So please bear with me a little but having just come back from a truly inspiring 4 days I feel I need to share it.
For reference this is the southern hemisphere and it’s the start of summer, this time last year I had been riding in dust for 2 months 🙂

A little over 12 months ago a new 4 day race came around in Tasmania, scheduled for Jan last year it was to be the richest, most fun race on the calendar. Then in the run up Bushfires came and the whole area around was turned into a major emergency. The evidence of burnt trees and more are still evident and the destruction in Dunally down the road and into the countryside is scary. Homes were lost an people evacuated by sea.

Not deterred the organisers threw all their efforts into helping the local community as everyone locally did with fire fighting and rebuilding. Then putting on a 6hr enduro (the long pedally kind) with all the proceeds going to Bushfire Recovery.

Roll on to last weekend and we were all back there for something proper 🙂 The Hell Fire Cup, the bands were booked, the brewery had brewed a special Hell Brew, the tents were up and everything was set for 4 days of racing.

First Campsite by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr
We were in and the tent set up in the village, friends made in the beer tent (I was supporting my missus and her friend who had come over from Denmark) a couple of casual if you need anything let me know comments were thrown around over some beers….
The race is a Pairs race where you need to stick with your partner and work together.
Day 1 got underway under some gloomy conditions

Start of Day 1 by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr
with a few top riders up there on the way out.
As the top guys were heading home it was becoming obvious that there was some potential issues brewing with the weather, with the organisers huddled round laptops and running around a lot.

Liz and Sif after stage 1 #hellfirecup by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr
There were rumours of a lot of rain and risk of flooding the race village. The option of cancelling the event was mentioned with heavy hearts. In the end the 2nd stage of the day was cancelled and moves were made to get all the 2wd cars up out of the race village to get some space an to allow for something to be sorted. At this point a small army of marshals, partners, support crew started to form looking for things to do to help. The decision was made to move the race village and camping to the top of the hill, as me and a mate set off with stakes and tape to set up some kind of order the rest went to work. We came back to find the marquee was dropped and nearly packed, more stuff was being put into cars, vans an pickups.
Withing about an hour the marquee was back up in the new campsite and we were off to get more stuff. (I now know how to put a marquee up)

The final challenge was getting the 3Te beer trailer/portable bar up the hill and a classic Land Cruiser stepped up to the plate and did the deed. So by the end of day 1 we had raced, moved and set-up again.
SBS Cycling Central Day 1 Video

Where the real race was being run 🙂 by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr
At this point there was some well deserved beer 🙂
Day 2 was reorganised due to the weather from a 45km drowning to a relay with each rider doing 20km each.
But before this everyone had to get back to the new race viallage and get sorted out – cue 3 hrs of impromptu traffic directing and car parking duties while all around a kind of tense panic went on trying to get things organised and re set up in new/moved tents. I think I spoke to every rider who arrived that day and all were in great spirits despite what was going on.
At the end 3 or us were playing Santa with the biggest box of spot prizes I had seen in a while with gallons of bike wash and lube ebing given away to anyone who went past.
Stage 2 Video
Finally some sunshine came out and we gladly got a bit sun burnt 🙂

P1020426 by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

P1020430 by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

Day 3 Arrived with more rain and some serious heavy stuff, again changes were made instead of a Time Trail event the course was shortened and made into a mass start to avoid having people getting hypothermia out there.
Stage 3 Review Video
With a heavy heart the organisers also had to can the night stage from Day 3 though that had a huge cheers when it was announced as people were starting to run out of kit.

The cancelling of the stage gave some of us time to develop the final stage for the Sunday again there were great plans but with most of the trails unridable it was going to be a challenge, add in the fact that there were presentations 3 bands and a DJ booked to play and the need to give everyone a good feeling on the way out it was going to be tough. Then someone came through and said we could use the local show grounds down the road. A merry band left with more stakes and tape and a lot of banners.
The Plan – create something short, fast, exciting where people wouldn’t get bored or too cold.
So we marked out a up an down course over about 600m with some tight corners and little pinchy climbs, test ride that evening gave it a 1m40s lap (ridden in walking boots after 3 beers)
Banner went up and as we left it did look like an event space
Day 4 Highlights Video

Sending a World Champ off from the start line -Day 4 by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr
Plenty seemed up for it including the most vocal of the competitors who brought his XC Eliminator Rainbow Stripes to the party. To add a bit of spice the cash prizes from one of the cancelled stages were put down for this one which meant interest was maintained till the last riders.

Once it was all wrapped up the beer and BBQ were a go an the presenter of all things cycling down under was on hand with some broken glasses to do the presentations.

Mike Tomalaris MC’ing the Presentations by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr
and by far the best podium was the women over a certain age

Liz and Sif collecting their medals by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr – the only ones who didn’t need to be told to raise their arms and celebrate hard!!

During the main presentation to the overall winners Duncan (the organiser) explained that in the 1 car load they took when the fires forced them to evacuate their homes the trophy was one of the few things they grabbed.

So the things I have learned…

The organisers are amazing people, to have a chance to get to know them was great. Seeing the hard work and adversity that they were going through made everyone want to help.
Many hands make light work, the old cliche but it’s true everyone who pitched in was great and made the whole thing work again. There were a few dusty eye moments when we all saw what had been achieved.
Mud and Rain can’t stop you – for perspective it was on a par with some truly wet days in the UK and we were out there for 4 days
Walking round in standing water for 4 days will do some very strange and nasty things to your feet.
You can BBQ the left over sandwiches as bar snacks
People are AWESOME! The love and support from the local community to help and from everyone there restored a lot of faith in people. On one day somebody started to whinge about stuff on the start line, everyone just turned away and ignored them and got on with it. People were offering out beds and showers to strangers.
The event should be back in it’s planned format next year and I will be to.

(I hope this all makes sense 🙂 loads more photos which I may post later)
For plenty more try #hellfirecup on instagram

Some More

Sif setting out at #hellfirecup by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

Liz leaving the start at #hellfirecup by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

Liz & Sif preparing for day 1 by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

The View from the Bar by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

Pre Race Setup by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

Things to Fix by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

Watching Highlights or the Weather by Mike Smith 79, on Flickr

Sounds brilliant! I love the way people can pull together on occasions like that!

Good stuff. Real shame about the weather though. Bloody typical!