Gregg Bednorski

Gregg was killed in a cycling accident Thursday, Sept. 18, just 5 days after racing in the Chequamegon 40, Mountain Bike Race.

I remember Gregg from 1993, it was during my competitive mountain bike racing and my son Jeff Hall was 17 and starting his expert level racing. During those early years Wisconsin, had the WORS mountain bike races that we raced. That was where I first became aware of Gregg. I was battling with the likes of Curt Patak and Paul Gabril in the Veteran Expert class. Jeff was battling with Gregg Bednorski and some of the other top Wisconsin Expert racers. On the trips back home to Minnesota, we would talk over the race that day. Well that is when Greggs' name came up. Jeff would tell me about how he would be up front in the twisty single track. Then this guy would open up the jets on some of the sections. I remember telling Jeff at the young age of 17, that he should race hard and learn from that guy. Well that rider was Gregg, and Gregg went on to win the WORS Mountain Bike Race Series in 1993. If I remember correctly Gregg was also one of the top road racers in Wisconsin in the early 90s.

I never knew Gregg away from the bike racing, I may have never even talked to him. but it sounds like he touched many lives in his full life. Even up to the present I would see his name in the results of a race, usually in the Chequamegon as I look for familiar names from the past. It would bring back memories of those great days of early mountain bike racing, in the fall woods of Wisconsin. He made a difference. R.I.P.

For more info check my link to Skinnyski.

Feeding the Fat Tire 40 Man: Jeff Hall, 18 years of Fat Tire

The steed that which is to be unleashed upon the Wisconsin woodlands.

The portable work environment that follows the woodland steed to the predetermined adventure.

The leaders of the rampage. It takes 2 because of the potential pitfalls to be encountered en route to the destination.

The riders of the steeds will be required to mount upside down and roll over upright before proceeding.

A young man whose father wore this coat of arms... jersey, in woodland traverses with yours truly 2 decades previously.

Unleash the beast!!

A young adventurer will acompany me on my task of feeding the gladiator of the woodlands.

With the approach of the motorized leader, the gladiator will not be far behind. And he will be fed a bottle of PowerBar go juice.

The rewards to be bestowed upon the woodland gladiators that have navigated the harsh terrain at speeds with which few creatures before them, are to be able to stand upon log pedestals which once were among the woodlands that were conquered this day.

You too, young adventurer will some day have the mud of the forest upon your face and ride swiftly.

Scott Hebel and Jeff Hall.
The moral of the story is that these 2 riders could kick Norm's ass every which way, in any foray into the woods... but Norm still finished in 4th place right behind Scott Hebel, Jeff Hall and Gino that rainy day in Grand Marais, MN, in 1993, annddd right in front of the Short and Fat Champion, Jake Richards Dad, Jay Richards. Go Figure.

I never saw this ending coming. Jay ya gota be proud!! Good Times!!

Check out Jeff Hall Mountainbiking and Skinnyski links for more on the Chequamegon.

Formerly Norm.

Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival 2008

Traveling up to Hayward, Wisconsin later today for another Chequamegon Race. 40 miles of racing a mountain bike. Jeff averages 19 MPH during the race.

My job is, support of racer Jeff Hall. Prepare the mountain bike, hand up water bottles and anything else that comes up. I'll spend the race on the forest backroads intercepting the racers to hand up water bottles to Jeff. I will cover about 36 miles. The last 7 years I have used my enduro motorcycles, that is a blast. This year I'll use the truck.

I raced the 40 mile race from 1985 - 1993. It sure seemed like more mud back then... I raced both times Greg LeMond raced so that was a good time. Jeff was winning the Short and Fat back then, 2 times, in the early 90s. Jeff won the 40 mile race in 1995. Wow, it has been a hell of alot of mountain bike racing since then. Crazy!!

Have a great week-end. Good Times!!

Mike

Three Generations of "Hall" Mountain Bikers at the Buck Hill Race & Bike Patroling at 24 Hours of Afton

The start of the expert/pro class mountain bike race at Buck Hill, Minnesota. Jay Richards, Eric Oftedahl, Hollywood and Jeff Hall on the front line.

Team Manager Owen Hall is seen waiting for, racer dad, Jeff Hall to come cranking out of the woods.

O spied Jeff coming out of the woods.

Go Dad, go!!

O poses with yours truly "Grandpa" Hall. I raced in the first expert mountain bike race at Buck Hill back in the 1980s', some 20 years ago. That makes it 3 generations of Buck Hill racers, we have all won here, so it is always great come back.

I was talking to Jeff about when it was called Tour de Bump. They had a wooden ramp at the bottom of the hill that used to come out of the woods on the north side. Everyone was launched into the air as they hit that ramp, this was before suspension mountain bikes. We got major air, I remember the time Geno got so much air that he almost took out the banner that they had at the finish line. Heck, Channel 11 Sports was even there to shoot some sports footage of the race.

This week-end was the 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race at Afton Alps.

Weez and I signed up to bike patrol (provide first aid, we Ski Patrol at Afton Alps in the winter) at the Afton 24 Hour MTB Race, . The race was 24 hours long, we signed up for the 5:00PM - 12:00 midnight shift on Friday. It was good, only 3 injuries, minor scratches and bumps.

Afton Alps turned into a campground for all the racers, with campers and tents strewn all along the valley. After the sun went down there were campfires and grills started. There were headlamps bobbing in the darkness, it was a scene of stillness yet a constant movement of racers and people who were supporters. We also mounted the headlamps and got out to do some night riding. We rode up to the top of the resort where Red Bull had a lit-up tent, a nice fire going. We spent some time up there talking with a guy who had convinced Red Bull to be a part of the event. Everyone up there was having a great time cheering on the riders who would appear out of the darkness. The moon was out and it was a cool night, in the 60s'. It felt like an early fall night. Good Times!!

The Moon over Afton Alps at the Midnight Hour

Mt. Hood: July 08' #3

Another view of the Mt. Hood, in the clouds.

We had to go to the bandanna route with the intense sun on the snow. Our faces got sun burnt the first day on the snowboards.

The youngster boardin with the masters, Weez and I. Isaac in the white.

Carving down the mountain in July, yeah!!

The board room at Timberline Mountain Lodge. We stayed in one of the bunk rooms.

The last day in the mountains, Friday. Mountain biking and 4-wheeling on mountain jeep trails and hiking some great hiking trails. We accessed a mountain ridge east of Mt. Hood . We parked the truck on a cliff ledge and mountain biked to some switch-back hiking trails. Weez and I checked out the mountain flowers along the way. The last bike ride was climbing up a jeep trail that followed a cliff band. Then descended back down to the truck. Good times!!

There was still some snow in the deep forest, some we could ride through and some we had to hike-a-bike through.

That was it from Mt. Hood. This was our 3rd trip out here and it is always a thrill. It is the ultimate summer Adventure. With snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking and 4-wheeling on some great mountain terrain, every day was 18 hours of Good Times!!

Mount Hood 08' #2

First lift ride up at 9:00 am, coming out of the clouds.
This was the view from the top, above the clouds.

Boardin into the clouds.

Looking over a rock field into the terrain park.

Mt. Hood goes huge with their summer snowboard terrain park.

After snowboarding all morning, a lunch and a little rest. Mountain biking in the evening.

We did a 22 mile round trip ride on a part of the original Oregon trail. It was through some great, old growth forest double track. Some awesome descending, and what goes down must climb back up.

It was a full day in the mountains. Got back to the truck at dusk.

Mount Hood 08'

Mount Hood Snowboard Limo.

Descending the mountain road down from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, 9 miles, down and back up. On Monday.

EPO dopers really SUCK!!

The second EPO doper was caught in the Tour de France.

Dopers go home and don't ever come back!! If you are a doper and you show up at a race, at the World Level or Local, think about how you are cheating everybody and just go home.

I have managed Jeff Hall for many years, he has played by the rules. He has been tested many times, always negative. He has raced against the top riders in the world since 1993, at World Cup, USA National Races and 2 World Championship Races. Some riders have been caught cheating.

A local rider in Minnesota was caught a few years ago, they take money and UCI points from honest riders. That rider whined about it, sent letters to the press looking for sympathy. That rider SCREWED everybody he came into contact. Both people that were on his road teams and racers like Jeff who raced against him fair and square. I can't believe the ignorant bike teams and the ignorant press that go running back to these dopers to feel good and get their name in the press.

This is my drug rant, like it or not.

On a positive note, GOOD LUCK to Jay and Jake Richards in Vermont at the USA National Championship Races and all the other Minnesota mountain bike racers. I know it will be a lifetime memory for you all. Keep Your Heads Up!! Ride hard. Good Times!!