In legend, the seventh wave is believed to be the biggest in each set and, around the World, sailors fear it and surfers dream of riding it. For mountain bikers, this year’s seventh edition of the TransRockies which takes place in Canada’s majestic Rocky Mountains, will be the best ride yet. The route is longer and more challening than ever before while the food and racer support will set new standards for epic events.
Set to start on August 10th in Panorama Mountain Village, North America’s original epic bike race will have an international field of 500 riders from more than 30 countries from Norway to Zimbabwe, Qatar to Singapore. A revised course with more stunning Rocky Mountain singletrack, epic panoramic vistas, distance, and elevation will be combined with a new homegrown catering supplier for what promises to be the best TransRockies yet.
In 2007, forest fires caused the course to be changed to include an extra night at Nipika Mountain resort while the planned overnight stop in Alberta had to be cancelled. This year’s route includes both the extra night in Nipika which proved to be very popular with riders along with a return to the Crowsnest Pass region of Southwestern Alberta.
The heavy snow season in 2007/8 has been a mixed blessing for TransRockies organizers. On the one hand, it means that final route mapping and measurement is just underway but it also means that this should be a relatively safe year for dry forest conditions and that route integrity will be maintained from planning to event.
What is certain is that the final route will include significantly more singletrack thanks to new routing on Days 1, 2, 3, and 6 along with a exciting Day 7 route which will be significantly longer than in the past. Oh, and that one will have lots more famous Fernie singletrack, too. Final numbers will be released before the event, but riders can expect a fun and challenging 2008 route which lives up to the TransRockies reputation as the most raw and remote fully supported epic in the World.
Each off-season, the TransRockies organization does extensive participant surveys and staff debriefings in an effort to maintain and improve the event. In 2007, the one area which we knew needed attention was food, as the chosen caterer did not meet the standards set by TransRockies over the years. “It was pretty evident to us that the quality of food was not what we or our participants expect or deserve,” said Event Director Aaron McConnell, “so we put a search structure in place immediately after our 2007 event with the aim of offering the best food ever at an epic MTB event.”
With that goal in mind, the TR organization contracted three-time Ironman Champion and sports nutritionist Melissa Spooner as a food consultant for the event and then began an extensive search for the 2008 caterer. After sorting through a number of superb presentations, the contract was awarded to two parties; local suppliers Anne Riches from Invermere and Claude Perrault, of C&P Catering, from Fernie. In 2006, Anne Riches catered three days of the event and those meals surveyed as the highest-rated in the history of the TransRockies. Claude Perrault has been involved in the TransRockies since year one where he served the very first TransRockies dinner. This year he’ll be serving the final dinner. With support in menu development from Melissa, the 2008 TransRockies will be a feast for the stomach as well as the legs, lungs and eyes.
Riders build their year around events like the TransRockies and so in 2008, registration for the 2009 TransRockies epic will be opening the day after this year’s finishes. Past participants will be given priority: 2008 participants can begin 2009 sign-up starting at the closing banquet while other past TR participants can sign up online starting on Sunday, August 17th. General registration will open on Monday, August 18th. Entry fees have been set for 2009 and will remain unchanged from this year.
For full 2008 event information and 2009 registration details, please visit www.transrockies.com.
