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Bikers get their Boogaloo on

Apparently, Whitehorse’s Boogaloo trail system was not named after a popular 1960s dance of the same name. But there was plenty of reason to dance at the Magnusson trail parking lot.
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Apparently, Whitehorse’s Boogaloo trail system was not named after a popular 1960s dance of the same name.

But there was plenty of reason to dance at the Magnusson trail parking lot on Grey Mountain Road Saturday.

Music blared, burgers were served and the beer garden buzzed as the Contagious Mountain Bike Club held the seventh annual Boogaloos Fun Day and Race season opener.

About 64 riders took part in the festivities that included races of various lengths on the Boogaloo trails and others.

Not much was new with the event because it doesn’t need anything new, said organizer Thane Phillips.

“(Boreale Mountain Biking’s Marsha Cameron) and I have organized this for a number of years, we’ve fined-tuned it and I think we’ve hit the right course length so people don’t get too cranky,” said Phillips. The opener included short, medium and long course options, “so everyone can get out there and ride,” he said.

“We want to make it a fun family event. I want to ride, but I also want to ride with my kids. I want my kids to experience being active and being outside. That’s why we do it.”

Festivities kicked off with the 2015 Run Bike World Championships for kids under six, followed by five-, 10- and 17-kilometre races.

Whitehorse’s Kate Koepke didn’t know she won the five-kilometre race until she was asked about it. The eight-year-old finished in a little over 23 minutes despite taking a spill on her single-speed bike.
“There was a big, big, big, big hill at the beginning. A giant hill,” said Koepke. “And then in the middle there were a lot of bumpy roots and two big jumps I accidently took. One of them I landed, the other one I kind of face-planted.

“It was a tiny wipe out, but it was still a wipe out, I guess.”

Whitehorse’s Massey Baker also posted a win on a single-speed bike. The 22-year-old rode his to first place in the 17-kilometre race.

“I think I’ve only missed one (Boogaloos event) the last few years, but this is my first one coming in near the front – at the front,” said Baker.

“It was tough. I definitely could have used some gears. I single-sped it so I hammered up hills and just fought for it.”

Baker, who mountain biked for Yukon at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Quebec, took the lead at the start, put his head down and kept going.

“It’s nice being out in the front if you can get it,” he said. “I could see the guy behind me for most of the climb to the top of Goatee and then tried to put as much space between us as I could.”

The Contagious Mountain Bike Club’s next big event will be the 15th annual 24 Hours of Light Mountain Bike Festival, June 27 to June 28 at the Biathlon Yukon Range on Grey Mountain Road.

More information can be found on the Contagious website at cmbcyukon.ca.

Results

Five-kilometre males

1st Mathias Frostad

2nd Owen Hogan

3rd Tim Hogan

 

Five-kilometre females

1st Kate Koepke

2nd Stephanie Buchanan

3rd Valentina Ospina

 

10-kilometre males

1st Josh de la Salle

2nd Alejandro Ospina

3rd Daniel Phillips-Freedman

10-kilometre females

1st Vanessa Gee

2nd Lauren McClintock (tied)

2nd Erin Light (tied)

 

17-kilometre males

1st Massey Baker

2nd Jean-Paul Molgat

3rd Shea Hoffman

17-kilometre females

1st Pippa Lawson

2nd Catherine O’Donovan

3rd Kristen Hogan

Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com