Rowers may be kidsters, but they’re serious about national championship
June 19, 2012
The Men’s Lightweight Eight, rowing in the water at Melton Hill Lake in Tennessee, include coxswain Gina Day, Sam Goertz, Matt Essig, Brennan Lewis, Johannes Gees, Andrew Wisegarver, Sean Allen, Max Antono and Ben Yuse. They took eighth at the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships on June 10. Contributed by Sammamish Rowing Association
Listening to a group of local sophomore boys discuss packing an Xbox into their carry-on, you probably wouldn’t guess they were about to hop a plane for the Junior National Rowing Championships. But that is exactly where several local rowers were headed June 5.
“I’m feeling bouncy,” Sam Goertz said. “I’m just excited.”
The sophomore at Issaquah High School belongs to the Sammamish Rowing Association and occupies the stroke seat on the Men’s Lightweight Eight team, which was among the association’s four junior crews that competed June 8-10 at the Junior National Championships in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Also competing in Tennessee were Karina Yalcin, a junior at Issaquah High, and Ellie Place, a 2011 graduate of Issaquah High, who both row as members of the Women’s Varsity Eight team.
Goertz and his team members gladly admit they like to joke around, but when crunch time comes, they said, the team pulls it together. Read more
Tastin’ n Racin’ hydros roar on despite attendance dropoff
June 12, 2012
Brent Harnack goes airborne in the National Modified class hydroplane, NM-88 Mr. Jiggs, on the way to his victory June 10 on Lake Sammamish during the 16th annual Tastin’ n Racin’ at Lake Sammamish State Park. By Greg Farrar
The 16th annual Tastin’ n Racin’ was filled with thunderous hydroplanes, high-flying wake boarders and classic hot rods, but what was most important for young Cooper Leavitt was that he get his candy from the Seafair pirates.
Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival offers muddy thrills
June 12, 2012
By Lillian Tucker The Jump-Off Huck Contest at the Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival gave riders the chance to catch air on some of the largest jumps at Duthie Hill Park.
Walking along the trail through Duthie Hill Park on June 9, the only sign that a mountain bike festival was taking place was the occasional rider that whizzed past.
Nearing the center of the 130-acre park, the tops of tents began to peek out through the trees. Soon, music seeped into the air and a clearing gave way to booths, bikes and people with mud-caked legs.
“We are celebrating mountain biking. This is just a great chance for everyone to get together,” said Stacy Karacostas, communications and membership director for the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.
For the third year in a row, the non-profit group hosted the Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival. The event attracted more than 1,200 people.
“This is our biggest event of the year…we are definitely hopping,” Karacostas added.
Karacostas was busy that day renewing memberships, selling raffle tickets and handing out information packs. Around her, local vendors sold bratwursts, bike companies held demonstrations and a few festivalgoers paused for a break in the beer garden.
Cougar Mountain Trail Run series continues
June 12, 2012
The second of the SCOTT Cougar Mountain Trail Run series will take place June 16.
“The course builds on itself throughout the series and brings runners through a lush forest of fern-lined, single-track trails, over hills and along marshes and wetland habitats,” according to the Northwest Trail Runs website.
The only distance option for this race is eight miles. Runners can register online at www.ultrasignup.com or by mail.
Issaquah skaters carve out niche in roller derby community
June 5, 2012
Sheri ‘Jamaica Hurt’ Greenman (far right) stands at the starting line seconds before the start of a OneWorld league game. As her team’s ‘pivot,’ Greenman is marked with a striped helmet and sets the pace of the 90-second jam. Contributed by Sheri Greenman
Maybe you’ve seen “Whip It,” Drew Barrymore’s 2009 film about a fictional, rebellious teen pageant queen-turned roller derby enthusiast. While the film offers a glimpse into the world of roller derby, the portrayal of the sport is a bit exaggerated, according to local residents Beckie Bogart and Sheri Greenman, who both skate in the OneWorld Roller Derby league.
Tastin’ n Racin’ returns for 16th year on Lake Sammamish
June 5, 2012
Event organizers are crossing their fingers and singing, “Rain, rain go away,” this week leading up to the 16th annual Tastin’ n Racin’ at Lake Sammamish State Park from June 8-10.
Marketing Coordinator Craig Cooke, who has been with the festival since its inception in 1996, knows that weather is always a determining factor in how the weekend goes.
“You figure that weather’s always going to be chancy,” Cooke said. “And if luck is on your side you’ll have decent weather during the event, because weather is always key to outdoor festivals.”
Tastin’ n Racin’ was designed to showcase hydroplane racing on Lake Sammamish, but also features quite a bit of land-based entertainment — everything from food booths and rides to a music stage and a beer garden.
Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park hosts Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival on June 9
June 5, 2012
See bike demos and races, and shop vendors June 9 at the Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival at Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park in Issaquah.
The free event is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There will be races and competitions; free bike demos all day; fun events for kids, both on and off bikes, including prizes and a special kids raffle; all the big bike brands with the latest bikes and gear for guests to check out; a beer garden with beer available for sale from the Snoqualmie Brewery; and food available for sale from local vendors.
The competition schedule is:
- 8-10 a.m. — “Duthie Dash” Cross Country Time Trial Race, courtesy of Project 529
- 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — “Dueling on Deuces” Dual Slalom Race (Pro/Open & Amateur classes)
- 1:30-3:30 p.m. — Jump-Off Huck Contest courtesy of Go Huck Yourself (Pro/Open & Amateur classes)
Learn more about the Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival at www.evergreenmtbfestival.com.
Isabella Gomez, fourth-grade snowboarder, shreds competition on slopes
June 5, 2012
Isabella Gomez hits a jump with the Oregon Cascades in the distance in February during the USA Snowboard Association Slope Style Competition at Timberline Mount Hood. Contributed
Isabella Gomez is just a normal fourth-grader. Just your average, everyday, run-of-the-mill, bilingual, award-winning, national snowboarding champion fourth-grader.
Growing up in Minnesota, Gomez was involved in a multitude of sports, including hockey, soccer and skateboarding. Just after starting kindergarten, Isabella and her father Alex were looking for a winter sport and decided to give the slopes a try.
Despite Minneapolis’ reputation for freezing temperatures, the flat terrain isn’t ideal for skiing or snowboarding. Most of the snow is manmade and the runs consist of smaller hills.
“It’s quite amazing how many good snowboarders come from that region because there’s so much repetition,” Alex said. “There aren’t really any chairlifts, it’s all tow ropes, so they just go up and down, up, down, up, down. So the repetition gives them a lot more runs rather than going on the chairlift.”
Bringing home the hardware
After learning the ropes for a year, Isabella got her first taste of competition at age 6.
“It was the racing in slalom at the hill I rode at,” Isabella said. “It was just a little hill you rode down and got a little certificate at the end. It wasn’t as competitive, but I did that when I was like 6. So it was still good and I liked it a lot so started doing just that one once a year.”
Registration is still open for annual Issaquah Triathlon
May 22, 2012
Athletes of all ages will crowd the shores of Lake Sammamish June 2 for the 12th annual Issaquah Triathlon, Duathlon, 10K, 5K and Kids’ Triathlon.
Sponsored by Arbor Schools, the event is an annual early summer rite at Lake Sammamish State Park.
“This competition is so wonderful because it attracts a diverse group of competitors,” said Mary O’Brien, Arbor Schools owner. “If you’re an experienced triathlete, this race is for you. If this is your first tri, this race is for you. If you’re a kid, there’s a race for you, too.”
There are still slots available — you can register at www.issaquahtri.com. Learn more by emailing info@issaquahtri.com or calling 392-3866.
Course record set at first Cougar Mountain Trail Run
May 15, 2012
Joseph Gray set a new course record at the first 2012 SCOTT Cougar Mountain Trail Run.
Gray’s mark of 30 minutes and 19 seconds beat second-place finisher Lance Thompson by 48 seconds.
The next run is scheduled for June 16 and will be an eight-mile race. Register online at www.nwtrailruns.com. Registration costs $35.
