Page 5 - June_2014

publisher commentary

by Angelo Lynn

W
henyou live in the North, for those eager to practice outside
summer is as sweet as it the skills they’ve been honing in the
is fleeting. It arrives late gym. Pages 8-9.
May with the first days in the 80s; If you’ve raced in the Kingdom
by June 1, you better have your bik- lately, chances are it’s been an event
ing legs in shape because the gaps organized and sponsored by King-

are calling; and by mid-June the dom Games, which will host 38
water has warmed enough to play days of events this summer cover-
in the rivers and lakes with mid-60 ing 1,450 miles of running, biking,
degree temps. By mid-August, the days are swimming and triathlons through some of
cooling, daylight hours start to fade and it the most spectacular country this side of VENTILATION
won’t be more than a month or so before the Rockies. The guy behind it all is Phil

the first snows grace the tops of the Greens.
White, a former attorney turned event or- German Engineered Since 1898
After a long winter, that’s a thought to ganizer. Passion for the races drives him,
put on hold and jump into the thick of it as and the community he’s built around the
we cover climbing, obstacle course racing, races is what keeps it all together. We cover NEW
open water swimming, the worlds of bik- the story in a Q&A with the “King of the
ing, running and hiking, kayaking, canoe- Kingdom.”

ing, sailing and more.
Speaking of kings, Frank the Welder,
We kick off this issue by looking at an has long held reign when it comes to the
offshoot of obstacle course racing: training world of building bike frames. Raised in
camps to get in shape for killer races like Hollywood, California and now based in
the Peak Adventures Death Race held each Bellows Falls, Vt., Frank Wadelton’s career

June in Pittsfield, Vt., or the world-renown has spanned 30 years of building frames
Spartan Races. At the Shale Hill Adventure for such innovative companies as Mon-
Farm in Benson, training goes year around, goose, Yeti, Spooky Bikes and Sinister. If
right through the snowy cold of winter, the those brands don’t ring a bell, his accom-
muddy muck of spring and into the heat of plishments include fabricating the first set FUTURA PRO 42 & 34 SL
summer. Learning to endure pain and dis- of two-fingered Shimano brake levers and
Patitucci Photo
comfort is the mission; practice is the key.
pioneering the “soft tail” design currently Visit www.deuter.com
The idea is to repeat the same course popular on XC bikes. A competitive rider
over and over so you can measure improve- for 13 of those years, he’s had quite a ride
ment, work on obstacles that pose special and is still sending the sparks flying with his
difficulties, and build confidence. There are welder at a funky shop in this southern Ver-
a few other camps that offer training, each mont town. Check it out on Page 15.

with their own strategies, but always with Our columnists review gear and a great
the goal of pushing personal limits to tackle summer beer brewed in Middlebury, dis-
some of Vermont’s toughest races. The sto- cuss the two diverging paths of cross-coun-
ry starts on Page 6.
try running and Nordic skiing, offer tips on
Our roving reporter Evan Johnson gets getting your bike tuned and professionally

out of the climbing gym to try his hand at fitted, and we offer six tips to long-distance
what he calls “trad climbing,” or, in my swimming in open water from a trio of pros
days before climbing gyms were on the (pages 25-26).
scene, simply known as climbing with mul- Enjoy the issue and the kick-off to Featured in
tiple pitch belays. He accompanies a guide summer — it’s fleeting, but sweet as Wall Street Journal,
and a client and learns the basics, as well as summer corn.
The Globe, Montreal Gazette
WINNER Boston and Sur le Pouce
a few well-known places to go and tips and
Angelo S. Lynn
2012 Best New Restaurant 2013 Best Bartender

“Best beer town in New England.” - Boston Globe
Kingdom Trails, Q Burke reach agreement
Located in Waterbury, the food and beverage crossroads, we feature New England’s

largest & best curated selection of craft beer, proper cocktails, eclectic wines with a
full menu featuring barbecue, vegetarian and cozy American fare.
EAST BURKE, VT. – Q Burke In recognition of Kingdom Trails’s ef-
Mountain Resort announced that a mu- forts toward winning the Bell Helmets
24
tual agreement has been reached with Grant that allowed for the construction Including beers from Hill Farmstead,
Kingdom Trails Association regarding of Roly Grail, Q Burke Mountain Re-
the operation of the Q Burke Mountain sort has made a monetary donation to Lawson’s Finest Liquids,
Bike Park, and the cross-country bike Kingdom Trails to go toward the con- The Alchemist “Heady Topper” and
trails that lie on Q Burke Mountain Re- struction of a new trail within the KTA TAPS
sort property.
network.
our very own Prohibition Pig Pale Ale

The agreement allows Q Burke “We’re happy to have this agree-
Mountain Resort to maintain and oper- ment in place so we can all move
atethetrailswithintheBikePark,while forward positively and continue to SUPPER 7 NIGHTS Brunch Specials
Kingdom Trails Association will continue help build the mountain biking com-
tomaintainthecross-countrytrailsonQ munity in East Burke” said Tim Lunch Fri, Sat & Sun
SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS
BurkeMountainResortpropertyunder Tierney, Executive Director of

their standard landowner agreement.
Kingdom Trails. “We are very sat- $4 Fernet draughts everyday
Kingdom Trails members will have isfied with the availability of 23 South Main Street Waterbury Vermont
access to the cross-country trails seven these trails to our users and are • •
days a week and the bike park trails dur- optimistic that the Bike Park will con- prohibitionpig.com
ing non-operating hours, free of charge.
tinue to be developed and improved.”

JUNE 2014
VTSPORTS.COM 5