Monday Morning Coffee | The Mini O’s

Monday Morning Coffee | The Mini O’s

By Billy Rainford

Hello, and welcome to a beautiful Monday Morning Coffee from Gainesville, Florida. We just wrapped up a very long week of racing action from the 45th Annual Thor Winter Olympics, but you can call them ‘The Mini O’s.’

As I sat down to start typing this morning, the power suddenly went out at the Starbucks I was sitting at in Jonesville. Well, that sucked. Also, the gym I was hoping to pay a drop in fee to work out and mainly have a much-needed shower at was also closed due to the power outage. It seems some genius plowed into a hydro pole in the area and the entire west side of town was in the dark.

I hopped in the trusty DMX Van and headed farther east until I hit the I-75 and found power. I am now sitting in what seems like the world’s busiest Starbucks, ripe with screaming kids and posers of all shapes and description. There are tons of people in their ‘workout’ clothes who don’t look like they’ve elevated their heart rate since the closed they walked to their car on the way to get a frothy, $8 caffeinated beverage of their choice. Hey, slick, walking around in tights and carrying a water bottle does not equal working out! I have half a knee to tell them how I feel about the situation!

As I sit here, my 8-person tent is drying in the sun in the mostly vacated grass field that was home to probably close to 10000 people this past week. It’s interesting to see the difference a few hours makes as folks repack their RVs and trailers and slowly bounce their way across the field and head out to the highways in all directions. Where is everyone going? What’s it like being them? And would it kill them to help me try and get this damn tent back into a bag made for a unit 1/4 the size?!

The only problem with coming to these big week-long amateur events is that after you beat yourself into an incoherent pile of babbling mess, you have to hop back into your vehicle and drive 21 hours (in my case) back home. It’s inhumane!

I had a great meal and a malt beverage last night with #343 Max Filipek and his dad, Robert. What a couple of solid dudes! And it turns out, Robert raced in the same era as me and knew everyone I happened to mention from ‘back in the day.’ Every name or number I could think of, he seemed to know what happened to them and what they are doing today. It was great to chat like that. And his homemade coleslaw was awesome!

Thanks for the hospitality, guys. Max seems like a great 17-year-old kid – polite and humble. It’s great to see and only makes you hope for his success. Thanks again for the food and cheer, boys.

I’ll post a full Photo Report later today. It seems the gang I used to work with out in Vancouver, BC will be in Orlando at a big running nerd convention, so I’m going to head that way later today and meet up with them for a beer tonight before heading to MP County Line in Fountain, Florida, for a day of video and photos.

Speaking of the nerd show in Orlando, I went out for dinner with our old friend, Joe Ross of Jacqueline Ross parenting fame. We sat on a cool patio, had dinner, and sorted out all the problems facing the sport of motocross…and life in general. It turns out, his girlfriend will be at the same skinny runner expo this week in Orlando with her mis-matched technical socks, My Soxy Feet. Check them out! I’m going to send my buddies from Forerunners over to check them out. Networking, folks! If you happen to live out that way, they are definitely the most knowledgable bunch or runners you’re going to find under 2 roofs.

Tell ’em Bigwave sent you and receive 15% off!

I think I’m getting delirious…

OK, let’s look at what happened over the weekend, before I get too carried away.

Future West Arenacross | Chilliwack Round 4 | Friday Results

Chilliwack Arenacross Round 4 – 11/25/2016

Pro Am Lights   Points for this class

Overall Nbr Name Heat Semi Moto 1 Moto 2 Points Earned  1st  #20  JESS PETTIS PRINCE GEORGE, BC  1st Heat 1  – 1st 1st 25  2nd  #59  NOAH MCCONAHY ,   1st Heat 2  – 1st 2nd 22  3rd  #15  SHAWN MAFFENBEIER ,   2nd Heat 1  – 2nd 3rd 20  4th  #87  CHRIS HOWELL ,   2nd Heat 2  – 2nd 4th 18  5th  #476  COLLIN JURIN ,   3rd Heat 1  – 3rd 5th 16  6th  #8  KEYLAN MESTON ,   5th Heat 1  – 5th 6th 15  7th  #1  ROSS JOHNSON ,   3rd Heat 2  – 3rd 7th 14  8th  #101  RYAN LOCKHART LANGLEY, BC  4th Heat 2  – 4th 8th 13  9th  #49  GRAHAM SCOTT ,   6th Heat 1  – 6th 9th 12  10th  #132  KYLE BEATON SURREY, BC  4th Heat 1  – 4th 10th 11  11th  #50  KYLE SPRINGMAN ABBOTSFORD, BC  7th Heat 2  3rd Semi 1 7th 11th 10  12th  #35  SEBASTIAN LAVE ,   10th Heat 2  2nd Semi 1 10th 12th 9  13th  #21  DAVEY FRASER ,   7th Heat 1  1st Semi 1 7th 13th 8  14th  #33  CASEY KEAST KELOWNA, BC  5th Heat 2  – 5th 14th 7  DNF  #997  JAMES MORAN ABBOTSFORD, BC  6th Heat 2  – 6th DNF 0  –  #241  TYLER CRAIG ,   8th Heat 1  7th Semi 1 8th   0  –  #728  AUSTIN BREDA ,   8th Heat 2  4th Semi 1 8th   0  –  #126  TEREN GERBER ,   9th Heat 1  5th Semi 1 9th   0  –  #526  PARKER EALES MAPLE RIDGE, BC  9th Heat 2  6th Semi 1 9th   0

Open Pro  Points for this class

Overall Nbr Name Heat Moto 1 Moto 2 Points Earned  1st  #59  NOAH MCCONAHY ,   3rd Heat 2 3rd 1st 25  2nd  #15  SHAWN MAFFENBEIER ,   4th Heat 1 4th 2nd 22  3rd  #20  JESS PETTIS PRINCE GEORGE, BC  1st Heat 2 1st 3rd 20  4th  #1  ROSS JOHNSON ,   1st Heat 1 1st 4th 18  5th  #476  COLLIN JURIN ,   5th Heat 1 5th 5th 16  6th  #87  CHRIS HOWELL ,   2nd Heat 2 2nd 6th 15  7th  #101  RYAN LOCKHART LANGLEY, BC  6th Heat 1 6th 7th 14  8th  #33  CASEY KEAST KELOWNA, BC  5th Heat 2 5th 8th 13  9th  #8  KEYLAN MESTON ,   2nd Heat 1 2nd 9th 12  9th  #241  TYLER CRAIG ,   8th Heat 2 8th 9th 12  10th  #49  GRAHAM SCOTT ,   5th Heat 2 5th 10th 11  11th  #21  DAVEY FRASER ,   8th Heat 2 8th 11th 10  12th  #526  PARKER EALES MAPLE RIDGE, BC  7th Heat 1 7th 12th 9  13th  #728  AUSTIN BREDA ,   7th Heat 2 7th 13th 8  14th  #131  JEFF BANKS ,   8th Heat 1 8th 14th 7  DNF  #35  SEBASTIAN LAVE ,   4th Heat 2 4th DNF 0  DNS  #132  KYLE BEATON SURREY, BC  3rd Heat 1 3rd DNS 0

Dash for Cash

Overall Nbr Name  –  #241  TYLER CRAIG ,   –  #21  DAVEY FRASER ,   –  #87  CHRIS HOWELL ,   –  #1  ROSS JOHNSON ,   –  #476  COLLIN JURIN ,   –  #35  SEBASTIAN LAVE ,   –  #101  RYAN LOCKHART LANGLEY, BC  –  #15  SHAWN MAFFENBEIER ,   –  #59  NOAH MCCONAHY ,   –  #8  KEYLAN MESTON ,   –  #997  JAMES MORAN ABBOTSFORD, BC  –  #20  JESS PETTIS PRINCE GEORGE, BC

As “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” plays in the background…

Mini O’s – The Canadians

#25 Estrella Cemovic – Brampton, ON

#196 Chloe Metcalfe – London, ON

#141 Eve Brodeur – Laval, QC (Congrats on the Vanier Cup)

#111 Mario Boisvert – QC

#853 Riley Clapp – Amherstburg, ON

#8 Vincent Fortin – Roxton Pond, QC

#25 Tristan Dares – Woodstock, ON

#22 Preston Masciangelo – Brantford, ON

#43 Noah Viney – Morgan Hill, CA (Canadian)

#101 Matthew Cemovic – Brampton, ON

#494 Thomas Rendall – Orleans, ON

#53 Bjorn Viney – Maorgan Hill, CA (Canadian)

#46 Marco Cannella – Waterdown, ON

#327 Brandon Gourlay – Ottawa, ON

#317 Cooper Larche – Woodstock, ON

#184 Tanner Ward – Woodstock, ON

#424 Austin Watling – Corunna, ON

#343 Max Filipek – Grimsby, ON

#34 Westen Wrozyna – Newtonville, ON

If I missed anyone, I’m sorry.

OK, that’s all I can get to this morning. Wish me luck with this tent…assuming it’s still there! I shot some video of a few of the races from this week, too, so I’ll get to those as soon as I can. Have a great week, and I’ll see you at the races…

Peace out, Mini O’s. See you at the races…