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well, here we are. or at least, here i am. and if you are here, then welcome. to the inaugural edition of surly saturdays. as i sit to write this, i am struck at how today is really anything but surly. like my friend ice cube once said, “today was a good day”. so it [...] […]
Corrugated Ten years ago, during a recon flight to map out the mountains around Haines, AK, this face captured my imagination and never let go of it. The more I searched the world’s mountains the more I realized how unique and special this face was. Because the peak was located just over the US boarder into Canada [...] […]
Certain things just click. Summertime and blue skies. The Boa Lacing System. Colorado and hardcore cycling. Lance Armstrong and big news.
On Wednesday, August 4, all of the above came together.
Several Boa employees attended an “off-site meeting” at the Colorado state capitol building in Denver. They donned their Boa cycling shoes, hopped on their bikes, and rode across downtown to join hundred of other cycling fans. Once there, they watched Governor Bill Ritter and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong take the stage on the capitol steps and announce the inaugural Quizno’s Pro Challenge, a week-long stage race in Colorado next August.
Cycling legend Lance Armstrong looks on as the big news is announced!
Afterward, nearly everybody hopped on their bikes and joined Armstrong for a ride through the Denver city streets.
Boa employees Adam Auell, Jason Deugan and Charlie Hamilton are always ready to ride.
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“This is exciting,” says Boa Lab Engineer Adam Auell, who regularly commutes 20-plus miles by bike. “We are all psyched that Colorado is hosting a world-class cycling event on its own turf.”
It is often said that the first championship is the easiest. Every championship after that gets increasingly difficult. After all, it’s tough to get away from the pack when you have a target on your back.
Boa President Mark Soderberg hangs on tight to win his second MTB National Championship. Photo by VAST Action, LLC.
Soderberg, who finished second in the 2008 55-59 Masters National Championship before breaking through for the win last year, came to the race with a bagful of cautious optimism. As he dialed in his Specialized S-Works shoes featuring the Boa Lacing System, he surveyed the competitive field, undoubtedly trying to keep him in their sights. “It all depends on who shows up,” he had said days earlier, when asked if he liked his chances. After all was said and done, one thing was clear: Soderberg certainly showed up. Thing is, so did Gary Thacker of Boulder, Colorado, who had already finished ahead of Soderberg twice this season.
The race consisted of two 8.94-mile laps, each with roughly 1,750 feet of high-altitude climbing on dirt roads and singletrack. Through the lower parts of the climb on the first lap, Soderberg was tailed closely by Thacker. When the climb eased up a bit, Thacker moved ahead briefly. It appeared Soderberg was in for a dogfight.
But Soderberg, a tenacious climber, put the hammer down on the next uphill section. Before long, on a series of rock-strewn switchbacks, he glanced downward and realized he was alone. From there, he shifted his focus to not getting overly excited, dehydrated, or, worst of all, lost.
On the second lap, Soderberg didn’t see Thacker. “I was determined to NOT see him,” he says. “I was scared to death that he was going to catch me.”
In the end, Soderberg’s effort earned him a time of 1:58:43 and his second straight national championship medal. Thacker held for second, with a time of 2:02:09. Afterward, Thacker gave Soderberg a “Competitor’s Hug” and said, “It’s good to keep it in Colorado.”
Boa Inventory Coordinator Jason Deugan doesn’t leave any work undone, at the office or on the trails. So, after dropping from the 2009 San Juan Summer Solstice 50-Mile Run due to snowstorms, it seemed a foregone conclusion that he would return in 2010 to exact some semblance of revenge. “It sort of weighed on me mentally,” he said of the previous year’s drop.
Deugan kicks it to the finish line, chasing away demons from 2009
The San Juan Summer Solstice is known as one of the nation’s most difficult 50-mile foot races. It climbs a total of 13,000 feet, up and down the very rugged and remote San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. More than one half the race takes place at altitudes over 11,000 feet.
Deugan turned the dials to tighten his Boa prototype shoes well before 5 AM on the chilly morning of June 19. Would 2010 bring a better result than 2009?
It would appear so. This year’s San Juan Summer Solstice conditions were more conducive to Jimmy Buffet than Santa Claus, as sunny skies chased away any hint of snow (the race takes place at altitudes well over 11,000 feet, where it can snow any month of the year). And Deugan cruised through the course, power stroking through the race’s two main monstrous climbs, both topping out on the Continental Divide. Still, 50 miles is a long way for a footrace and, as happens to every runner, he began to fade around Mile 38. “I never really thought I couldn’t finish,” he said, “but around Mile 38 I really wanted to quit. Everything was hurting and I knew I was 2 miles away from seeing my wife and the ability to drop. Once I got there though, I knew I wanted to keep going.”
With a renewed sense of energy, Deugan endured the race’s final brutal climb before savoring the last long, torturous descent into the town of Lake City, CO. He wore a grand smile as he crossed the town’s main park to reach the finish line.
The 2010 Boa Media Summit in Keystone, Colorado is officially wrapped up! 72 hours of non-stop Boa infused sport and discussion!
Thanks to all media (Mark Anders/Men’s Journal, Adam Chase/Competitor, Niall Bouzon/Skiing, Chris Dannen/FastCompany, Katie Harrell/Backpacker, James Huang/Cyclingnews.com, AJ Johnson/Activegearreview.com, Courtney Johnson/Women’s Adventure, Joe Lindsey/Mountain Bike, Steve Mazzucchi/Maxim, Brian Metzler/Running Times and Seth Porges/Popular Mechanics) who made the trip up to test and learn about the Boa Lacing System on our partner product skiing/snowboarding, golf, running/hiking and mountain biking.
Another huge thanks goes out to our event sponsors and partners: Oakley(Andy McSorley), FootJoy, Specialized, Treksta, Yeti Cycles, Black Diamond, K2 Snowboarding, Ride Snowboards, Honey Stinger, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Keystone Resort and Vail Resorts.
Check out the images from our Boa adventures and discussions by clicking HERE.
Mark Anders (Men's Journal), Brett Vladika (Boa Director of Product Development), and Andy McSorley (Oakley Eyewear Brand Manager) hit the links in Keystone to test Boa on the FootJoy ICON and Contour Series golf shoes
Boa’s consulting CFO Todd Stockbauer took on an American Cycling Classic over Memorial Day Weekend — well, actually, it was a classic before it went away for many years. Read on …
The Morgul-Bismarck Classic was once the straw that stirred the U.S. Cycling scene. It was featured in the famed Red Zinger Bicycle Classic in the 70s and 80s and the subsequent Coors International Bicycle Classic for the late 70s to 1988. The 13-mile loop was also featured in the 1985 film, American Flyers, which starred Kevin Costner. The loop features three climbs, the most distinctive of which is “The Wall”, a leg-burning one miler that hits a 12-percent grade at one point. Coupled with the other two climbs, each Morgul-Bismarck loop punishes riders with roughly 1,200 feet of climbing. And Stockbauer rode every inch of it … Three times.
This Memorial Day Weekend marked the return of the race.
“I did the race mostly because of the history,” says Stockbauer. “Why wouldn’t you want to race the same course that Greg LeMond, David Phinney and others have raced?”
Stockbauer, who does not race consistently, but enjoys the challenge, was in the 45+ open category with a number of former racers. “It was obvious from the start that I was out of my league,” he laughs. Still, he held on for the first lap or so. “Then, when I dropped my chain on the second climb up The Wall, my connection to the Peleton was over.”
Stockbauer endured, however, thanks to the great spectator turnout, which included a number of his old neighbors. “The most difficult part was the four ascents up The Wall, including the finish line.”
The top of The Wall was also where many spectators soaked in the drama of the race, watching as cyclists dug deep for just a little more uphill effort. Was Stockbauer happy with his results as he summitted The Wall for the final time? “I finished, I was not last, and I could joke about it afterwards,” he said. “Overall a great day in the saddle and a race I will do again.”
From our friends at Transworld Business On January 11 and 12 over 1,200 Zumiez employees descended on Keystone, Colorado to celebrate their crushing sales. Each of the employees sold over $100,000 of gear in 2009, and with the largest group of 100K’ers ever during the rickety recession, the industry turned out en masse to fete them with prizes, some solid shred, and a night of mayhem. Boa Founder Gary Hammerslag was among the audience..and took the mic!
Scroll down after the jump to read Garett’s thoughts on the 2009 season. Happy New Year!
Trail Runners Talk About 2009!
The year is quickly coming to a close and we thought we’d take a look back. Originally, we intended to review the year iRunFar had, but decided to skip recounting iRunFar’s recent history or best posts on the year. Instead, we wanted to hear how your year went. What 2009 running moments are your proudest of? What in your running life you are most thankful for? These aren’t rhetorical questions, we really want to know! Leave a comment telling us your version of This Year in Running.
Of course, it wouldn’t be iRunFar if we didn’t give you some content along with our question. That’s why we reached out to some folks you likely know… and some you don’t to ask them the very same questions. Read on to hear what each was proudest of, most thankful for, or most appreciative of from his or her running life in 2009.
Hans-Dieter Weisshaar (100 mile marvel):
I most appreciated meeting again all the friends and being part of the wonderful 100 mile community. And I was most happy, relaxed, thankful about running with my truest friend Capulin; just a dog, a Mexican mixed breed. He was a friend with a big heart and an even bigger soul. Always forgiving. He died in a car accident after the Cascade Crest 100. We are going to dedicate a 100 mile run in his town – Guanjuato, Mexico – in mid-January. CAPULIN 100 – running the trails he so often shared with me. (more…)
Boa Sand Volleyball Team claims another Championship
What do Boa Product Designers do when they’re not toiling away, pushing the envelope of design? Or testing the extreme durability of the laces and dial? Doesn’t everybody need to take a break — even those who are obsessed with perfecting footwear closures?
“Sometimes, it’s great to just take off our shoes and enjoy the feeling of sand between our toes,” says Senior Product Designer Mike “The White Wall” Nickel. “Literally … We disengage our Boa knobs, release the laces, and pull off our shoes. After all, this is a sand volleyball league.”
And these Boa employees may leave their shoes behind, but not their tenacious pursuit of perfection. This week, their team, called “The Daisy Pickers”, claimed their second consecutive championship in the Hopper’s Bar Volleyball League (Wheat Ridge, CO). “It’s just a rec league,” says Boa Director of Product Development Brett “The Fat Kid” Vladika, “But we’ve been training our entire lives to achieve this perfect balance between work and play — between high-precision volleyball and not-so-precise beverage consumption.”
The Team also features Boa Prototyper Tamara “The Crusher” White and Product Engineer Sean “My Feet Are Cold” Cavanagh. The wives of Nickel and Vladika, named Thu and Leah, respectively, are also crucial members of this formidable squad.
Talk of a Three Peat is already circulating.
L to R: Brett Vladika, Tamara White, Leah Vladika, Mike Nickel, Thu Nickel, Sean Cavanagh
Boa Sales Manager Ilya Minkin, at his first 24 Hours of Moab (but not his last), rattled off three impressive lap times
Boa Technology journeyed to the forbidding, unforgiving deserts of Moab, Utah, over the weekend of October 9 for the 15th annual 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race. A total of 14 Boa employees and interns – plus three members of the Boa Technology/Honey Stinger cycling team – joined forces to create four teams ranging from professional level to just-for-fun.
After the dust settled (and there was LOTS of it … just check out the video from the start), the numbers were quite impressive:
• Boa teams tallied an astounding total of 804 miles over steep, sandy, rocky, technical, and rolling trail.
• The Boa Technology/HoneyStinger Team took the silver medal in the ultra-competitive Men’s Expert Class, registering 253.47 miles and 23,120 feet of elevation gain.
• The See Boa Race Team snagged seventh in the 5-person Co-ed division by riding 223.65 miles. They were led by Boa President Mark Soderberg, who hammered out the team’s fastest lap of the race: 1:13:11.
• The See Boa Ride Team rallied to take 34th in the Men’s Sport Division, piling on 193.83 miles. Boa Engineer Sean Cavanaugh contributed 60 miles to the team’s effort by completing four full laps.
• See Boa Crawl, a team of beginner- and novice-level mountain bikers, pulled together a Day Two push to climb several spots in the Just For Fun Division standings, placing 59th. Most importantly, everybody came back in one piece, wearing smiles and only a few band-aids.
In addition, countless other riders—including several pros—were sighted tearing up the trail wearing the Boa Lacing System on their Specialized and Lake Cycling shoes.
For complete results of the 2009 24 Hours of Moab extravaganza, visit Grannygear.com.
Boa Sales Manager Ilya Minkin, at his first 24 Hours of Moab (but not his last), rattled off three impressive lap times
Pre-riding the course on Friday revealed some devilish sections of the course
Boa Prez Mark Soderberg hammered one of the team’s fastest times on Day One
The Komen Race for the Cure, a nationwide fundraising event, drew 53,849 participants in Denver who raised more than $2 million for breast-cancer research and breast-health projects. With 19 gung-ho participants on hand at the race, Boa Technology raised $1150.00. Below is a list of Boa employees and family members who helped make this possible. A special thanks to everyone!
Race Participants: Becky Peterson, Andi Velgos, Colleen Antonio, Tony Antonio, Mark Kerns, Mark Soderberg, Lisa Soderberg, Kip Lutu, Sean Cavanaugh, Sonya Martinez, Tamara White, Jason White, Joe Sullivan, Jason Robinson, Andrea Milotte, Gus Peach, Saura Sullivan, Theresa Thadison and Ron Williams.
Contributors: Boa Technology Inc., Brett and Regina Geissinger, Brian Wagner, Clint Ford, Gary and Loretta Hammerslag, Janelle and Alexa Frye, Joseph Sullivan, Justin Velgo, Lonni, Jenny, Zoe and Lily Thomsen, Eric Irwin, Michael Bivona, Mark Soderberg, Jeanette S. Velgos, Petty Sutherland, Rebecca A Petterson, The Cotterman Family, Tiz and Jude Antisdel.
