Paul Berkshire, 48, Port Townsend, WA
Years Racing: 4
Mountain Bike Race Class: Sport 45+
Cyclocross Race Class: Master 3 45+
Random Notes: “My strategy in racing is to start fast and kick
and claw my way to the rear. I look forward to carpooling with Dan and
Randy to the AARP meetings in a couple of years.”
Rich Blanco, aka Richie Rich, aka El Diablo Blanco, aka Whitey, 41, Olympia, WA
Years Racing: 15
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Class: Master 1-2
Favorite off-bike activity: hiking, snowshoeing and hanging with my dog and my Debbie
Favorite pre race band or song: Crystal Method, Chemical Brothers, other club music
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Two Below
Random Notes: “Even though I will ultimately fail at this, my life goal is to be half the man Mike Rolcik is.”
Ross Copeland, 40, Our international team member: Originally from Sanquhar Scotland, now a Seattlite
Years racing: 2 (we think he’s the sophomore in the group)
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Race Class: Cat 3 Masters
Favorite off bike activity: under water knife fighting (no, really, he’s not lying)
Pre-race song: Remind-Orbital or open up-Leftfield
Favorite New Belgium beer: Rum mixed with whatever New Belgium beer is available.
Random Notes: “I ride because it keeps me off the rum and is
safer than under water knifefighting. My fav course is Winthrop my fav
Ragnaroker is Padden (the dog) .I think I prefer Cyclocross over
Mountain (still trying to decide)”
Kristen Crupi, 41 (but her brain thinks she’s 25 and
she’s not ready to disabuse it of that notion), born in Appleton, WI
but fully transformed to a Seattlite
Years Racing: 6
Mountain Bike Race Class: Sport
Cyclocross Race Class: Master Women / Cat 3
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Jumping out of airplanes (they are not perfectly good)
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: She couldn’t pick
just one... some of my favorites... Lose Yourself (Eminem), Liberate
(Disturbed), Guerilla Radio (Rage Against the Machine), and almost
anything by System of a Down
Favorite New Belgium Beer: In the winter, it's gotta be 2 Below, but I love me a Skinny Dip in the summer.
Keith Dilly
Debbie Driver, aka Double D, 39, Olympia, WA
Years Racing: 5
Mountain Bike Race Class: Sport
Cyclocross Class: Women Cat 3
Favorite off-bike activity: hiking, snowshoeing and hanging with my dog and my Richie. Also reading and hanging with my awesome nieces and nephew.
Favorite pre-race band or song: “Disco Science” by Mirwais (seen Snatch? Then you’ll know this), Chemical Bros, Fat Boy Slim
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Two Below
Random Notes: “My family and non-cycling friends think I’m
nuts for doing Cyclocross. Luckily, everyone on Ragnarok is a bit nutty
so I think I fit in just fine.”
Doug Graver, aka GraveDigger, 44, Snohomish, WA
Years Racing: 15
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert (single speed for the last two seasons)
Cyclocross Race Class: Master’s 1/2 40-44
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Elk hunting with bow and drinking beer.
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Pretty much any song by TOOL
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Doug is partial to TRIPEL aka three sisters
Random Notes:“I’m a dad first and a small business owner too.
Nothing that comes easy means as much as those things I have to work
hard for, hence the reason I race bikes.
People always mix me up with Tom while racing. I only introduce myself
as Tom when I’ve pulled a doinker move and crashed in front of a
stranger. I wonder if any of them yell “go Doug” when he rides by?
I’ve been told I look like Lance Armstrong. I wish I were half as fast!
I’m the only original member of Ragnarok racing left. This is a great team with a zest for life and racing. Cheers!”
Sean Heflen, aka "Sparkles", , Federal Way, WA
Randy Iddings, aka "The Hairdresser", , Greenwater, WA
Scott Keiper, 36, originally from Evergreen, CO but (you guessed it) now a Seattle resident
Years Racing: damm near half of them
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Race Class: Thriller 3
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: food, beer, skiing, technology, photos
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: most songs by Social D and Tubthumping of course.
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Full..okay Trippel
Nathan Kiger aka "The Hair Farmer" or "Uncle Gimpy" or "Chamios Sniffer", 40 (years young), rumor is that California state polce is on the lookout for him. He currently resides/hides amongst the Scandanavians in Ballard (ya sure, you betcha).
Home Town - I consider Weaverville, CA my hometown but lived all over CA before moving to the Emerald City 16+ years ago. Presently I live in the best town in the NW, Ballard! Yes I wear socks with sandals.
Years of Fun: I've been racing for 16 years as a big boy plus 7 years of BMX racing when I was whipper snapper.
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert 35 - 45
Cyclocross Race Class: Masters 3 soon to be a Master 2
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Two words: The Drey. In more than two words: Is there such a thing? Oh wait that would be bier and vacation in tropical places.
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Born in the USA, well "Whatever happens to be in the CD changer and gets the juices flowing," is what he says. So, Born in the USA it is...
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Post race pretty much any New Belguim brew that is handed to me. Out in the world I will drink anything that the Master brewers of New Belguim put out, especially anything from the Lips Of Faith series. Mmmm, tasty!!!!!!!!!
Words to Live By: If you can't be fast, be entertaining and let me tell you, I've been very entertaining for an extremely long time.
Random Notes: Nathan loves each and every cyclist on the race course in direct proportion to the amount of mud they have collected. He secretly wishes his bikes were as clean as Sparkles'.
Lisa Miller, aka "Cookie", 40, an Oregon transplant but true-blue Seattlite by now
Home Town Salem, Oregon – also the home of the state Capital,
Jon Heder (Napolian Dynomite) – he was Lisa’s neighbor and his Dad her
family doctor, and Jerry Brudos (serial killer) – grew up next door to
my mother and took my aunt out on a date, known for keeping the breasts
of his victims in the refer.
Years Racing: 1 year really racing, but 8 years riding as fast as she can around a marked course
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Race Class: Cat 3, where my a$$ will be handed to me
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Besides the bike, Lisa loves to
run, cross country ski, and spend time with her super cool book club.
Sitting on the front porch with a bottle of wine watching the cyclist
ride by is pretty high on the list too.
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Born to Be Alive by Patrick Hernandez
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Mothership Wit – as described on
the BeerAdvocate: “Very pale, light straw color, fairly cloudy but
still lets a lot of light through. Puffy head with good retention and
lacing” – “no wonder I like it – IT IS ME! And did I mention it’s
organic?”
Random Notes: “I love my team because being on Ragnarök is
like going back to high school; we are all wearing spandex and it
doesn’t matter if you have crappy hair because so does everyone else –
there is safety and comfort in numbers. And it never fails after a hard
race a trusty teammate will be at the finish with a frosty New Belgium
beer as my reward.
Melissa "Mo" Moffett, 38, Seattle, WA
Mtn Bike Category: Sport
Cross Cateogory: Most likely Master's Women 3
Favorite get psyched to race song: Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes) and Paper Planes (MIA)
Favorite New Belgium beer: Mo asked that I choose one for
her. I imagine that is because there are just too many good ones to
choose from. We'll just say, it's all good!
Random Notes: Mo started racing cross because it looked
fun and thought it might be easier on the knees than running. Little
did she realize she was signing up for a different kind of running- the
kind where you run, uphill, carrying your bike!
Tom Phillips aka “Chopper”, 47, an Oregon transplant but long time Seattlite
Years Racing: 9
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert 45+
Cyclocross Race Class: Master A
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Lounging in the Fat-Boy
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: AC/DC (this is also his favorite sleepy time, eating time, wake up, go to work, go home, lounge around home and pretty much anytime band)
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Mothership Wit
Random Notes: His picture (see right) is worth more than a thousand random words.
Nikole Rock, aka "Nik-Rock", 38, Originally from Coco Solo, Panama but another Seattlite on the team
Years Racing: a mature 3
Mountain Bike Race Class: Sport
Cyclocross Race Class: Women 4
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Nikole digs digging in the dirt
and making things grow, She likes picking up rocks wherever she goes
and making something out of nothing.. and she LOVEs to check out the
world w/ my best dog friend Finn.
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Brick House
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Can there really be only one?
Random Notes: “Thank God for Ragnarok - the best beer drinking.. I mean bike racing bunch of people I've ever met.”
Mike Rolcik, aka “The Boy”, 40, Kirkland, WA
Years racing: 10
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross class: Master 1/2 and Singlespeed
Favorite off bike activity: Jazzercise
Favorite pre race band: Slayer
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Abbey
Random Notes: “I feel that I lead by example. I’m so fast that
other people try to be like me and be fast. And although they’ll never
be as fast as me, at least they try and that makes them better.”
Elizabeth Salvo,aka "Thin Lizzy", 46, originally from Needham, MA now a Bellevue, WA resident
Years Racing: 6
Mountain Bike Race Class: Single Speed
Cyclocross Race Class: Masters or 3s
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Skiing with my kids
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Ummmm…..don’t have one.
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Two Below
Random Notes: “I love racing because I am concentrating so
hard on not falling off of my bicycle that I never realize that I am
actually exercising!”
LeRoi Smith, aka “The King”, Olympia, WA native but Seattle, WA resident
Years Racing: When LeRoi was in middle school he and his best
friend used to race BMX bikes between their houses (about 6 miles).
They’d each start at the same time (by ending a phone call), using the
same route and see where they met. Perhaps that's why LeRoi has an
aversion to single-speeds. He returned to his racing roots nine years
ago when he started racing mountain bikes.
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert 35-45
Cyclocross Race Class: Master B 35+
Favorite off-bike activity: If there is fresh powder you’ll
find LeRoi snowboarding on some unnamed (well named by him) run
semi-inbounds at any number of ski areas in the greater northwest. If
there is no snow and there is good breeze, then look for him out
sailing small boats. If there is no snow, no wind and no biking, his
favorite activity is sitting on his rump in front of the TV.
‘
Favorite pre-race get-psyched band: System of a Down. According to LeRoi, “if that can't get your blood flowing, you should see a doctor.”
Favorite New Belgium beer: LeRoi provides us a tried and true
cliche; “the one in my hand is my favorite.” If he had to choose he
enjoys Skinny Dip in the summer, gravitating to 1554 or Abbey as the
temperature comes down. Although he’s heard they have some new brews
out that he’s yet to try. Perhaps a new favorite will be revealed this
year?
Random Notes: “I love cyclocross for two reasons:
1) Where else can you experience so much sweet pain, frustration,
exhilaration, sweet pain, exhaustion, elation, sweet pain, camaraderie
and brutality all in the span of 45 minutes?
2) The community of 'crossers is so much fun to hang around.”
1 Assuming you live in the Northwest; otherwise our appearances may be few and far between
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