Jackrabbit event sells out before race day
By Joanna Padgett-Atkisson
Guest Writer
Perfect weather and primo trail conditions added up to record attendance at the Chainbuster Big Ring Challenge mountain bike race held on the Jackrabbit Mountain Biking and Hiking Trails. Just under 400 racers took to the trails on Saturday, Sept. 19 which not only broke a record for the Jackrabbit race, but also for any previous Chainbuster race venues.
Race Director Dawn Chandler mentioned that the sport of mountain biking is growing exponentially and she anticipates the numbers participating in mountain bike races to follow suit. The junior specific category, ages 16 and under, also set a record with 111 Juniors “racing the rabbit.” The weekend began Friday, Sept. 18 with many racers pre-riding the trail and picking up their race-day packets.
Canopies were put up all around the trailhead in preparation to house the racers, their bikes and gear along with food and supplies to get them through the next day-long race festivities. Excitement and anticipation was in the air. Many greeted each other as old friends who have raced together for many years, and others presented as first-time racers eager to become part of the scene.
The final touches were being made to get the race course ready for action. Saturday’s event began before the break of dawn. Same-day packet pickup began at 6 a.m. and members of the Lion’s Club were out in action parking cars and assisting with traffic control. The trailhead parking lot was being taken over by a sea of people toting bikes, helmets, coolers, tents and chairs. The once “field of hay” just past the trailhead was now covered up with close to 450 vehicles. Racers donned their gear, mounted their bikes and began warming up for the race start.
The six-hour endurance categories began at 10 a.m. followed by the three-hour categories at 10:16 a.m. as spectators cheered them on. The Clay County Fire and Rescue Squad was called to action on the very first lap, evaluating injuries sustained from a racer’s collision with a tree. Brian Anderson and Pete Trocchia were busy throughout the day and even had to use their recently purchased Stokes Basket Trail Rescue Unit to rescue a participant from Auburn, Ala. who sustained a fractured ankle. Clay County EMS Earlene Leonard and Doug Vuick had to be called to the scene for transport.
A first-time incident at Jackrabbit occurred this year when a tree fell during the race, narrowly missing an event participant. SABA members Fred Lewis and Burt Franklin were readily available to use their chainsaw skills to promptly clear the trail and keep the event going. Meanwhile racers managed to briefly go off course to pass by. As the day progressed, the three-hour category winners received their awards as the six-hour racers continued on.
The final lap, however, did not end quietly. A Junior category racer experienced an asthma episode, at which time I attended to and was able to successfully manage and get the participant back to the start/finish line. At the race’s end, a local team composed of Andy Carter, son Noah Carter and Jim Portwood were interviewed. This being Noah’s first mountain bike race, he said it was fun, but the “hardest thing I’ve ever done.” Jim, who currently resides in upstate New York, said the Jackrabbit trails are the best on the East Coast, along with being well marked and maintained.
Andy Carter has raced with other companies in the past, but praised Chainbuster Productions for doing such a good job. The entire Warren family of four from Birmingham, Ala., raced in different categories. This was their first time to Jackrabbit and Noah, age 15 expert six-hour division, was a little apprehensive that he had not been able to pre-ride the trail system. He reported the trails were amazingly “flowy and intuitive” with no unforeseen obstacles. “I liked it a lot,” he said. Noel Smith Lawson, from Chattanooga, described the trails as very fast, smooth and fun to ride. She mentioned the trails’ proximity to the campground and lake set it apart from other venues. Participants began packing up all of their belongings and the trailhead and parking lot began thinning out.SABA assisted the Chainbuster crew with takedown and soon there was no evidence that an event had taken place.
Chandler praised SABA for organizing all the parties involved to make this event flow so smoothly and be so successfully. This is year 11 for the Big Ring Challenge and SABA expressed appreciation to the Lion’s Club, Clay County Fire and Rescue Squad, Clay County EMS and all volunteers who helped in any capacity to make it another great event. That’s a wrap — as least until next year.