24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest

With temperatures soaring close to 120 F in Phoenix, we decided to head east to New Mexico for Zia Rides 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest near Gallup, New Mexico.  This was the first relay race for most of the crew.  We had 2 teams participating in the Enchantedland juniors race - Devo Saints and Devo Devils.  The 2 teams were comprised of both Dynamix racers as well as racers from other teams and organized by Paul Broaderip from the Nationwide race team.  The Devils had 4 juniors - Liam (Dynamix Devo), Cole, Tag, and Barrett (Dynamix Devo) - along with 2 adults (Rob and Mark).  The Saints also had 4 juniors - Demi, Zach, Avery (Dynamix Devo), and Emma (Dynamix Devo) and 2 adults (Jen and Stephanie).  The Enchantedland course was 5 miles with 340 ft of climbing.  The teams had 14 hours to race as many laps as they could.  There were 10 teams in all competing in this category.

Pre-race strategy meeting

The two Devo teams were pretty evenly matched, with nearly everyone averaging lap times under 30 minutes.  The entire race went like clockwork.  No one missed a transition, everyone was supportive of each other, and we all had a blast!

Getting ready to start the race

Everyone gave it their all and finished with some impressive stats:
*Total laps completed:  60 laps (300 miles)
            Devils - 31 laps,    Saints - 29 laps
*Total elevation climbed:  20,400 ft  
            Devils - 10,540 ft,   Saints - 9,860
*Total time racing:  14 hours

Liam & Demi leading out for lap 1

Emma digging deep

Avery and her mom, Stephanie,
transitioning between laps

Tag coming in and Barrett heading
out for his lap

Emma and Avery in the transition zone

Barrett running in to tag the next rider

The Devo Devils brought home the win with the Saints close behind in 2nd place.  It was an impressive display of athleticism, strength, determination, and, most importantly, teamwork and sportsmanship.  Congratulations to all the racers!  A BIG thank you to Scott Wortendyke and Deanna Young for the great pics!!  And another BIG thank you to Zia Rides for putting on an amazing event.  We hope to be back next year!!

Podiums for the Enchantedland category:
Devo Devils - 1st
Devo Saints - 2nd
Positive Energy Kids - 3rd

Some much earned post race treats -
ice cream and root beer.

Flagstaff Frenzy - MBAA #5 - Series Finale

It was an exciting weekend up in the pines of Flagstaff, AZ for the 5th and final MBAA series race - Flagstaff Frenzy.  With temperatures soaring above 115F in the valley, the timing couldn't have been better for a weekend getaway.  There was record attendance for the race as well, with over 450 racers including over 60 juniors.  The junior course was a 6 mile loop with a little more than 400 ft of climbing.  At an altitude of 7000+ ft, it was a true challenge!  We had a smaller crew for this race - Liam racing for boys 9-11 and Emma for girls 9-11.  Chase, who was out racing for Trek this season, will be joining our team in the boys 9-11 category for next year!  All 3 racers were excited to get the race underway.

Junior boys & girls 9-11 ready to start

The start was fast!  Emma quickly took the lead for the girls, and Liam was battling for first with 2 other riders.  After a short downhill into the single track, the course quickly pitched up into 2 rocky climbs.  Both Liam and Emma were able to get some distance on the field at this point.

Liam was able to hold onto the lead for the win, coming in 2+ minutes ahead of 2nd!

Boys 9-11 podium

Emma was flying, also coming in for the win almost 3 minutes over her nearest competition!

Girls 9-11 podium
(3rd place not present for awards)

Chase crashed in the final corner, but quickly recovered to finish the race in a solid 14th place.

This concluded the MBAA 2016 race series.  Series champions were announced at the end of the day.  Liam was able to collect the winners' jersey after a hard fought season!  Emma was able to repeat as series champion, winning 5 out of 5 races this season!  Even though he was unable to attend this race, Barrett still had accumulated enough points to finish 4th in the series after his first year of racing.  Congratulations to the entire Dynamix Devo team for an amazing season!

MBAA Series Champion 2016 Boys 9-11:
Liam 

MBAA Series Champion 2016 Girls:
Emma
(2nd & 3rd place not in attendance)

Highly Faulkner South Mountain Time Trial

The Dynamix crew was out in force at the Highly Faulkner South Mountain Time Trial this past weekend.  We had 4 racers toe the line - Avery, Emma, Liam and Barrett.  This time trial is no joke - at 5.5 miles and 1100+ ft of vertical climbing!  But, all 4 stepped up to the challenge with great excitement and anticipation.  Each one of the them set a personal record on the course, with Avery finishing in just over 40 minutes, Emma just under 40, Barrett at 32 minutes, and Liam coming in under 30 minutes!  We ended up with 3 - 1st places finishes and 1 - 2nd place.  These kids never cease to amaze at what they can do on a bike at such a young age.  Congratulations to all 4 riders!

The crew descending South Mountain after completing their
individual time trial up

El Tour de Crit - Arizona State Criterium Championships

The Dynamix crew was out at El Tour de Crit AZ State Criterium Championships in Mesa yesterday. We had 3 racers lining up for the team - all in different categories.  Representing in the boys 11-12 was Liam, Barrett for boys 9-10, and Emma in the girls 9-10 category.

It was a mass start of all girls 18 and under and all boys 14 and under.  It was the largest peloton that the team has ever raced in.  Nerves were high, to say the least (probably more for the parent spectators!).










After the first couple of laps, the group started to splinter.  The lead group had most of the older kids, including Liam.  Not too far off the lead pack was Barrett, leading his age group.  Emma was also just off the back.  Racing unopposed, she tried her best to stay in with the 13-14 girls for as long as she could.

The lead group was riding at a very fast tempo!  Liam stayed with the pack for the entire race, coming in 3 place in a huge field.  It was a very impressive ride for the youngest rider in his age group!

Not too far off the lead group was Barrett, charging to the finish line to claim his first AZ State Criterium title!   It was an impressive win considering he has only been riding road for just a few months!

Emma found a companion on course in her buddy, Chase.  They worked as a team and crossed the finish line together, with Emma snagging her 2nd consecutive AZ State Crit title!  Chase came in a solid 3rd.

All in all, it was a wonderful day out at the championships.  It was exciting to see so many juniors racing.  The competition level was high, and our team stepped up to the challenge with 3 podium finishes and 2 state titles....congrats Team DD!!!

Emma - 2016 AZ State Crit Champion - Girls 9-10!

Barrett - 2016 AZ State Crit Champion - Boys 9-10

Liam - 3rd Place AZ State Crit Championships - Boys 11-12

White Tanks Day 2 - AZ State MTB Championships

Day 2 of racing out at White Tanks was just as exciting as day one.  It was a winner take all state championship race, with a newly designed winners jersey on the line.  We, again, had 6 racers representing the Dynamix team.  This time, the girls outnumbered the boys, though.  For the girls we had Emma and Avery back for day 2 joined by Genevieve and Alana.  Liam and Barrett were back for day 2 racing in separate categories this time around.  The temperatures again soared well into the 90's making for a tough race.

The 11-12 boys and girls heading out

Up first was the 11-12 year old boys and girls.  Liam and Avery were off in this category racing strong.  Liam had another great start, getting the early lead.  He was passed on lap one and again held on for 2nd.  However, since the winner of the race was a non-resident, the top prize of the day went to Liam.  Avery had another solid performance, coming in 2nd overall in her category!

Barrett, Emma, Genevieve, and Alana were up next for the 9-10 category.  Emma got off the line and into the single track ahead of the entire pack.  She traded back and for with Genevieve for the lead for most of the first lap.  She was able to pass and hold on for the win.  Genevieve came in an impressive 2nd for her 2nd ever mountain bike race!  Her little sister, Alana, at age 7 was the youngest racer of the day.  This was her first shot at racing.  She made it through lap one in just 31 minutes, which is pretty impressive considering her age and size.  Barrett held strong for the entire race coming in a solid 2nd place, snagging a coveted podium spot.

9-10 boys and girls heading out

The final tally for the weekend:

8 podiums with 3 first place and 5 second place finishes
2 Arizona State MTB champions

Boys 11-12 podium

Girls 11-12 podium

Boys 9-10 podium

Girls 9-10 podium

We want to give a big thank you to all the parents who braved the heat to support our kids and to all of our amazing sponsors that make it all possible!  We couldn't do it without all the support!!  Next up...Arizona State Criterium Championships in April.  'Til then...

Dynamix Devo rockstars!

White Tanks Whirlwind - MBAA #4

White Tanks Whirlwind lived up to its name this weekend - truly a whirlwind of exciting races!  The team was out in full force this weekend, with races on both Saturday and Sunday.  The MBAA was up first with its 4th race of the series.  We had 6 racers on course for the Dynamix crew for the first race. For the girls, we had Avery and Emma racing in the 9-11 category.  The boys consisted of Karson for the 12-14 boys, and Liam, Barrett, and Silas for 9-11 boys.  With summer weather upon us and temperatures soaring into the mid-90's, all the racers were going to have to dig deep to finish.

Boys & Girls 9-11 off the start line

First up was Karson.  He was racing in a field of 21 riders, finishing a solid 14th.  He improved on his lap times from last year even though he had to race an extra lap this year.  He was consistent and solid for the entire race.

Karson was all focus out on course

The 9-11 boys and girls were up next.  Liam got out to an early lead with Barrett and Silas not far behind.  Liam was only able to hold the lead for the better half of lap one before being past.  He dug deep and held on to 2nd.  Barrett, who continues to improve with each race, came in a very strong 4th  - holding a steady pace for all 3 laps.  Silas, who was racing his first ever mountain bike race, finished 12th in a field of 25.  He didn't let pre-race jitters get the best of him and raced like a pro!

Silas looking strong in his first
ever MTB race

Liam making his way to a
2nd place finish

Barrett keeping a fast and steady
pace through all 3 laps

For the girls, Emma was first to the single track.  She was able to maintain her lead throughout the race.  Avery, who hasn't raced mountain bikes in almost a year, also had an amazing race.  She was taken down at the start by tangled handle bars, but didn't let that stop her.  She was dead last entering the single track, but clawed her way back up into a 2nd place finish!  These girls are no joke!

Emma flying on her way to her
4th MBAA victory of the season!

Avery overcame a crash at the start to
take 2nd in her filed of 7

Left:  Junior boys 9-11
Right:  Junior girls 9-11 (3rd place not available for podiums)

A BIG thank you to Deanna Young and Scott Wortendyke for the amazing race day photos!  With just 1 race in the MBAA series to go, it will be exciting to see how the season wraps up in June....stay tuned!!!