I was chuffed to win my heat and line up next to Niall, Ger, Glynn and Gerry, how often does a former Goober get to do that?
Gar, breaking his chain at Skippy's patio, yet still staying in the train all the way to the exit from Bon and Roos gulley, I don't know how he did it!
The red mist. I went all psycho in heat 1, shouting abuse at riders in my way, then apologising as I went by, I don't know what came over me and it haunts me.
Calvin getting a good laugh at how badly I was riding in the Blast, I was all over the shop, then crashed into a hole. I am convinced some joker pumped up my tyres on the sly, they were a lot harder at the end than at the start!
Ending the Blast with blood all over the front of my shirt, and it wasn't mine! That was freaky.
Woke up this morning smiling and stiff as a plank, my legs are black and blue although I dont remember falling off!!! The best part for me was the start of the blast, I said to myself take it handy and just dont crash, the horn was blown and of I went half way down to the clown I looked left and right and there was feck all riders so I peddled my heart out and next thing bikes arrived from everywere I dont think I even used my brakes as I barged my into the forest, came out the far side to be told your in 15th go for it so I did, I have a cheeky grin on my face as I type this!!!!! Deadly craic what a "Blast"
that photo with the lads on the podium Stewart took..thats the schizzle..Hoping and seeing Carol make it down in one piece was also a dig deal for me !!
Darragh doing so well, Silvia destroying the other ladies ( even though they are all lovely and groovy)
Don in the Heat final of the Superstars
John getting 2nd in his heat..
and all the other EPICs and non EPICs having the craic..
Everytime we do it I think " I can't believe we did that !"
All the people who have come through EPIC over the last year and did outstandingly well is the biggest highlight for me.
It means i'm not wasting my time shouting and making people do stupid things off rocks.
John Doris and Elvis O'Reilly jumping off big Vinnie on their XC Training Bikes..
Getting handlebars tangled with Sulley at speed on the Expressway during the first heat. How either of us stayed up I don't know, nearly took out a couple of spectators too.
Winning the heat was sweet, though it took me ages to do the metal fatigue job on Gavogavin's mech hanger beforehand when he wasn't looking. Still don't know how Rory O'Connor ended up so far off the trail when he crashed below the house.
The abuse getting into the forest in the main Blast was legendary.
The state of Kipper when he finished his final. Reminded me of Ken at the Djouce Trail Challenge. Richie's response to where he'd chosen to curl up on the ground was good too.
But most of all I'll remember Blast V for the general craic, banter, messing and good humour all around. And the weather of course.
Being in the top 12, and someone behind shouting "rider up"...
I replied "on the left", but kept at my pace.
He replied "I can't"
So I told him in a polite way that I was racing too....
He was pissed.....
Hitting Big Vinney on my first heat after never see him before, thinking I was deadly, just to hear shouts of "THE STATE OF YA!" from Oz!
Passing Stan from MBCCCCCCCC in the second place heat final, getting called "a Bollix" followed by "I'll HAVE YA ON THIS CLIMB BOY" as I took off away from him on the fireroad.
Don's wife's reaction to me encouraging him to ride Big Vinney
People eating the stale bread and bananas from the back of my car
The range of characters I met doing sign on: "What kind of race is this?"
Everything about the whole event but standing at the last few berms and the cow bells horns cheers bringing in the warriors what a way to finish.Big thanks to Alan A for getting my lazy young lad to do blast he would have told me to f off.All the happy heads at the finish never to be seen at xc events except on the winners.
Mine was coming first in my heat on the first fire road,then taking the wrong turn on the coailte track and seeing clive for the second time,and over taking the lads again,the face on them was priceless,
Also my superman attempt on the heather on my second heat,cant remember much,,feel it now though.
After Paul Cummins goes round twice to do the jumps on the Expressway, some lads from CRC team come over the small jump at warp speed and fail to make the left turn. One gets back on the bike and proceeds to miss the same turn Paul missed and come past me again. The look on his face ....priceless.
Some of the near misses at the turn were class as was two riders going round the turn together only for the sneaky stump to take them both out.
Getting 3 mechanicals in 3 runs wasnt the biggest laugh but hey its the blast and it was still great craic,gar o reily giving me his shiny new xc bike which i procceded to ruining,all the riders egging me on in the blast with a flat tire made up for it but sadly some fool took me out on the last corner leaving me limping to the podium, also have to give a shout out to sean who guided me to the ambulance aftherwards, already looking forward to next year.
I was chuffed to win my heat and line up next to Niall, Ger, Glynn and Gerry, how often does a former Goober get to do that?
Gar, breaking his chain at Skippy's patio, yet still staying in the train all the way to the exit from Bon and Roos gulley, I don't know how he did it!
The red mist. I went all psycho in heat 1, shouting abuse at riders in my way, then apologising as I went by, I don't know what came over me and it haunts me.
Calvin getting a good laugh at how badly I was riding in the Blast, I was all over the shop, then crashed into a hole. I am convinced some joker pumped up my tyres on the sly, they were a lot harder at the end than at the start!
Ending the Blast with blood all over the front of my shirt, and it wasn't mine! That was freaky.
Woke up this morning smiling and stiff as a plank, my legs are black and blue although I dont remember falling off!!! The best part for me was the start of the blast, I said to myself take it handy and just dont crash, the horn was blown and of I went half way down to the clown I looked left and right and there was feck all riders so I peddled my heart out and next thing bikes arrived from everywere I dont think I even used my brakes as I barged my into the forest, came out the far side to be told your in 15th go for it so I did, I have a cheeky grin on my face as I type this!!!!! Deadly craic what a "Blast"
that photo with the lads on the podium Stewart took..thats the schizzle..Hoping and seeing Carol make it down in one piece was also a dig deal for me !!
Darragh doing so well, Silvia destroying the other ladies ( even though they are all lovely and groovy)
Don in the Heat final of the Superstars
John getting 2nd in his heat..
and all the other EPICs and non EPICs having the craic..
Everytime we do it I think " I can't believe we did that !"
All the people who have come through EPIC over the last year and did outstandingly well is the biggest highlight for me.
It means i'm not wasting my time shouting and making people do stupid things off rocks.
John Doris and Elvis O'Reilly jumping off big Vinnie on their XC Training Bikes..
Getting handlebars tangled with Sulley at speed on the Expressway during the first heat. How either of us stayed up I don't know, nearly took out a couple of spectators too.
Winning the heat was sweet, though it took me ages to do the metal fatigue job on Gavogavin's mech hanger beforehand when he wasn't looking. Still don't know how Rory O'Connor ended up so far off the trail when he crashed below the house.
The abuse getting into the forest in the main Blast was legendary.
The state of Kipper when he finished his final. Reminded me of Ken at the Djouce Trail Challenge. Richie's response to where he'd chosen to curl up on the ground was good too.
But most of all I'll remember Blast V for the general craic, banter, messing and good humour all around. And the weather of course.
Being in the top 12, and someone behind shouting "rider up"...
I replied "on the left", but kept at my pace.
He replied "I can't"
So I told him in a polite way that I was racing too....
He was pissed.....
Hitting Big Vinney on my first heat after never see him before, thinking I was deadly, just to hear shouts of "THE STATE OF YA!" from Oz!
Passing Stan from MBCCCCCCCC in the second place heat final, getting called "a Bollix" followed by "I'll HAVE YA ON THIS CLIMB BOY" as I took off away from him on the fireroad.
Don's wife's reaction to me encouraging him to ride Big Vinney
People eating the stale bread and bananas from the back of my car
The range of characters I met doing sign on: "What kind of race is this?"
Everything about the whole event but standing at the last few berms and the cow bells horns cheers bringing in the warriors what a way to finish.Big thanks to Alan A for getting my lazy young lad to do blast he would have told me to f off.All the happy heads at the finish never to be seen at xc events except on the winners.
Mine was coming first in my heat on the first fire road,then taking the wrong turn on the coailte track and seeing clive for the second time,and over taking the lads again,the face on them was priceless,
Also my superman attempt on the heather on my second heat,cant remember much,,feel it now though.
After Paul Cummins goes round twice to do the jumps on the Expressway, some lads from CRC team come over the small jump at warp speed and fail to make the left turn. One gets back on the bike and proceeds to miss the same turn Paul missed and come past me again. The look on his face ....priceless.
Some of the near misses at the turn were class as was two riders going round the turn together only for the sneaky stump to take them both out.
Getting 3 mechanicals in 3 runs wasnt the biggest laugh but hey its the blast and it was still great craic,gar o reily giving me his shiny new xc bike which i procceded to ruining,all the riders egging me on in the blast with a flat tire made up for it but sadly some fool took me out on the last corner leaving me limping to the podium, also have to give a shout out to sean who guided me to the ambulance aftherwards, already looking forward to next year.
I was chuffed to win my heat and line up next to Niall, Ger, Glynn and Gerry, how often does a former Goober get to do that?
Gar, breaking his chain at Skippy's patio, yet still staying in the train all the way to the exit from Bon and Roos gulley, I don't know how he did it!
The red mist. I went all psycho in heat 1, shouting abuse at riders in my way, then apologising as I went by, I don't know what came over me and it haunts me.
Calvin getting a good laugh at how badly I was riding in the Blast, I was all over the shop, then crashed into a hole. I am convinced some joker pumped up my tyres on the sly, they were a lot harder at the end than at the start!
Ending the Blast with blood all over the front of my shirt, and it wasn't mine! That was freaky.
Woke up this morning smiling and stiff as a plank, my legs are black and blue although I dont remember falling off!!! The best part for me was the start of the blast, I said to myself take it handy and just dont crash, the horn was blown and of I went half way down to the clown I looked left and right and there was feck all riders so I peddled my heart out and next thing bikes arrived from everywere I dont think I even used my brakes as I barged my into the forest, came out the far side to be told your in 15th go for it so I did, I have a cheeky grin on my face as I type this!!!!! Deadly craic what a "Blast"
that photo with the lads on the podium Stewart took..thats the schizzle..Hoping and seeing Carol make it down in one piece was also a dig deal for me !!
Darragh doing so well, Silvia destroying the other ladies ( even though they are all lovely and groovy)
Don in the Heat final of the Superstars
John getting 2nd in his heat..
and all the other EPICs and non EPICs having the craic..
Everytime we do it I think " I can't believe we did that !"
All the people who have come through EPIC over the last year and did outstandingly well is the biggest highlight for me.
It means i'm not wasting my time shouting and making people do stupid things off rocks.
John Doris and Elvis O'Reilly jumping off big Vinnie on their XC Training Bikes..
Getting handlebars tangled with Sulley at speed on the Expressway during the first heat. How either of us stayed up I don't know, nearly took out a couple of spectators too.
Winning the heat was sweet, though it took me ages to do the metal fatigue job on Gavogavin's mech hanger beforehand when he wasn't looking. Still don't know how Rory O'Connor ended up so far off the trail when he crashed below the house.
The abuse getting into the forest in the main Blast was legendary.
The state of Kipper when he finished his final. Reminded me of Ken at the Djouce Trail Challenge. Richie's response to where he'd chosen to curl up on the ground was good too.
But most of all I'll remember Blast V for the general craic, banter, messing and good humour all around. And the weather of course.
Being in the top 12, and someone behind shouting "rider up"...
I replied "on the left", but kept at my pace.
He replied "I can't"
So I told him in a polite way that I was racing too....
He was pissed.....
Hitting Big Vinney on my first heat after never see him before, thinking I was deadly, just to hear shouts of "THE STATE OF YA!" from Oz!
Passing Stan from MBCCCCCCCC in the second place heat final, getting called "a Bollix" followed by "I'll HAVE YA ON THIS CLIMB BOY" as I took off away from him on the fireroad.
Don's wife's reaction to me encouraging him to ride Big Vinney
People eating the stale bread and bananas from the back of my car
The range of characters I met doing sign on: "What kind of race is this?"
Everything about the whole event but standing at the last few berms and the cow bells horns cheers bringing in the warriors what a way to finish.Big thanks to Alan A for getting my lazy young lad to do blast he would have told me to f off.All the happy heads at the finish never to be seen at xc events except on the winners.
Mine was coming first in my heat on the first fire road,then taking the wrong turn on the coailte track and seeing clive for the second time,and over taking the lads again,the face on them was priceless,
Also my superman attempt on the heather on my second heat,cant remember much,,feel it now though.
After Paul Cummins goes round twice to do the jumps on the Expressway, some lads from CRC team come over the small jump at warp speed and fail to make the left turn. One gets back on the bike and proceeds to miss the same turn Paul missed and come past me again. The look on his face ....priceless.
Some of the near misses at the turn were class as was two riders going round the turn together only for the sneaky stump to take them both out.
Getting 3 mechanicals in 3 runs wasnt the biggest laugh but hey its the blast and it was still great craic,gar o reily giving me his shiny new xc bike which i procceded to ruining,all the riders egging me on in the blast with a flat tire made up for it but sadly some fool took me out on the last corner leaving me limping to the podium, also have to give a shout out to sean who guided me to the ambulance aftherwards, already looking forward to next year.