If you volunteered at the Powder Keg races and made sure to check in at the volunteer table, your t-shirt has arrived.  We’ll have the t-shirts available for pick-up at the CORBA member meeting on March 1st.

If you are unable to attend the member meeting to pick up your shirt, email Jereme ( jrauckman “at” gmail “dot” com) to make other arrangements.  And thank you again for your help at the event.

Click HERE to see the results.

The following links are pictures hosted on facebook accounts.  If you do not have a facebook account, you will most likely not be able to view them.  We are working on determining which host site we will use for large photo albums.  Thank you.

AMD 1  AMD 2  AMD 3  NS 1  LKR 1

What is CORBA?  What is its purpose?  Why does it exist?  Is it even necessary?

I’ve heard each of these questions—or some variation thereof—at least once in my several years of involvement with the organization.  Sometimes the questions come from non-cycling friends and family.  Sometimes they come from riders new to the area.  Sometimes they even come from CORBA members themselves.

The simple answer, I suppose, is that CORBA builds mountain bike trails.  But that’s not entirely accurate, because the trails we’ve built are enjoyed by hikers, trail runners, snowshoers and other groups, too.  And what about the races we put on?  What about the group rides we host?  And what about all the stuff that has to happen behind the scenes to make this all possible?

Is CORBA responsible for all of this?

Well, yes and no.  CORBA is a name.  A logo.  A non-profit entity with insurance policies, a bank account and a set of bylaws.  All the things necessary to be allowed to build trails on public land, CORBA is, but none of those things alone create singletrack or make races happen.  None of those things alone make being a mountain biker (or other trail user) here in the Chippewa Valley any better or worse.

CORBA is something else, though.  CORBA is people.  And I’m not talking just trail builders or a board of directors or even just those on the current member list.  No, I’m talking about a whole bunch of people who contribute (or have contributed) to CORBA and its mission in all kinds of ways.  Builders, officers, event volunteers, members, racers, donors, business sponsors and more.

CORBA is a huge community of people who all deserve to be recognized for their contributions—no matter how big or small—to the local trails and silent sports scene.

And so, to the CORBA community…

Thank you for showing up at group rides and helping build a sense of community and camaraderie among local mountain bikers, even if the ride happens to be too hot or cold or fast or slow. For leading a group ride, giving us your own take on how the trails can be ridden and stopping just enough to make sure no one gets dropped.  For putting your ride on hold to lend a pump, tube, tool or directions to the parking lot.

Thank you for sending in your membership dues every year, knowing you could ride the trails for free but choose to support our club.  For working alongside your fellow volunteers at organized trail days to give us all places to ride, hike, run, etc.  For digging the dirt alone for an hour or two to help develop that extra bit of trail.  For getting your hands dirty building “mountain bike trail,” even if you’re a roadie/runner/retiree who has no plans to ever ride a mountain bike.

Thank you for splitting logs, lugging rock, sawing trees and otherwise breaking your back for the greater good.  For lopping branches, trimming weeds and deberming tread so that a ride on an old trail is just as enjoyable as on a new one.  For keeping our tools and machinery stored and ready for the next trail day.  For attending IMBA training and poring over the IMBA books to ensure our trails are sustainable and don’t negatively impact the land we’ve been entrusted with.

Thank you for creating and placing maps and signs so we can get lost in a ride without getting lost in the woods.  For attending government meetings, communicating with land managers and making sure we all follow their rules, so that we have continued access to the places we build and ride trails in.  For donating your CAD, web design, writing, carpentry or other expertise to help out in ways other members aren’t able to.

Thank you for greeting us at our races, showing us where to park, getting us registered and to the start line and pulling our tags as we cross the finish, and for doing so with a smile on your face.  For slicing oranges, grilling brats, filling jugs and handing out Dixie cups of cold water so that we never have to leave an event hungry or thirsty.  For standing outside in the freezing cold or sweltering heat to keep us following the race course and to lend a hand if we crash and burn.

Thank you for leading the kids’ races and handing out medals to the future of our sport.  For showing up with your camera and posting photos to remind us of the fun we had at an event.  For coming out at dawn to help set everything up, and for staying until dusk to take it all down.  For months of personal time, time off the bike, emails and phone calls, sleepless nights, and “borrowing” your company’s copy machine to put on a race you won’t have time to ride in.

Thank you for supporting our local trails and trail users by sponsoring CORBA, the Firecracker, the Deer Fly Chase and the Powder Keg.  For giving continued life to our club and our events by donating your company’s money, services and goods.

Thank you for building and maintaining relationships with sponsors and donors so we all have a chance to win cool prizes and more of our racer fees and member dues go directly toward local trails.  For spending a little extra money or driving a few extra miles to shop at the local businesses who support our organization.

Thank you for putting together a party, movie night, barbeque or camping trip, to give us a chance to connect even when we’re off our bikes.  For filing tax forms, keeping insurance current and overseeing finances so that our funds, members, sponsors and land managers are protected.  For creating and maintaining the web sites and Facebook pages that keep us up-to-date on the latest CORBA news and make it easy for us to find trail maps, club information and event dates.  For serving on our boards and committees, acting as the face of the club and doing what you can to drive us toward our mission of developing and promoting trail-based opportunities.

To all the people who contribute in some way to CORBA, your support is invaluable.

And to get back to the original point, I think the question is not, “What is CORBA?”  Rather, the question is, “Who is CORBA?”

And the answer?

You are CORBA.  Thank you.

The time has arrived.  This years annual meeting on 3/1/2012 will be a meeting you WON’T want to miss.  There are lots of exciting things happening and what some may perceive as a “suprise.”  Please review this document for further clarification of the upcoming elections;

Elections Document

Please take note that we are waiting for confirmation on some addtional candidates, so this list could become even larger!

The 2012 Powder Keg, sponsored by Eau Claire Bike and Sport, was a blast!  The snow conditions and weather held out to bring us packed trails and plenty of sunshine for our second year.  Racers on snow shoes, in Mascot costumes and on Fat Bikes all ventured out onto the trails at Lowes Creek County Park.

A hearty thank you goes out to all of our sponsors and volunteers that made the Powder Keg so much fun!

The Chippewa Valley Powder Keg is here.
Snowshoeing, snowbiking, bonfire, food, prizes and more.
See you on the trails at Lowes Creek.

Pre-registration has ended for the Powder Keg, but those who haven’t signed up yet can still come out to the Eau Claire County Expo Center on Saturday, January 28, for the 5-mile or 2-mile snowshoe or 1-hour mountain bike race.  Registration for snowshoers begins at 8:00am and at 11:00am for bikers.

A few of us previewed the 5-mile snowshoe course this past weekend, and conditions are great.  A nice mix of singletrack and doubletrack through Lowes Creek County Park made even better by the latest snowfall.

We’ve got some great prizes from our sponsors to give away, so don’t miss out.  Full details are at www.chippewaoffroad.org/events/powderkeg.

Greetings fellow mountain bikers and trail users, Happy New Year!  It’s that time of year to join or renew your CORBA memberships so please take a few minutes to support your local club.  Your membership ensures that we retain trail access throughout the Chippewa Valley and demonstrates to land managers, trail sponsors and the community the importance of what we do.  Memberships are just $20/family and $50/business.  You can join using the link on our webpage via paypal or snail mail it in with a printed form.  Watch for an update with our Annual Meeting date/location.  Thank you!

Snow or not, now’s the time to register for the Chippewa Valley Powder Keg.  It’s coming Saturday, January 28th, and we want to see you there for a fun-filled day on the trails of Lowes Creek County Park.  Sponsored in-part by Eau Claire Bike and Sport.

If there’s snow by then, CORBA will again be holding a 5-mile snowshoe race, 2-mile snowshoe race and a short Kids & Mascots snowshoe sprint.  Whether you’re a veteran racer or someone who’s never strapped on a pair of snowshoes before, you’re invited to join us and bring a friend (or two or three).  And if you don’t have snowshoes, no problem; we’ll have some onsite to borrow.

If there is no snow, that’s okay.  We’ll do a trail run/hike instead.

And after the snowshoe races, there will be an afternoon snow bike race (or just a mountain bike race if Mother Nature chooses to keep things a bit brown)  Specifics will depend on trail conditions, but riders can expect about an hour of lapped racing and an exciting new winter experience.

No matter what the weather, we’ll have food, door prizes and awards for participants, and proceeds will go toward developing and maintaining your local trails.

Volunteers are needed, too, so please consider lending a hand if you don’t plan on racing.  Volunteers and those who register by January 22 will get a free event T-shirt.

For full details and registration information, visit the Powder Keg event page.  For the latest updates, visit our Facebook event page.  Hope to see you all there!

It’s time to kick back and celebrate all of the hard work and great riding we’ve had in 2011.  Please join us for the year end party on December 13th at 6pm at Action City.  There will be pizza, beverages and prizes.  RSVP to chippewaoffroad@hotmail.com  Thanks for a great 2011!!