MJ HALL / Livin’ & Ridin’ the Adventure

Monday, September 16, 2013

Two Rides at the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival / September 2013

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Packed up and arriving in Northern Wisconsin Friday night. The race starts at 10:00am Saturday morning.

Jeff Hall a bit feisty at 5:30am Saturday morning.

I've got a motor to ride during the race...Jeff supplies the motor for his bike.

9 minutes before the gun goes off to start the 40 mile off-road MTB race. 2100 riders are set to launch down main street of Hayward, Wisconsin.

Out on the road for 3 miles and then the turn into Rosies Field for 37 miles of off road MTB racing.

Jeff Hall #11 rockin; at the front. He was in 3rd behind Tilford across Rosies Field.

This is the lead 4-wheeler at about the 23 mile point. 20 seconds after I snapped this photo the lead pack of about 12 riders came flying by me on their way towards Fire Tower Hill.

I stay ahead of the mountain bike race leaders on the motorcycle, traveling along forest roads.

The lead 4-wheeler after the Fire Tower Hill climb, 10 miles to go. The lead group of 12 riders is starting to break up as the speed and intensity increases. This is where the race pace increases and the race is decided in the final climbs in the last 2-3 miles.

Jeff finishing a strong 8th.

Jeff didn't leave anything out on the trail. He raced as hard as he could, 8th place / setting a personal best @ 2:04:16 / 40 miles / average speed @ 19.7 mph.

So close, it all came down to the last mile.

40 miles later, Jeff Hall and I at the finish...Good Times!!

I first raced the Chequamegon Fat Tire Race back in 1985, which was the 3rd year of the 40 mile race. I raced the 40 mile Chequamegon till the year 1993. After that I started to manage and travel with Jeff.

My older Son Chad first raced the Short and Fat in 1986. Jeff and his Brother Chad raced the Short and Fat 16 mile race back in 1987. Jeff was was 11 years old and Chad was 13 years old.

I believe that Jeff has raced at Chequamegon 22 times over the past 26 years. In 1995 Jeff won the Chequamegon 40 at the age of 19. Another top 40 result was a 2nd place finish behind Jonathan Page. He won the Short and Fat in 1992 and 1993. Jay Richards and Jeff battled it out in 1991, with Jay winning and Jeff taking 2nd in the Short and Fat.

In 1994 Jeff qualified for the 1994 World Mountain Bike Championships and rode to an 18th place in the World at Vail,Colorado. 1995 was the year Jeff turned Pro and won the Chequamegon 40. The year 1996 he raced at the World Mountain Bike Championships in Cains, Australia and finished 17th in the World.

Jeff Hall and Bobby one of the original 1984 Chequama Mammas. 69 years young and still racing...

Brian Matter 1st, TJ Woodruff 2nd, Mike Olheiser 3rd, top 3 Men. Chloe Woodruff 1st, Jenna Rinehart 2nd, Sara Kylander- Johnson 3rd, top 3 Women.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Chequamegon Fat Tire Flashback / 2008 / Jeff Hall / Mike Hall / GOOD TIMES!!

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Jeff Hall at Maplelag 2013 on a Brand New Foundry Mountain Bike.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2008

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.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Former Chequamegon / 2009 / Memories

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2009

1:22AM Chequamegon Morning

Just got done preping Jeffs bike and finished packing everything back in the truck. It is like a ritual of the Chequamegon to prep Jeff Halls bike the night before the big 40 mile race on Saturday. I finish working on the bike, have a beer and hit the bed for 3.5 hours of sleep cause the alarm is set for 5:15 AM. The race starts at 10:00 AM this morning. Jeff finished 2nd last year, there are 1800 riders in this race and this is the 27th year of the race. It's a true classic.

The year of 1995 when Jeff won this race, I had to rebuild his rear derailer and it took until 4:00AM the morning of the race. I never told him cause I didn't want to distract him. Well it worked, with him winning by 4 seconds over Eric Ringsrud.

Got to finish the 16 oz. Silver Bullet and get some sleep, GOOD TIMES!!

Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 Race

The 3 Amigos of the early 90s'. Jeff Hall was winning the Short and Fat, Scott Hebel was placing 2nd behind Greg LeMond in the 40 and I was chasing these 2 jokers with top 50 finishes in the 40 miler. We all raced for the Diamond Back Team, Scott was one of their national riders and Jeff and I were DB regional riders. We had good times all over the Midwest and raced with Scott out in Colorado.

The Man of the hour, Gary Crandall, the man in the middle with the beard. The head Chequamegon honcho. He and his crew have put together the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival every September for the past 27 years. I heard about it back in 1984 and raced it for the first time in 1985.

Starting, staging area.

The front pack of 1900 riders after 3 miles of pavement, reaching speeds of 35 MPH.

After this corner they ride into an open field (Rosie's Field) and it is all off-road and dirt trails for a total of 41 miles(1 mile longer this year I heard).

This at about mile 11 into the race, still a very large group of riders. Jeff is just popping over the little rise and I will hand up a water bottle to him. I will see the leaders 7 times in the race.

Yours truly at OO trail crossing, about 17 or 18 miles into the race.

The lead group has whittled down to a select fast group. Jeff is in this group.

Jeff at the finish, 9th place on the day. time of 2:04. Last year he finished 2nd at 2:08, the riders and the course were very fast this year. The old course record was 2:07.

Gotta like the dust on this day, 41 miles in 2:04, 19.7 MPH average.

Finishing area.

My old race teammates Dru, Tim and Tim's son Joe. Tim and Joe still flying the Finish Line Finder jersey. Back in the 80's and 90's this was the jersey that sent shivers down the spines of lesser mountain bike teams...ha,ha. Jeff was even a Finder back in his early days. GOOD TIMES!!

Monday, September 09, 2013

Fireroads on the New 400 Suzuki / Rainy Sunday / Yeah!

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