I'm at Old Town Coffee and Chocolate having chocolate covered cherries and Irish Creme coffee, and using their free wifi and power.. I crossed the finish line a little before 5, and rinsed my sweaty shirt and underarms in the fountain. Nobody complained.
The trickiest part seems to have been the entrance to the dunes with its deep, loose, dry sand. Many of the "big guys" bogged down there, including Duane Flatmo with his shiny dragon. The way to navigate that seems to be with big balloon tires, and front-wheel drive. Being able to shift weight back-to-front seems useful too, especially later when exiting the dunes, as there's a barrier set up there to control wind erosion. Then again, that's one of the few places where it's allowed to pull it without losing "ace" status.
Then, of course there is Dead Man's Drop, and the other perilous drop just before it. You want a really low center of gravity, I believe. Maybe even propel it while lying belly-down.
That last stretch entering Eureka is tricky: several turns marked only by those inconspicuous barricades. This year, of course, it doesn't matter that I got a little lost. Next year, if I'm a participant, it'll be a different story.
I probably made an ass of myself, jogging and skating alongside the sculptures. But the racers are getting familiar with me, and I'm sharing my HPV idea. They'll likely remember me next year when I come back with my kickass longboard and sail.
last updated 2013-01-10 21:13:57. served from tektonic.jcomeau.com