Part of the Pukete MTB track photographed from the air
Pukete Spaghetti Header graphic - text looks like spaghetti Hamilton MTBClub logo showing Patrick the Evil Pukete Possum

"Six Hours of Saucy Single-track"
Two cyclists riding between the trees of an airy spring forest beside a sunlit clearing.

Report by our Esteemed President James "Gems" Gurney

James Gurney on MC duty at Pukete SpaghettiWhat a great day to have the first ever Pukete Spaghetti 6 hour race! Absolute fun and games from the start to the finish and then there was the racing....

We had a bit of "four seasons in one day" at the start to make it interesting - warm gear, summer gear or wet weather gear - I'm sure the racers were pondering beforehand. Then some madman with a Goofy hat decided to bring the sun out and all of a sudden kids on bikes were charging off in the distance at a frenetic pace, to kick off the first race of the day! Goofy's speedster son Zac Medich was flying around the kids course, coming home the victor, with Sam McGovern not far behind in 2nd (speed must run in the McGovern family eh Greg). Boyd motorcycles Eze up tent was well used for a great kids prize-giving too, with great spot prizes from our awesome sponsors.
This set the tone for the day, sun out, fun to be had and racing fast and furious!

Now onto the big kids race (anyone over 10). Traditionally you start on your bikes, but going along with the "this ain't no normal event" theme, race MC "the horny devil" decided "Le Mans" is the start for this race, so basically it was 100m sprint to your bike (if you could remember where you put it) and then race on! This showed up (A) who remembered where their bike was and (B) who were the better runners, as the first riders appeared in the start/finish area to start the first official lap. I remember seeing one Jacob Irvine, miles ahead of his dad and in the top ten o/a, so yeah Emerson I thought you could run?

Now after all this rain we've had, you would think it was muddy out there, but as the riders were coming through, they were looking very clean and sweaty - yep not much mud but it was a tough course, I can tell you.

Speaking of tough, we had 30 solo's doing the full 6 hour race on their own, some people doing it for the first time and their first ever race as well! Close racing was great to watch, with solo riders Justin Price, Jason Savill (on his single speed!) and the top team of Kerry Evans, Greg McWhannell and Greg McGovern together for a number of laps before the solo dynamic duo had to back off the pace.

Another close battle in the women solo also, with both Wendy Brown and Michelle Wallace giving it their all, with Michelle coming out the victor in her first ever attempt at a race like this - awesome.

In the mens solo there were also battles going on between Cookie and Hilton Forlong, who gave it heaps for two guys over 40 (Hilton is 54!) and with Hilton finally getting 3rd and Cookie 4th, leaving plenty of younger riders in their wake - impressive! In the battle for o/a glory and the fastest teams title (out of 32 teams entered), Mike Calver and his team "Goneburger", Cycology and the eventual winners "Kerry and the 2 Greg's" all had some misfortune during the day (flat tires, going the wrong way etc), which kept the title up for grabs until the very end, with Kerry's team just completing their last lap with 4 minutes to go, to take the win in the Open men and the $500 bonus cash prize (sponsored by Fowler Homes) for the most laps (12) awesome!

I was lucky enough to ride a few laps for Cycletime (while taking a break from the MC role to give fellow MC and team mate Waz his turn) and one of those was with Greg McGovern from the winning team, who I would say was one of the fastest riders of the day. On returning from my lap I witnessed amazing feats by Shane Wolfe, my nephew Jaiden and co, with Rachel and Waz's impromptu kids competition's of wheelstands, tricks, DOLE banana eating and who knows what else! Like I said earlier, this wasn't just a race, more of a carnival event of sorts.

Speaking of which, these UNICYCLE guys were amazing... I have huge admiration for the skills of the UNICYCLE guys, three of them did it SOLO and a few others did a team and had a ball! The singletrack they said was beautiful to ride and although the grass uphill's were tough, Tony Melton (fastest of the unicycle guys) managed to ride the whole course he said, without getting off! Amazing. They also gave us a UNICYCLE to give away at prizegiving, now that's participation.

So even though the numbers of riders were not huge, the quality was there for sure and the track was just great to ride, it just seemed that much better with all those spectators, the event village and of course a well prepared track, thanks to the track committee of Russell, Cookie, Doug and helpers. In the words of many people on leaving after prize giving, "See you next year".

On behalf the club committee, awesome effort to everyone who competed, volunteered, sponsored the event or just spectated, you made it a great day for all involved. We are all still fizzing from the positive result of following through with one of Rusty Stark's "insane" ideas, so thanks Russ, keep em' coming. Ciao Bella ;-) ;-) From one very proud President and member of the Hamilton MTB club.

James "Gems" Gurney

2008 PUKETE SPAGHETTI RESULTS

The small square pictures are all cropped miniatures -
click to see the complete enlarged versions.

Note: These are just our club photos and are not for sale but there are plenty of
Tim McWha's professional photos of the day for sale. (See below)
Riders run to grab their bikes and start the race.
Racing gets under way with a Le Mans start.
Pukete Spaghetti children's race under way Delight shows on the face of a very young female mountain biker dressed in bright pink. boys on the podium with tgeir winners certificates Girls on the podium with their winners' certificates.
Goofy leads the kids
race by miles?		 Remember when it
felt this good??		 Boy winners in
their moment of glory.		 Girl winners on
the victory dais
A unicyclist riding in Pukete Spaghetti with an unusually large wheel A rider waves at the camera while riding over last years brown dead leaves A red-clad rider surrounded by greenery A red-clad rider under a cool canopy of young spring greenery in the sunlit trees of Pukete Mountain Bike Park.
One big wheel is
all you reeally need.		 Riding through the
crunchy leaves.		 Emerging from
the green tunnel		 Riding under
the spring trees.
Female rider emerges into the race headquarters of Pukete Spaghetti. girl in blue on bike grabbing banana in her teeth as she passes beneath it child riding a bike with banana in his mouth which he has just grabbed with his teeth while riding his bike Victorious child rider with banana prize in his teeth.
Emerging into the
headquarters zone.		 Earning lunch
the hard way.		 Goofy won the kids'
race and a banana		 Shane succeeded in the bike-banana grab
And another banana winner rides in, this time dressed in the distinctive green Hamilton Mountain bike Club colours. Children trying to win the "slowest rider" race at the Pukete Spaghetti event. Huge hilarity at the Pukete Spaghetti Bike limbo contest, when a young rider falls off after attempting a low barrier. a rider balancing on one wheel
Simon managed the bike-banana grab also. The "Go Slow" race. Under way with
the bike limbo.		 Someone give this
guy a unicycle !!
food and Dole bananas on display in the Dole tent. A young rider going so fast the background forest surrounding him is a blur. unicylist on the sunlit grass during Pukete Spaghetti Female rider negotiates a tricky section of trail with ease.
Dole bananas were
the perfect race fuel.		 Speeding through
the trees.		 Unicyclists everywhere
brightened up the day.		 Isy and Jerry.
Rider in yellow flying through the air Rider in yellow descending Rider dressed in the Hamilton Mountain Bike club colours flies through the air. male rider flies into view - this was the winning solo rider.
Jason takes off. Jason descends. Jonty gets air. Justin flying by
early in the race.
Female rider in Hamilton Mountian Bike Club colours flies through the air. A rider with a bike which has lost its entire tyre so he is riding on the rims. young female rider dressed in red riding confidently through the forest. tents, bikes, riders, spectators, sunlit grass, all cocooned by surrounding trees at the Pukete Spaghetti race headquarters.
Kay gets some
serious "air".		 We can't all have
the perfect day! (He just continued riding!)		 Racy Rachel. The scene around
race headquarters.
Riders in the Dole team make the change-over at transition. A unicyclist waving at the camera. A team of officials working on the results under the Pukete Spaghetti results canopy. The prize-giving of the event being held in the Dole Tent.
Dole team
in transition.		 Happy unicylists were
a feature of the day.		 Russ and his dedicated
timing/results team.		 Justin receives his
prize at prize-giving..

2008 PUKETE SPAGHETTI RESULTS

Pukete Spaghetti Photos for Sale!
Check them out here first. If you wish to order any of Tim's photos contact him here.
Price list:

Sponsors:
These businesses supported us in this event and in our sport generally. Some of their people are regularly riding in our races. Some of them have been giving their product to us as spot-prizes for our events for years. We value them and the support they give us. Please support them in return: