By Keith Darner

So here is my take on the past weekend. I thought Chalk Creek was big. Compared to the Chili Challenge it was like.... well just a pinch over half the size. Chalk Creek saw 948 total race starts and the Chili Challenge will be closer to 1400 when it is all said and done!

I arrived in Angel Fire on Monday to help the crew of Bigfoot get the final touches on the event. In that day and a half I put in 16 hours doing a fair bit of manual labor. Most of the BFP crew had been their since the Saturday before the event. Nate a.k.a Captin Carhart hand been their  three or four days before that cutting downfall off the XC, DH and SD courses.

Wednesday the big rigs  begin rolling in making our venue look like were were the mack daddy of North American Events! Hayes, Fox, Cannondale, Maverick, Yeti, Giant, Kenda, Control Tech, Brodie, Big Crank, with their full trailer and awning set ups sure gave the feel of a national caliber event and  what direction the series is headed.

So back to the week, with the rain on Wednesday I chose to build a few bikes that riders were expecting to ride when they showed up on Thursday. I was not really motivated to build bikes in the rain and was dragging my heals a bit. That is until Hayes showed up and in a driving all day rain they put on their cute midwest yellow rain slickers and set up their entire trailer and awning. I was amazed how the weather had no effect on them. So I did it, pulled the partially built bikes  out of the trailer and got under way. Putting the finishing touches on my last of four frames as the Yeti Factory trailer pulled in at 9:30 pm in a slight little drizzle. They thought I was some kind of great devoted team manager when really it was my own procrastination that lead me to be working on bikes in the dark and rainy conditions.  I didn't even do any practice runs on Wednesday due to the rain.

However Thursday brought clear morning skies and more truck and trailer expo folks. It was good to catch up with these long haul Mt. Bike support people. You know the how was your off season, and all the stories that go along with a new spring of racing. So finally off to DH practice with a few of my team members. The DH course was amazing, it was the World Cup course with a few modifications made by Nate "The Former Hair Farmer" McCay a.k.a. Captain Carhart. After practice it was off to helping park more expo people get in their spots and fine tuning the freshly built team bikes.

Friday saw more practice and even though I was registered for MX the DH course was just to good to whittle out time to practice a MX course, that quite frankly scares the hell out of me!  So I decided to fore go the MX so that I could have a steller DH race on Sunday. Friday brought a few more showers and more tech expo folks.

Saturday morning, I was walking my three dogs, Louie , Bronco and Edie when I heard a voice say "Barner!" which is a nick name given to me by Chris Conroy, one of the owners of Yeti. I made my way over to him and he said "You racing Super D?"

"Nah... I am already in my DH gear and ready for that practice. After a little bit of harassment and a reminder that he and I have been talking crap about how we were going to beat each other in some type of mountain bike racing, he convinced me to go do a Super D practice run. So I jumped on my DH 303 and headed up the lift. Needless to say one run on a Super D course that suited both my mass and my sweet DH 303; the challenge was on, we did another practice run then got right back on the chair lift as the Super D started at 9:00 a.m. Arriving at the top to see the first wave, Open Men, take off. I got my game plan for the start situated. it was a 40 to 60 yard uphill push then you could mount your trusty steed and start flying down the wide open two track. Craig Rubis yelled out " 30+ Men to staging!" I worked my way to the front line of a huge pack of 40 to 45 starters. Then one guy asked for the field to be split, Craig being the great discpline manager that he is accomidated us by splitting it....  30-39 and 40+. However after he did that the timers said that's a no go. He made us all get back on the line together. Again I slipped into the front row while Cris Conroy was stuck at the back of the start group. "30 seconds..... 15 seconds ..... GO!" and we were off running with our bikes up the hill, bashing elbows like the best of MX'ers do.

As the group rounded the first corner and mounted our bikes I was in the top 20. That wide open double track that I mentioned earlier was suited just pefect for a man of my GIRTH and I passed about 12 of those 20 folks in front of me. Then on to a little track with a bunch of baby heads, then a right hand turn onto terrain the really favored the 303. I passed three more guys lying on the ground, one of them yelling "Go Darner get it!" that was Lee of Leelikesbikes.com He was quick on my wheel and he myself and one other guy where chaing and XC'er who had no technical riding skill what so ever. He fell like three or four times in the next three tree sections but would never get out of the way. I thought "Man could this guy ever use a clinic with Lee." I finally let Lee and the guy following him by to try and deal with Captain No Skill. I tried to keep in contact with that group thinking hell a top 8 finish will be a good start to the Super D season. Little did I know when I let Lee and that other guy by I was actually in 2nd. D'oh!

So after losing contact with those three I kept checking over my shoulder, no sign of Conroy or any others for that matter. So I just got in a good pace and finished out the race taking the last spot on the podium. what great fun. I still had no idea I was in 4th until later that day when some guy said "Nice Super D Darner. " " Yea, I think I was top ten" "no" he replied "you on the box you were forth" "Really! Sweet!

At the finish a couple of people thought I was going to Puke. Not a chance I have like 150 miles of base in already I thought to myself.

After that it was off to DH practice but I could only muster two runs do to cooked legs and torched lungs.  Plus I had to go support my amateur MX'er team mates and my Pro Rudy Unrau.  So after helping my amateurs I was asked to help officiate the top three turns of the MX as a bunch guys were protesting that the other guy touched their elbow and the should get the advance. As soon as I got in position this kid from X-Fusion team trys a hi-low pass and completely puts the guy he's passing over the top of the berm. I made a call that favored the guy being passed and next thing I know the X-Fusion guy was back up the course in my face. After a brief but heated conversation' I told him my decision was final and he'd have to talk with the Chief Referee Dean Crandal. He accused me of playing favorites and rode off giving me the bird. That is a BIG NO NO... you do not ever disrespect an official that way. So I called him back and told him to get over his bad attitude. To make a long story short we made up on Monday and left with a warm fuzzy.

After watching some of the best MX racing, we headed down the mountain to a dinner at Willie's Bar B Que,  NOPE!!! they closed at seven ! So I went home had a couple of flower totillas with PESTO and passed out! daggone I was tired.

Sunday.... An hour of DH practice and then the AMS started lining up. I had four hours before racing so I took a nap had a little lunch and headed to the top for my race run. '10 seconds" Cawley barked out 3- 2- 1- GO! I was off! Breathe.... outside, inside.... don't brake in the turn, relax, let go of the death grip you have on the bar these were the expressions going through my head. Before I knew it I was out of the first three tree sections and on the wide open ski runs. NO BRAKES........ No Brakes............speed is your friend..................... It was no time at all and I was on approaching Nate's new road gap. Hit it almost perfect, then blew the entrence to the next road gap and wound up rolling it like a chump!  Crossing the finish line  I heard "5:53 for bib # 401 thats good for second place" over the next 30 or 35 riders I kept dropping finally finishing at 14th. Not bad for 8th DH run for the year. Watch out at the Butte! The evening concluded with a nice team dinner and a solid night of sleep.

Monday was spent packing up the trailer , helping announce the semi pro final DH race and cheering on all the big name pro dudes and dudettes that showed up to our little ole' race. After that I helped with the STXC break down checked out of my condo an made a late dinner with the Bigfoot crew! Afterwards back at the Bigfoot condo we had a few sips of the CROWN ROYAL RESERVE, and off to beddie bye with my three dogs. 

4:52 a.m. Tuesday. The faint blueish black sky brought me to reality, I was on the road by 5:10 a.m. and in the office by 9:30 a.m.

Thanks to all the Bigfoot crew, Maverick timing, and Angel Fire crew for making the best Chili Challenge experiences I've ever had.

Mike you are the man!! A lot of us really appreciate the extra hours and cool calm demeanor you bring to the event. plain and simple BIGFOOT under your direction ROCKS!!!!

KD