Ripper 4 --Triple Crown and the Ripper dads

Ripper -- Triple Crown-- Ripper Dads

Well it was the final Ripper of the season. This "event" is a poker challenge where the best hand wins -- not the fastest team, as I found out last year. This year me and the Guys went as the Ripper Dads. Being the Triple Crown we had to get to certain check points on each of three mountains -- Cypress, Fromme (Grouse) and Cypress. At each check point we would get a card that would contribute to your poker hand. Extra cards were given if you performed some mostly embarrassing "extra" at each station. At the bottom of Fromme we played blackjack, at the top of Fromme we sang Elvis songs, at Cleveland Dam we had to perform the Can Can and at the top of Cypress we had to ride an impossible skinny and teeter-totter.

The route we decided on (well Vinny decided on) was up the road on Seymour, down CBC into T.N.T, Dirty Diapers into Ned's Atomic Dustbin and then over to Bottle Top and down to Twin Bridges. This part of the ride was not un-eventful. A wayward log jumped out at Vinny on Dirty Diapers and ripped off his derailleur. He had to walk up Ned's to the road and then coast to Different Bikes to get a replacement. He then drove to Fromme and was waiting for us when we finally got there. The "Big Man" was riding a his light bike and subsequently flatted on Ned's. We also stopped on Bottletop to have a reunion of sorts -- Bottletop is where we used to practice trials about 10 years ago, with the same guys no less.

A stop for some energy drink and on to Fromme for some blackjack and Elvis songs. At Fromme we saw Lee Lau. He and his partner were attempting another epic sea to sky to sea to sky to ... you get the idea. Last year he went from the ocean to the tops of each of the roads to the peaks, this year he was less fortunate. From what I gather after we saw him at the bottom of Fromme he decided to change his "goals" for this year.

On Fromme, after singing (if you could call it that) we went down Executioner and into Bitches Brew. Bitches definitely needs some work. It is one of those old school trails that is challenging but still fun to ride. We finished Fromme by riding across the Baden Powell trail and then over to Cleveland Dam by road.

At the Dam there was food and some more embarrassing moments -- Boas and the Can Can. Even with all of the extra cards we were getting my hand was not getting any better, but then what do I know about card games?

I find the most challenging part of the whole ride is navigating through the British Properties, although this year with Stu's explicit metre by metre instructions we were able to make short work of the "Properties".

We met my family at the look out on Cypress and were fed with gatorade and snickers bars (old school power bars) which gave us just enough energy for the final hump up Cypress. At the top were were challenged by a skinny ride over two humps and a teeter-totter. None of our group made it -- I think were we all "done" by this point.

Being "done" it only made sense for us to ride Reaper, Fire Hose and Family Guy out. Both Reaper and Fire hose were no fun at all. I was cooked and those trails are far too "old school"-- they are straight down -- read "you need to tighten your butt cheeks over you back wheel for extra braking". We had a bit of redemption on Family Guy which is generally rolling and fun, but it was the end of a long day and we still had a long ride to Obsession Bikes.

We ripped it along the highway and then to Lower Lonsdale for our final check point and card.

The After part was at Bella Candella and included a silent auction for a fallen rider, John Ramsden.

All in all it was an epic day with good friends. Thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors that make a day like this possible.

Other write ups can be found at NSMB.com and at North Shore Ripper.com

I'm already looking forward to next years Rippers.