Stupor Bowl XI

I can't claim I had the most outrageous of Stupor Bowl experiences. I can't even claim that I finished all 17 stops. But I did participate. I may not have been the drunkest or the fastest (or the fastest drunk), but I had a good time none-the-less.

Racers congregated under the North-side Hennepin Bridge.

Their bikes wait on the opposite side of the street.

Me at the Sunrise. I'm not that drunk, I just look that way. I think.

The special of the day at the Sunrise

Erika was racing for Rachel, who had planned to kick some serious ass this year. Besides wearing Rachel's messenger bag and riding Rachel's bike, Erika also took time to give this very Rachel look for the camera.

This blurry picture is capturing a critical point in the race when Zito and Kelly Mac received their final stamp and proceeded to the Bolt to claim victory in the Stupor Ride portion of the race. Which, for the boys and girls at home, means that they went to 11 stops (as opposed to the 17 for the main event) and had a drink at each. No shizzle. Then, to top it off, they had a flat from Hell, in which a crusty old tube became one with a tire, which lost the buzzing racers 20 minutes of time. Even though I would have preferred a clearer photo to commemorate the moment, the fog on my lens seems to have added a boozy level of poetic justice to it.

The Witch's Hat was the end of the line for me

A flat tire and one weary rider meant that I wasn't going to turn down the offer of a ride home from the fella who was stamping manifests there. No regrets, I was glad to have the chance to check out the much lauded Alley Cat race first hand. Even though my performance was below average (on 10 of the 17 stops), I did learn some valuable lessons:

• Number One- the light-rail is fair game. I didn't realize that the bike race condoned mass transit, but who am I to question the rules of seasoned bike messengers?


• Number Two- wear more sweat-wicking fabrics. Duuuhhhhh.


• Numer Three- ride more! Good God, I was humbled. For all of you that finished, my hat's off to you. I have the stamina of an octogenarian.