed switch-back climb, and scoffed at the idea that this course would be for climbers.

Boy, was I wrong.

What a race! I suffered the whole 45minutes, if not more. It went something like this: up, up, up, up, down, up, up, up. I honestly think there was some sort of time/space wormhole that made us climb more than we descended…. at least it felt like that.

I murdered my legs, then Sharon and Christina challenged the ‘cross gods. We all deserved some sweet Ninkassi nectar afterwards, and gladly partook in our free beers for racing (and then some).

Sharon landed a top 5 finish! Christina took 20th in the Beginner Womens, and I scored a solid 18th in the Clydes. Jose was on hand giving support, being epic, and snapping the action one frame at a time.

All in all, a DAMN good race.

Christina throttling up the slick mud hills

Sharon putting out the watts on this power course!

John Rambo and Godzilla rallying with me.

Check out Jose’s full gallery from Ninkrossi 2011 ->