Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic Press Release

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AdventureCORPS announces San Diego County's Newest, Toughest, Most Epic, and Most Traffic-Free Century Cycling Event. Basketball legend Bill Walton to serve as Chairman of Good Times.

LA JOLLA, CA - AdventureCORPS, Inc., an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, lifestyle, and media, will host the second Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic on Saturday, April 16, 2011, featuring up to 101 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing and three different ascents of San Diego County's Mount Laguna and breath-taking views of the Anza-Borrego Desert far below. With a start/finish line just 44 miles east of downtown San Diego, the route for this chip-timed cycling event features just three stop signs and NO traffic lights.

This incredible event features three loops that all begin and end in or near Pine Valley, CA. Each of the three loops ascends Mount Laguna on a different route: via Sunrise Hwy from the north, via the fabled and car-free Kitchen Creek from the south-east, and via the little-known and truly epic Pine Creek drainage from the west. (known as Noble Canyon to mountain bikers, but our paved route features grades as steep as 20 percent). All three loops descend Mount Laguna south-bound on Sunrise Highway. The total distance for all three loops is 101 miles with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain. A one loop, 45 mile option, and two loop, 77 mile option, are also offered.

The entry fee is just $89 ($99 after April 1, if the field is not yet full), registration is limited to 300, and the event is filling quickly. Entry includes six well-stocked checkpoints featuring Hammer Nutrition, roving SAG support, finish line meal, and chip timing by Montana Timing.

Basketball legend, television sportscaster, motivational speaker, cycling author, and life-long cyclist Bill Walton, a San Diego native and resident, will once again participate in the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic and serve as the Chairman of Good Times, Social Affairs, Customer Relations and All Things Fun. He had this to say about the event in 2010: "Chris Kostman designed a tough, challenging 100-miler that incorporates three ever-more-difficult ascents to the Promised Land, including the car-less Kitchen Creek fantasy. With unbelievable diversity of every aspect of life, this day will surely stand out as a monument to all we could ever hope for in any one 24 hour period. Terrific scenery, unparalleled beauty, endless vistas, great roads, a clean and safe environment, crystal clear and fresh air, extensive support, and all our best friends getting together for a day of celebration, camaraderie, exercise, spiritual fulfillment, Mount Laguna and the sprawling San Diego backcountry. If there is anything else out there please let me know - quickly. Chris Kostman has put it all together here and we couldn’t be happier or luckier." (See Bill's 2011 statement, bio, and website below.)

Feedback about the first edition of the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic on April 17, 2010:
I just wanted to thank you again for an epic and amazing day on Laguna. I think it might be the best event i have ever participated in. The aid stations were excellent, timing well done, atmosphere positive (competitive but friendly) and course challenging; It was an inspirational day! I am so thankful you let me do it and already have fond memories of it. Also thanks for the nice jersey. I hope to get out there again and ride with you guys. - Take care, Drew Peterson

Wow - THAT was EPIC! From the pre-event communication, to the on-course support and to the course itself and lastly but not leastly to the post ride food and atmosphere - this event was fantastic. It will be a quick sell out for years to come. That last loop was one for the record books in its difficulty. I highly recommend every rider that is looking for a real challenge they give this a go! - Cliff Clermont

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to shake your hand and say thanks for an EPIC event on saturday. This was truly a GREAT course, with great support! The third loop was definitely no joke, and was a killer way to end the course. Ball buster for sure! Thanks again for a great race. - Ryan Denner

I just wanted to thank you and your staff for a great ride on Saturday. It was a truly beautiful day, and an epic ride. And a couple of times during the day I ran into other riders along the route that brought up (without me asking) how well run the ride was, how nice the staff was, how good the food selection was, etc. Not a discouraging word. - Regards, Jack Blackbird Bochsler

Chris, you’ve outdone yourself. Since I did the first Death Valley Double it was always my favorite ride. I think it has now been replaced by Mount Laguna. The scenery, the support and the course were awesome. That dreaded third loop which needs a nickname will surely become a classic for anyone who thinks digging deep into their physical and mental wells is “fun”. In the nearly 20 years I’ve been doing endurance cycling events that loop is arguably the hardest stretch I’ve done. I can see many of us coming back not simply to complete it but to reduce the number of times we have to come off the bike due to those grades. Finally, I don’t know how popular it was with others but in the future if you continue to have chicken and rice at the end I will make that my first stop at the end. Great job as always. My brother and my friends are already talking about next year. - Ron Sparrow Shepston

I really enjoyed the ride. Well done. There's never a bad reason to head out to Laguna. And Pine Creek is ridiculous. Just from looking at the elevation data from online gps mapping tools, I thought I had a chance at riding the climb fixed. I had no idea what was in store for me! I really have to return with gears! - Adam Rock Rabbit Bickett

Basketball legend, television sportscaster, cycling author, and life-long cyclist Bill Walton, a San Diego native and resident, will participate in the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic and will serve as the Chairman of Good Times, Social Affairs, Customer Relations and All Things Fun. He had this to say about the event: "Now, Chris Kostman has designed a tough, challenging 100 miler that incorporates three ever-more-difficult ascents to the Promised Land, including the car-less Kitchen Creek fantasy. And I can’t wait. With unbelievable diversity of every aspect of life, this day will surely stand out as a monument to all we could ever hope for in any one 24 hour period. Terrific scenery, unparalleled beauty, endless vistas, great roads, a clean and safe environment, crystal clear and fresh air, extensive support, and all our best friends getting together for a day of celebration, camaraderie, exercise, spiritual fulfillment, Mount Laguna and the sprawling San Diego backcountry. If there is anything else out there please let me know - quickly. Chris Kostman has put it all together here and we couldn’t be happier or luckier." (Bill's full 2011 statement is below.)

Click here for all the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic information.

Click here for the report, results, 450 images, and feedback from the 2010 edition of the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic.

Click here for the report, results, images, and feedback from the November 14, 2009 Official Pre-Ride of the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic.

Click here for extensive route maps and elevation profiles for each of the three loops.

Click here for a seven-minute video slideshow of the entire route from start to finish. It is compiled from 181 images of the route from various rides we've enjoyed out there in recent years. The images are in sequential order, exactly as if riding the event. Each of the three loops is also depicted with a map, elevation profile, and 3D image. Turn up your speakers to enjoy the music!

Click here to see photos, videos, and more from numerous cycling adventures we've had on and around Mt. Laguna over the past few years. It's a spectacular place!

MOUNT LAGUNA BICYCLE CLASSIC HIGHLIGHTS

  • April 16, 2011
  • Held on Eastern San Diego County's Mount Laguna: Minimal traffic, no traffic lights, and just three stop signs.
  • The toughest - and only TIMED - century in San Diego County.
  • Featuring chip timing by Montana Timing.
  • Distances offered: 3 loops / 101 miles; 2 loops / 77 miles; 1 loop / 45 miles.
  • Six well-stocked checkpoints featuring Hammer Nutrition, plus a finish line meal.
  • The entry fee is just $89 with a 400 rider limit and it will SELL OUT!
  • Event will be held under permits from United States Forest Service and the County of San Diego.

2011 STATEMENT FROM BILL WALTON

2011 Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic by Bill Walton

As we all come back to life, blooming like a spring flower, after the miserable cold rain and snow of yet another endless winter---I can’t wait for April 16. It is on this date that we will all be liberated one more time by the marching, charging adventurers that come to play in the game of life under the guise of Chris Kostman and AdventureCORPS' call to action in our constant struggle against the forces of inactivity, lethargy and the onset of rigormortis.

The Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic is back - and we can only thank AdventureCORPS - as they empower our yearning dreams of freedom and accomplishment one more magnificent time.

Yes, it will probably be cold at the start, but that’s what gloves, gear and the Guatay Summit are for. The sun will be rising and on our backs as the first glorious climb hits early. Then the quick descent before the sweeping right-hander on our way up the golden road to unlimited devotion that is the majestically designed and engineered series of wonderful rollers up, up and away, all the way to the top of the mountain. Over the hills and through the woods of the California State Park, Green Valley, the bubbling roadside creeks sure to be full from this tiresome winter, Paso Pacacho, Stonewall Peak, Lake Cuyamaca, and the Sunrise Highway with its awe-inspiring and eternal vistas of the warming Sonoran desert below.

And then finally at the top for the first time - the forests, the birds, the flowers, clean and pure air, water and wind. It’s all right there in front of us as we stop and ponder the great questions of life, time and space - with the better than perfectly placed refueling station, often confused as a five star oasis on the desolate road of life.

The first grand descent: long, fast, smooth, rhythmic, graceful, curving, lustful, and ever warming as we come down and back to life as we can only dream it to be. Please watch for the bugs and don’t forget your safety eyewear - OUCH !!!!!!!!!!!

A big left at the bottom is your entrance to the Promised Land. As you dive down into Buckman Springs and ultimately the Kitchen Creek watershed, paradise waits. And now a big climb. Longer. Steeper. Harder. The way we like it as we’ve found the beat and the groove. More classic AdventureCORPS. A genius supply depot awaits. And then the bliss of solitude, the mountain, you, your bike and just enough road and pavement to make this just about the best thing you’ve ever done.

Back into the trees, and around the corner, and voila !!!!! Back in and on the safety of the main road - great pavement - shoulders - screaming down, down, down - again.. We can’t slow down and we can’t let go as every time that wheel goes round, we’re bound to cover just a little more ground.

And there it is, Pine Valley, and home - at last. Except for those riders who clamor for more. Those studs who look to Pine Creek and scoff at the 20% grade. OH MY!!!!!

Me, I’m just out there to kiss the sky. And in the sanctuary that is Mount Laguna and everything AdventureCORPS - here comes sunshine. I can’t wait. I plead guilty - to smiling on a cloudy day. I know what’s there for all of us on April 16.

With eternal gratitude, respect, admiration and appreciation to Chris and AdventureCORPS!!!!!

They have given us the gift of light. Thanks, Chris, for letting us play in the game of life as we climb to the top of the mountain one more time.

October 2010 Bicycling Magazine: Bill Walton, NBA Legend and AdventureCORPS Fan #1
Shortly after the 2010 Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic, Roy Wallack conducted an interview for Bicycling Magazine with the basketball legend, TV sports commentator, and long time rider in our events. Full story

ABOUT BILL WALTON

Bill Walton (born November 5, 1952), is a retired American basketball player, television sportscaster, and current motivational speaker and charity spokesman. The “Big Red-Head”, as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s and winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards and went on to have a prominent career in the NBA. Walton was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on May 10, 1993 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame that same year. He is the father of current Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton. - Quoted from Bill's bio on Wikipedia

Bill's Personal "Long Strange Trip" Website.

Bill's AdventureCORPS Fan #1 Webpage.

Bill's 2010 Mount Laguna statement

OFFICIAL CHARITY

The Official Charity of AdventureCORPS is the Challenged Athletes Foundation. One of the goals of all AdventureCORPS events is to raise funds for, and awareness of, this wonderful organization.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation was created on the belief that people of all abilities should have the opportunity to pursue a life full of physical activity and of sports. Be they recreational or in pursuit of a gold medal at the Paralympic Games, people with a physical disability are limited only by their access to funding. Since 1994, CAF has raised more than $24 million—allowing the Foundation to satisfy thousands of funding requests from challenged athletes in all 50 states and across the globe.

Eighty-nine cents of every dollar raised by CAF provides funding and programs that get challenged athletes into the game. Whether it’s a $2,000 handcycle, helping underwrite a $15,000 running prosthetic or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar injury, CAF’s mission is clear: give those with the desire to live active, competitive lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.

Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic participants may participate in CAF's "Race For a Reason" program: Ride the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic on behalf of CAF, raise funds for this wonderful organization, and even earn cool incentive prizes in recognition of your efforts!

ABOUT ADVENTURECORPS

La Jolla, CA-based AdventureCORPS, Inc. is an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, lifestyle, and media. Adventure is our way of life. AdventureCORPS’ world-class events for athlete-adventurers include epic races such as the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508, muiti-day cycling lifestyle adventures known as CORPScamps, the annual Rough Riders Rally in Marin County, plus several 100- and 200-mile cycling events in Death Valley and on and around San Diego County's Mt. Laguna. We also host and develop our adventure-related websites and blogs and provide a variety of adventure-related services. Founded in 1984 by Chris Kostman, this group effort is dedicated to exploring the inner and outer universes, seeking adventure, energy, and insight both in daily life and "out there."

Above: Pine Creek Road from loop three of the route, as featured in the Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic logo.