“There is only one rule – Do not cross the line first if you don’t want the tattoo!”

Those were the prerace instructions given at the start of the Single Speed World Championships last weekend in Kilfinane, Ireland. So, what really does happen if you are the first man or woman across the finish line?  You show off your new tattoo at the after party… I have wanted to race the SSWC for a few years now and due to injury or time limitations haven’t been able to participate.  I was excited last year when I found out the race would be in Europe and decided that if I was only able to do one race while I was living in Germany it would be the SSWC in Ireland.  I also took a few days off from work for a long weekend so I could see a bit more of Ireland since it was my first visit to the country.  First, I must say that Irish people are amazing.  Of course the race promoters and the staff at the Outdoor Education center where we all bunked went above and beyond what could ever be expected of them, but also the people from Kilfinane were incredible!  Can you image, a town of about 1,000 people giving an exceptionally warm welcome to 500+ people dressed like this? I was also really excited when I went to ride the course the day before the race, which was only possible after the race mechanic Chris helped me get my ride running smoothly.  The trails where so amazing that I could have stayed out there for hours to ride, I knew for sure the race was going to be a blast.  A bit of a side note here, if anyone is looking for their vacation destination next summer I would highly recommend a trip to the Ballyhoura Trails, they are all special use trails designed just for mountain bikes.  Now on to the race details.  The weather was a bit cold and I felt sorry for everyone in costumes that showed a lot of skin.  As we started out on the neutral ride from town to the trails I chatted up some people that looked as though they were going to freeze, and all of them confirmed my suspicion.  Once we got to the trails there was also a cold 45min delay as we had to wait while the organizers mixed up our bikes for the mass chaos start that I have been told is typical for the SSWC.  At the line we all waited anxiously for the ‘start gun’, someone downing a cup of beer while we wait for completion before dashing to our bikes.  The anticipation was building, and once the beer was finished we were on our way!  I decided to take the more official ‘long route’ toward my bike with an approach to walk slowly through the piled up bikes so I would not pass mine in a rush.  I finally reached my bike, which wasn’t too far from where I put it to begin with and was on my way. I was giddy with excitement on my first lap and was happy to be riding wonderful trails.  I was also happy with my gear selection which allowed me to enjoy the climbs more than I would have been able to on a harder gear.  I had no idea how my position was until after about an hour when someone mentioned that I was in first and should start thinking about where I wanted my tattoo.  I laughed as I rolled along, not really thinking much of it because I assumed someone would be close behind and very anxious for the coveted SSWC tattoo. My second lap was again enjoyable, with awesome single track and perfectly flowing trails.  I was a bit anxious by now though, as no one was passing me.  I started to think “Hum, I might be getting a tattoo today.”  I had some bobbles in the last hour of the race, one of which was caused by a wet bridge and I thought for sure my chances of winning were gone.  I finally reached the finishing stretch though and was still in first, curious about the prize that awaited me.  I did not really think winning was a possibility for me, so before the trip I hadn’t even thought about the tattoo or where it would go.  After I crossed the line I was taken to an area for a photo, and then placed in front of a table with a tattoo gun and ink.  After much discussion I finally decided that my left arm would be a good place for the prize, and I was very happy with the design.  I’m sure I will always remember Ireland!  Like I already said, it was a wonderful event but I would again just like to thank the event promoters and the wonderful people at the Kilfanane Outdoor Education Center that took good care of me and my food issues.  Stephan from the Pirate team was a huge help in building my single speed for me in Hamburg just weeks before the event.  Thanks Stephan!  Also, I did not take any of these photos myself and took most of them from various people via the facebook SSWC 2011 page.  Next up, XTERRA Europe series finals in Switzerland this weekend. Heather

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