Sugarbush GES / Killington GES

Sugar Bush Results http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=27565&rp=542517 Gravity East @ SugarBush, VT. Pic courtesy of Sugarbush. Z. Fauk on Sunday A.M. practice. Saturday was moon dust and doubles. Sunday was misty mountain hop, spikes, and slick slick grass. The GES moves to Killington next week. Killington Results http://www.gravityeastseries.com/GES%202011%20Killington%20Results.pdf Rosy and crew did a great job making this race course flow better and run faster. The weather cooperated. It was a burner. Unfortunately that bitch Irene has taken Killington out for the rest of the 2011 season.

MT Snow VT Finalsand Attitash

• These two mountains have really stepped up to the ESC plate this year and each delivered a great race track. It is nice to get such great racing on fun courses. MT Snow really did a good job on this last one. High speed slick rock to 75% woods and tons of real dirt, lots of fun corners and some other shit.

• Mt Snow continues to step their game up to close out the VT State Champs. With a track the was described by Phil Kmetz as a "mini saint anne" half of this was fresh stuff combined with previous parts from earlier 2011 events. Mt Snow has made serious effort the past 2 or 3 years and they are gaining on the competition

• Colman took the VT State Title for junior sport racer and Meredith took 2nd VT State for cat 1. Congrats
• Results http://usacycling.org/results/?permit=2011-1847

July 4th Plattekill Race Report

• This weekend's race was both a celebration of Independence Day and a memorial for Stephen Porraro, who passed away of a heart attack much too young. Although I'm too new to the sport to have known Steve, it was good to get out there and show support to his friends and brother, as well as to a community he was deeply ingrained in.

• It was said that Stephen was crucial in cutting trails on the double chair side of the mountain, and I was not disappointed. Saturday showed us tons of sunshine and dry conditions on a track that was steep and super loose, with some chutes and lots of open slope to woods turns lower down. It was hard to resist cranking out runs through the jungle.

• Eric and crew kept in Platty tradition with an impressive fireworks show, and rumor has it Lauren Daney shot one of the Syron boys in the mouth with a large firework. Not sure.

• Sunday we woke up to rain, which had everyone hopping to test the track under the new conditions. Some of us found ourselves in the huge lightning cloud that rolled in, which delayed practice and left the track a combination of splash, slick and sticky by afternoon. The thunder rolled out just long enough to get everyone through race runs, although few people can claim crashless finishes. Jack with 3:03, Zach with a 3:14, and Meredith with a 4:41.

• Drummer Racing managed the weekend relatively injury-free, but with Cat 2 riders stepping it up to the more challenging track and the general gnar of Splatterkill Hill, a few ambulances were spotted on the access road. Our stongest healing vibes go out to those injured, with wishes for speedy recoveries.

• Huge, enormous thanks to the guys of Generation Gap Racing for the use of their spare EZ-Up tent all weekend. We're neither sunburned nor soaked as a result and are truly grateful for the generosity.

• July promises another Mount Snow, another Plattekill and a much anticipated Killington race as the Eastern States Cup Series continues. Until then, drying & cleaning soggy gear.

Busy Week

Sick ride last tuesday on Drummer with Oliver. Clay Corners was running around like a "dog with two D!cks" as Rob Warner would say. XC was delayed by rain. Saturday A.M. ripped up threader some but not before threader ripped into my chain guide. Monday brought BV laps with ZFaulk it was wet but not really. Still getting used to the new bike when it gets out of control and not hitting the brakes. If the weather holds up more xc and BV before heading off to Plattekill for Eastern States Cup #4 with Zach and Meredith. Plattekill always delivers.

Attitash ESC #3 NH State Finals

The first 1/3 of the season has vanished in the last 5 weeks. ProGurts @Highland- Plattekill, U.S. Open and the first 3 rounds of the Eastern States Cup . Right now we head into a break for some recuperation but first .... results Attitash in the Whites of N.H. held the final round for the N.H. State Champs and 3rd round of the E.S.C. First off this track was awesome and had everything a dh race course should have. High speed ski slope, wide taped woods roots rocks with tons of flow and doubles. The weather created some of the best dirt I've seen lately. Rained some a Friday into Saturday. Sunday was mint. Colman took another 2nd place on the day despite 2 crashes and finished 2nd for Cat 2 juniors N.H. State Champs. Meanwhile Doug finished 4th on the day beating Colman 2/3 this year ( 1 sec from 3rd) and 3rd for Cat 1 40+ N.H. State Champs. Oliver put down another mid pack finish 9/16. I placed 7/14 with a good run but again off the win by a lot. Had a blast on a sick course all weekend. Eastern States Cup heads home to Plattekill for round #4 for July 2nd and 3rd.

ESC #2 Pats Peak / NH Stats Champs #1

Pats Peak was a great race and very tricky. Considering the rain and traffic the course held up pretty well. It was wide with a variety of different lines NOT to take. It was hard. From Saturday on it rained through Sunday morning then stopped. Colman is on a roll with his 2nd podium appearance. Meredith hit the deck first thing Sunday morning and again in 2nd race run but it was only a few bruised fingers and jammed ligaments. For such a tech track in bad conditions Mer rode great and tested things out 3/3. Oliver piloted his way to 8/13 for solid result in a competitive Pro field. Doug (finished 6/8) and I were off the pack respectively. I've never been of fan of two run format races. First run was solid & under control maybe a little slow but placed me decent. Got hosed as my second run was better then worse then sloppy. I lost a second while my competition picked up time and stayed on the bike so I finished 15/22. Results http://www.patspeak.com/data/uploads/summer_docs/PatsPeakDownhill2011.pdf Attitash is up next as Doug, Oliver and I head to the White Mountains for the NH State Finals ESC #3.

Eastern States Cup #1 @ Mt Snow Results

Eastern States Cup race #1 heads to Mt Snow as part of the VT State Champs Series and Eastern States Cup. Camper compound moved to Mt Snow for the weekend. Great weather and a fast and flow course with some skinny bridges mixed in also. It was dry and stayed dry through Sunday. I can't remember that last time that happened. There were some serious gnats out there eating riders alive. Colman got a "W"1/2 , Doug beat Colman by the skin of his teeth and pulled 4/12 in a competitive 40+ cat 1 class. Mer survived her first Mt Snow experience and learned a lot 4/4. My run was crap and way back 15/25 (I'm not pedaling anymore). Oliver held his own on a long and pedal heavy course with a 10/12. The ESC Nema team Challenge also began it is going to be tight down to the wire I think in October. Results: http://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2011-1815

2011 US Open

Big Ups to Z. Fauk - 2011 US Open Finalist with a solid 31/50 finish and a 28/100+ qualifier. Zach stayed calm Sat a.m. despite big mechanical issues. Way to go man! The track was old but new & fast but slow. It did have some nice flat grass corners. I flatted out early in my run. Disappointing but it was fun hanging out and practicing a different challenging course. Death drift thing. Oliver had a rough time in his race run couldn't find any flow all week. We saw a black bear in the "woods" between parking lots too.

Pro Grt #3 PLattekiLL

The race started with Oliver's arrival on a wet Friday as thunder storms and lightening closed the lift by 3p.m. Saturday started the same with damp humid air thanks to heavy fog. By the afternoon the fog had blown away and the track was drying up for Pro Seeding. The track was awesome lots of lines in different areas, lots of hooks, and one mental step down that actually wasn't that bad. Oliver was fast, as was Zach but both held out for Finals on Sunday. Unfortunately Oliver took a dive Sat and then again Sunday A.M. He pulled out to preserve his body for the US OPEN. Zach hit his lines hard and fast hucking the pro line off broken tooth in his race run and keeping it rubber side down most of the weekend. Mer had a great practice and almost held it together for her first Cat 1 race but an otb disrupted her race run. She was super pissed not because she fell but because she fell on the easy part, not the 4 or 5 drops that she had been killing with her official 187 # plate I debated all weekend about changing up tires from swamp things to minions but kept the swampers on for the race run. They really loved the corners and rutted clay dirt. It was a sick run and a flash before my eyes. XC riding is working. All in all not a horrible weekend for Drummer Racing as the team works out the early season kinks for 2011. Sammy was missed but kept us pumped w/ lots of support via text. Doug Colman and TJ should be ready for the first Eastern States Cup at Mt Snow. Results on the link. http://www.live-timing.com/races.php?date=05/22/2011

BV Laps - Tons of XC - Platty Pro GRT

Zach and I worked over some Bolton roots today in the dark dampness and fog of the mountain. It was the first time riding the squish bike since Plattekill 10 days ago. It felt odd for the first run, then it felt squish. The xc bike is a ripping one brake single speed wonder that has seen some action lately. Most importantly the 3rd round the Pro Gravity Tour begins tomorrow as practice continues into Saturday with Pro and JR X qualifications at 4p.m. Racing starts at 12 on Sunday. Zach, Oliver, Meredith and I will be in attendance along with billions of other people who rip. The track features the same path with some new improvements and more hucks. We will begin to arrive Friday afternoon.

Highland Pro GRT recap - tough weekend for Drummer Racing

Good to have the first race out of the way, tough weekend all around. Hitting the road Friday morning it was great to be back in the camper with familiar faces and friends. Weather was great friday, pretty good on saturday and there were enough black fly to literally drive you insane. It was at the point where wearing goggles was necessary to keep them out of your eyes, even when you were hauling ass down the trail. The course was tough. Technical, flat and techical in many spots, you really had to work to keep your speed as a small slip up could cost you seconds. Sharp rocks, roots, it was bumpy. It certainly took names as there were constantly ambulances coming and going from Highland. Pro practice ran for 4 hours a day and I estimate a good third of that total time the course was closed due to injured riders being removed. (This resulted in many pros poaching the Cat 2 and 3 practice time.) Unfortunately our team mate Sam was one of these who has suffered a broken fibular and shredded ligaments in his left leg. He underwent surgery yesterday so everyone send healing vibes his way; the first half of the season will certainly not be the same without him - in fact by my calculations (all things considered equal) it will suck approximately 30% more.

• Real tough for a first race, I was certainly battling the cobwebs this first weekend dealing with general riding confidence issues and feeling like a passenger on my bike. Add many spectators, photographers and a stacked 65 person pro class of the best national riders around for a very challenging weekend. Then add pissing rain all Saturday night and downpours all Sunday to top it off. I finally took a knarley over the bars wreck in a wet rock garden late Saturday afternoon - it wasn't until this that I actually got it together and started riding better. Due to course closes and changing weather it took right up until Sunday am before seeding run for me to get my lines together. Took seeding as a serious practice run riding smooth and consistent by my standards with no pedaling in order to save it for the race. By the time race run came around it was nearing 3pm and freezing with constant hard rain. This certainly was a hit to many racers moral, many of which simply wanted to get it over with. I had a decent run, kept it upright, a couple costly mistakes killing my speed in the flats and blew my beet off the pedals in a rock garden. Indifferent emotions for my 45th place with a time of 2:50. Had I eliminated a couple crucial botches, 5 or 6 seconds faster would have seen me around 30th place. Can't get too aggravated as I left the weekend void of injury and mechanicals and managed to keep it upright for both seeding and the race. On we go to Plattekill for the next Progurt, Looking forward to this a ton as all team members except for Sammy will be in attendance for an excellent course at a mountain we all love. Hoping to enter this race with far more comfort, confidence and a refreshed sense of focus.

Race Season Arrived

In about 36 hours Sam and I will be on the road with the Drummer Compound headed to the Pro Gravity Tour # 2 at Highland. The course looks awesome, much of it the same as the Gravity East course from 2010 with a new longer upper section both from upper Helion and in the woods where we filmed this past fall. Please keep us in your thoughts and wish us good shredding as we are hoping to start the season swinging. Bikes ride awesome, made adjustments at platty and set mine in the higher BB/steeper head angle setting. I will definitely be keeping this set up. Borrowing Sams old bars to replace my bent ones and got some wheel truing and cleaning to do. Platty was an amazing warm up, feeling 100 more confident on the bike; had one of the better days ever out on Drummer today. New pads arrived, big thanks to 661. Race knee and elbow pads, comfy and tons of protection. I am really digging them. The gray matches the jersey well. Took a little while to get the elbow pads correct with my insanely muscular fore arms. The upper body suite is light and has great mobility, I barely know its there. Although I did cut the lower arm armor off to use the race elbow guards. The camper has had new tail lights installed and a new connector for my truck, so we finally have both indicators and brake lights working - no more reasons to get pulled over. Got a couple more hours of work to do tomorrow cleaning it, new battery connectors to be installed, flushing the anti freeze/water tanks and hopefully repainting the roof with rubber sealant. And remember, no one can match the creative energies and physical skill of Drummer Racing.

Chairlift

Platty Report: Oli and I were greeted by great weather. The trails were in good shape. I haven't seen this much shale on the mountain since 2002, loose rocks everywhere, not that many leaves no blow downs at all. The Pro GRT race returns to Platty in 10 days and the track looks sicker with bigger berms, wider lines, and some bad ass hooks that Platty is known for. It fundamentally remains the same as 2010. The bikes rip. Thanks to Specialized my riding just got faster, bike is so dope. The Rc4 eats up anything. I swear i hit a dirt lip but it was a stack of roots nor did it matter boosted it like a dirt jump. Saturday was a little off but we stuck it out for 11 runs or so. Sunday was much better as adjustments were made, parts were smashed, and confidence was gained. Elder Ulmer pointed us to a new trail off the triple side that is longer better version of skidmarks off the double side. It is all fresh Platty loam was with some tech drops mixed in. It will make a great race course eventually. I'm pumped to have great warm up trails on both peaks of the mountain for Sunday A.M. eye openers.

Drummer Invitational Race - Official Results Are In!

Today's Drummer Invitational Race was a success! Podiums for Phil, Zach and Oliver. Broke in our newest trail, Sacrifice, and good riding had by all. BIg ups to Wink and Sarah for timing, Stacy for the cookies and all our fans for drinking beer. Full race results can be seen by clicking "here". Last year's Invitational Race results can be viewed by clicking "here". Please note that start and finish line locations may vary from race to race.

Best Dirt On Earth

Today I rode some of the best dirt ever. Not in Peru, Bolivia, the west coast; right here on Drummer Hill. Heavy thundershowers all afternoon with warm humid air made for incredible evening loamy riding.

Put about 5 hours on the Demo now - I am absolutely thrilled. This bike rips in every aspect. Although I have been pad-less and not going full on, I am definitely riding sections of drummer faster than I ever have in my life. Specifically parts of double drop (the drops) and definitely the rock gardens in threader. *The bike seems to float and hold speed amazingly.* Lost control with some of this new found speed at the end of the main threader rock garden and hit a tree head on bending either my bars or stem. Re-egged my knee.

I have noticed that due to the past few months of traveling my stamina and fitness are certainly not where I would like but I am still incredibly antsy and excited fir the race season to start. Sam put it well, riding these bikes is comparable to an addictive drug. I feel 2011 will be a big year for the members of Drummer, excited to see some pretty big improvements in times and race performance.

The Racing Starts

• In case you haven't heard the annual Drummer Race will be held in 1 week on April 30.

• Sam currently holds the Voodoo, John Westland (Ford Motors) holds the gold guy and Zach is still hangin with J.C.

• Here are results from past races https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvqUf5gLmq6sdDFOV0lTLWlQdV94Vm1kdXFtSkxhX3c&hl=en#gid=0

• Race Courses t.b.a. soon... Zach and Sam's trail is in for sure, other candidates include jump, threader, clay corners, maybe powerlines or double drop.

• May 14 is the 2nd Round of the Pro GRT at Highland Mountain Bike Park then the 3rd Round at Plattekill leading into the U.S. Open. June features the Eastern States Cup at Mt Snow and the NH State Champs @ Attitash and Pats Peak.

I made a" headlock" for my cranks because that plastic lock nut is stripped and won't tighten down the crank completely. It is sick and my crank hasn't backed off at all . Prior to this mod it was backing off after riding for about 60 secs. 8"x3/8" bolt course thread cut to about 6.5" $1.42 washer $.09 3/8 nut course thread $.12 cranks that didn't come off after 2 hours of riding don't know cause i hate math. The Demo 8 makes Drummer Hill a brand new place suddenly the trails got faster.

2011 Set Up

Testing and setting up the new bikes requires that we hike through snow in order to find the dirt...

With new berms and jumps on the powerlines, Drummer Hill continues to evolve in order to meet the community's training needs. Massive and technical XC loops? No problem. Natural DH terrain to hone ninja skills? No Problem. Initial Demo 8 impressions include - awesome, grounded, light and stable. Finally starting to get the hang of it.

Oliver's Final South American Entry. "The best 4 weeks of my life."

I leave for Argentina – a new country to check off my list. It has rained a ton recently in Peru – in fact it has rained so much that on the morning of my departure an eighth mile section of road about one mile out of town (the only road into my town) has completely fallen 50 feet down into the river below; it no longer exists. Glad I was not on it at the time. Got a nice routine going - make it to Cusco, hit up the market for some new flip flops, hit up my favorite Indian Buffet, then off to the Indigo Lounge for pisco happy hour drinks before my 9:30 bus to La Paz, Bolivia..... and more.

2011 Season Update March 18th

In addition to 661/Sunline/One Industries, and Wilson Orthodontics the big "S" Specialized Bicycles, hooked up Drummer Racing via old roots at Andy's Cycle. We are excited to have such a diverse group of supporters and look forward to representing them in 2011. Thanks Everyone!! TJ, Sam, Doug, Oliver, Zach and myself will all be ripping on the Demo 8 for 2011. Also dirt has begun to show up with the new Demo 8's so that is cool. Drummer Racing Plans to attend the following events: 2011 U.S. Open -http://diablofreeridepark.com/usopensub.html Select Pro GRT Races http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5940 Eastern States Cup www.easternstatescup.com Gravity East Series http://www.gravityeastseries.com/