Dan Strumpf Archives - ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Online /byline/dan-strumpf/ Live Bravely Thu, 12 May 2022 12:15:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://cdn.outsideonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/favicon-194x194-1.png Dan Strumpf Archives - ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Online /byline/dan-strumpf/ 32 32 ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Rock /outdoor-adventure/adventure-rock/ Tue, 14 May 2002 00:00:00 +0000 /uncategorized/adventure-rock/ ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Rock

What do Sheryl Crow and a 22,000-gallon wave pool have in common? They’re both going on tour this summer with the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival, a first-of-a-kind union between a major popular music concert tour and the exploding world of outdoor adventure sports. The festival, which runs from July 10 to August 23 and visits … Continued

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ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Rock

What do Sheryl Crow and a 22,000-gallon wave pool have in common? They’re both going on tour this summer with the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival, a first-of-a-kind union between a major popular music concert tour and the exploding world of outdoor adventure sports.

2002 Summer Tour Dates

The Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival kicks off July 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina. For a complete listing of festival venues and dates,

Tickets can be purchased at your nearest Ticketmaster outlet.

"Soak Up the Sun": Sheryl Crow “Soak Up the Sun”: Sheryl Crow
All aboard: San Francisco-based Train All aboard: San Francisco-based Train

The festival, which runs from July 10 to August 23 and visits 23 cities across the nation, boasts top musical acts, including Train, O.A.R., and Ziggy Marley along with Crow. But the nightly music is only half of the equation. Daytime activities are centered in the multi-million dollar ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Magazine ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Village, where concertgoers can take a stab at mountain biking, whitewater paddling, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and scuba diving.

“It’s like an interactive exhibit on steroids,” says Ray Waddell, senior editor of touring for Billboard Magazine. “The tour has a strong mainstream rock-and-roll appeal and is more immersive with a higher degree of audience participation. To my knowledge this type of tour has never been done before at this level.”

The adventure village will house two kayaking pools, a mountain-biking course, a downhill skiing/snowboarding simulator, a scuba-diving tank, and a 24-foot rock-climbing tower along with a second stage featuring emerging artists. Top professional athletes will help staff the village, doling out one-on-one tips and presenting demonstrations and exhibitions.

“The whole idea of exposing the sports this way is so cool,” says National Steep Creek Champion Jamie Cooper, who along with World Rodeo Champion Erica Mitchell will preside over the 22,000-gallon Confluence Wave Box kayaking pool. “People will get the chance to see that what we make look easy actually isn’t.”

The pool provides a pourover and adjustable hydraulic which can reach Class IV levels, giving participants the chance to bone up on their rodeo and freestyle paddling skills. A flat-water pool will be available for skill clinics and beginners.

Two-time North American Mountain-Biking Trials Champion Jeff Lenosky has signed on to work at the specially designed mountain-biking course. The handmade portable singletrack samples different terrain and conditions with varying levels of intensity while incorporating the unique aspects of each venue.

“The track should be different depending on the site,” says Lenosky. “We might build it into the hill of an outdoor amphitheater or set it up on a perfectly flat surface.”

Professional bikers will also give demonstrations and clinics on a closed track. Riders will highlight bike-handling skills while negotiating eight-foot drop-offs, maneuvering across balance beams, and pulling four-foot bunny hops.

Alpine addicts looking for a midsummer fix can try out the skiing/snowboard simulator. A circulating carpeted belt will substitute for snow while speed and pitch variables will provide a range of skill levels. Instructors from the Aspen Ski & Snowboard Schools will offer tips and analysis.

At the climbing tower, Team Rubicon adventure racers Rebecca Rusch and Patrick Harper will coach climbers and answer questions about their sport.

A number of gear, apparel, and adventure travel exhibits will be located in the village. Raffles, giveaways, and product demos will be provided by Kryptonite, Wavesport, and Boeri, among other companies.

Crossing musical performances and extreme sports is not an entirely new idea—last July, the fifth annual Gorge Games at Oregon’s Hood River attracted some 50,000 spectators and 1,500 sports participants over nine days with a medley that included the band Cracker, an 81-mile adventure race, kayaking, and windsurfing. The Vans Warped tour, launched in 1995, combines punk rock with X Games-style skating, BMX, and mountain biking contests. But the Gorge Games never leaves the river and the Warped tour offers only the chance to observe athletes, not join them. The Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival is both interactive and a bona fide road show, with the musicians, athletes, and sports infrastructure literally spending the summer on the road.

“We have created an event that’s come and do not just come and see,” says Matt Mckee, marketing director for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. “It is 100 percent interactive. You can watch the best, learn from the best, and then do it yourself.”

“I’d go for the music alone,” says Lenosky. “But throw in the sports and I’d be there twice as fast.”

Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival – 2002 Dates

Tickets can be purchased at your nearest Ticketmaster outlet. For more information go to

Date
July
10
11
12
13
17
18
20
21
25
26
27
28

City

Charlotte NC
Atlanta GA
Raleigh NC
Washington DC
Houston TX
Dallas TX
Denver CO
Albuquerque NM
San Diego CA
Phoenix AZ
Los Angeles CA
San Francisco CA

Venue

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
Alltell Pavilion @ Walnut Creek
Merriweather Post
Woodlands Pavilion
Smirnoff Music Centre
Winter Park Resort
Journal Pavilion
Coors Amphitheatre
Cricket Pavilion
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Date
August
1
3
7
8
9
10
11
14
15
16
17ÂÌýÂÌýÂÌý

City
Concord CA
Seattle WA
Nashville, TN
Indianapolis IN
Pittsburgh PA
Detroit MO
Chicago IL
New York NY
Virginia Beach VA
Philadelphia PA
Boston MA   

Venue
Chronicle Pavilion @ Concord
The Gorge
AmSouth Amphitheatre
Verizon Wireless Music Center
Post-Gazette Pavilion @ Star Lake
DTE Energy Music Theatre
Tweeter Center
Jones Beach Amphitheatre
Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amph.
Tweeter Center @ The Waterfront
Tweeter Center

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Backstage Pass /outdoor-adventure/backstage-pass/ Tue, 08 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000 /uncategorized/backstage-pass/ Backstage Pass

August 15, 2002 So what happens when the summer’s biggest tour lands in the New York City? Concertgoers cut loose, the trials bikers reinvent their show, and someone gets engaged on stage. It’s just a typical day at the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival, but it’s always exciting— especially for the lucky few who get to … Continued

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Backstage Pass

August 15, 2002 So what happens when the summer’s biggest tour lands in the New York City? Concertgoers cut loose, the trials bikers reinvent their show, and someone gets engaged on stage. It’s just a typical day at the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival, but it’s always exciting— especially for the lucky few who get to see what goes on behind the scenes.

Fill 'er up: three gallons down, 24,997 to go. Fill ‘er up: three gallons down, 24,997 to go.


The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Village, a mini circus in itself, requires eight hours to set up and tear down each day if everything goes as planned—something that rarely happens.


With more than eight semi trucks, four buses, four power generators, five bands, a portable stage, a rolling rock wall, and a mobile ski jump, the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Village can be a logistical nightmare.


Front of House production manager Bobby Allen, the ringmaster charged with the smooth operation of the village, says at first it seemed like an almost impossible undertaking, but things quickly worked out.


“I thought it was an aggressive effort,” he says. “But everyone quickly learned their territory and made their foot prints.” Alan faces additional challenges each day as every venue offers different layout options and limitations according to the amount of open space, accessibility, and terrain.


“You can’t plan any of it in advance,” he says. “You have to wait until you arrive and have your feet in the soil”


Every morning at 7 A.M., an army of electricians, stagehands, audio technicians, forklift operators, and carpenters spill out of the buses and swarm the site to begin building the village. But just getting the pieces into their proper places can take hours. Once the attractions are in place the massive construction effort begins as workers race to beat the clock and have the village ready when the first concert goers arrive at 3 P.M. The kayak and SCUBA pools, some of the most popular village attractions, can make or break the day.


Bob House, pools crew chief, says that filling the 25,000-gallon pools can take from two hours and 45 minutes to six hours, depending on water pressure, accessibility of outlets, the number of hoses, and water quality.


Once the gates open, the workers fade into the background until 8 P.M., when they return in force to disassemble everything they built that day. Thirty-foot towers are reduced to ruble in minutes and the imposing ski jump transforms back into an innocuous trailer.


Again, the pools pose a challenge. Dumping 50,000 gallons of water inside a venue is rarely an option. Most nights the water must be pumped out of the venue to a storm drain or ditch. This process can take hours depending on the distance the water has to travel.


A lack of crowd control, darkness, or a shortage of workers can also hamper the evening side of the effort.


Still, Allen maintains that the breakdown is much easier.


“We get it done in a hurry,” he says. “Everyone wants to go home.”


With so much going on behind the scenes it seems like a luxury to simply watch the show.


There are only a couple more chances to experience the action. The Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival heads next to Philadelphia before finishing in Boston on August 17.

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Hucktastic /outdoor-adventure/hucktastic/ Tue, 08 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000 /uncategorized/hucktastic/ Hucktastic

August 8, 2002 Towering 40 feet above the adventure village, Huck Mountain is one of the most impressive and imposing attractions at the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival. But as remarkable as the giant ski ramp may be, it’s dwarfed by the daring of the athletes who brave its slopes everyday. During three daily exhibitions, Team … Continued

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Hucktastic

August 8, 2002 Towering 40 feet above the adventure village, Huck Mountain is one of the most impressive and imposing attractions at the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival. But as remarkable as the giant ski ramp may be, it’s dwarfed by the daring of the athletes who brave its slopes everyday.

We don't need no stinkin' snow: Tommy DeAngelo and Lance Rouleau fly skyward after making jumps only seconds apart. We don't need no stinkin' snow: Tommy DeAngelo and Lance Rouleau fly skyward after making jumps only seconds apart.


During three daily exhibitions, Team Manager Brad Suey and his hand picked assemblage of world-class skiers aim high, displaying an arsenal of unbelievable tricks and aerial maneuvers. And while they make it look simple, the skiers are quick to explain that what may appear easy is actually the result of years of dedication and continuous training.
“Everyone here has jumped World Cup for at least six years,” says Suey, a former member and coach of the Canadian National Team.


“It’s a lot tougher than it looks,” adds teammate Lance Rouleau, also a former Canadian National Team member.


In a typical show the skiers each make four runs down the artificial slope —composed of tiny plastic teeth and lubricated with water and dish soap—launching at least 25 feet into the air and reaching distances of nearly 20 feet. While in orbit, the jumpers flip, twist, roll, and float their way to their landing pad, a 30-foot wedge-shaped air bag. Although the pad is softer than the pavement below, it doesn’t provide as much cushioning as one might think.


“It’s closer to a brick wall than a pillow,” says professional freeskier Tommy DeAngelo. “This ramp is harder than anything else that‚s out there to jump on.”


So while ski jumping may not be for everyone it has become a full time job for these athletes. Their skills have taken them around the world and landed them opportunities to perform at high profile events like the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Utah. Watching them perform at the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival is worth the price of admission alone.


A highpoint in a festival full of activities, the Huck Mountain aerial show offers a bit more than fancy tricks on sticks. Below the launch ramp, two top-notch trampolinists, Yahueni Bialiaybu of Belarus and John Ross, a stuntman from L.A., demonstrate the technique necessary to execute the moves and stick the landing. Bialiaybu wows the crowd with his optional program while Ross straps on a snowboard to test the limits of the sport.


“People always ask, ‘How do you learn all this stuff,'” says Ross. “Everything we learn on the ramp we learn on the trampoline first.”


You can witness the hucktastic antics of Brad Suey and his teammates firsthand as the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival makes a loop through the Midwest before heading back to the East Coast for the final four shows.

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One Crazy Summer /outdoor-adventure/one-crazy-summer/ Tue, 08 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000 /uncategorized/one-crazy-summer/ One Crazy Summer

August 22, 2002 After a long and exciting summer, the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival, which brought both outdoor adventure and rock and roll to people across the country, has come to an end. The festival finished in Boston this weekend after stopping in 22 other cities across the nation. The one-of-a-kind event was lauded as … Continued

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One Crazy Summer

August 22, 2002 After a long and exciting summer, the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival, which brought both outdoor adventure and rock and roll to people across the country, has come to an end.

Sheryl Crow carves the day away on the snowboard simulator. Sheryl Crow carves the day away on the snowboard simulator.
Star power: Crow and Gwyneth Paltrow on stage in Houston. Star power: Crow and Gwyneth Paltrow on stage in Houston.

The festival finished in Boston this weekend after stopping in 22 other cities across the nation. The one-of-a-kind event was lauded as a tremendous success by all involved, but some of the most convincing testimony came from ticket holders.

“This was the best concert I have ever been to,” was a typical mantra voiced at the end of the day. With ten bands performing on two stages and the adventure village offering festival attendees the opportunity to try their favorite sports alongside professional kayakers, ski jumpers, mountain bikers, ski instructors, and trampolinists, it was all one could possibly ask for in single summer day.

But for some, like Dave Pariavani of Cleveland and Aimee Price of Baltimore, one show wasn’t enough. Pariavani and Price, both admitted Sheryl Crow fanatics, spent the majority of their summer chasing the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival across the country, taking in 14 shows along the way.

“Sheryl is the best,” Pariavani says. “She was great.” Price says she enjoyed the rock wall and the scuba and kayaking tanks.

“She is like a cat on that wall,” Pariavani says of Price. “She has got it down cold.”

Crow herself was a regular visitor to the adventure village, spending time on the rock wall and putting her carving skills to the test on the snowboard simulator. She would also stop by to check out the other acts on the festival stage, chat with the athletes, or take in one of the exhibitions. She even performed on the festival stage with a few of the bands.

Adding to the excitement of the summer was the surprise guest appearances of Crow’s friend, Silver Screen heavyweight Gwyneth Paltrow. She joined Crow on stage in Houston and wowed the crowd with her vocal abilities.

While Crow anchored the festival she had plenty of help from the other main-stage acts like Train, O.A.R., and Ziggy Marley.

O.A.R impressed everyone, including themselves, with their growing popularity—playing each show to a packed amphitheater. Fantastic musicians and all-around nice guys, the band spent hours each night signing autographs for hundreds of fans at the FYE tent, where concertgoers got the opportunity to meet their favorite musicians.

Tonic, Five for Fighting, Maroon 5, Howie Day, Remy Shand, and a host of other bands played the festival stage and kept the adventure village rocking.

While the lineup may change and the adventure village will surely grow, next summer’s Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival is already in the planning stages. Expect it to be even bigger and better!

We hope to see you there.

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So Much More than Music /outdoor-adventure/so-much-more-music/ Mon, 07 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000 /uncategorized/so-much-more-music/ So Much More than Music

July 12, 2002 April McKeen had a lot of questions. Should she ski first and then kayak, or maybe hit the bike track and then cool off in the scuba pool? When did the ski jump exhibition start and where was the climbing wall? Could she do it all and still see Sheryl Crow? McKeen … Continued

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So Much More than Music

July 12, 2002 April McKeen had a lot of questions. Should she ski first and then kayak, or maybe hit the bike track and then cool off in the scuba pool? When did the ski jump exhibition start and where was the climbing wall? Could she do it all and still see Sheryl Crow?

World-renowned kayaker Jimmy Blakeney shows off in the Confluence kayak pool. World-renowned kayaker Jimmy Blakeney shows off in the Confluence kayak pool.


McKeen was one of the thousands of concertgoers who turned out Wednesday for the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival to soak up the sun with Sheryl Crow, Train, and some of the world’s top athletes as the adventure sports/summer music tour kicked off in Charlotte, North Carolina.


The festival is the first of its kind—allowing attendees to watch artists perform as well as participate in their favorite adventure sports alongside top-ranked professional athletes.


A mini theme park, the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Magazine ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Village, offers more than a day’s worth of high adrenaline activities. Experienced adventures and newcomers alike can fine tune their climbing skills on a 24-foot climbing tower, strap on a tank and learn the basics from certified instructors in the scuba pool, and perfect their paddling technique in the 30,000-gallon Confluence kayak pool with instruction from some of the nation’s best boaters. The village also boasts the largest portable Olympic-style ski jump in North America, a custom-designed mountain biking course, and two ski/snowboard simulators.


While visitors get the opportunity to take part in the village events they can also watch as the professionals show off during one of the day’s many demonstrations and exhibitions. Crowds at the Switch Back Attack, the festival’s custom mountain-biking track, can’t get enough of trial rider Jeff Lenosky, who executes some of the most outrageous stunts ever performed on two wheels. And crowds flock to Huck Mountain, home of the monstrous ski jump, to check out the spectacular aerial displays of former US freestyle team member Tommy DeAngelo and former Canadian national ski team members Lance Rouleau and Brad Suey.


The ski jumpers were fantastic,” says Brenda Moore, who came to festival hoping to get some tips on rolling her kayak. “Except for the circus, I’ve never seen anything like it.”


The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Magazine ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Village is also home to a number of kiosks offering product demos, exhibitions, and giveaways, as well as an eco-village that hosts numerous nonprofit groups related to outdoor sports like River Keepers and the Coastal Conservation Association.


Concertgoers aren’t the only ones itching to soak it all up. Band members from O.A.R. were spotted in the kayaks early Wednesday and Train guitarist Jimmy Stafford says he has his eye on the scuba pool. But it’s the headliner, Sheryl Crow, who seems most excited.


“I think it’s great that the festival offers so much,” she says. “I’m definitely going to go out and experience all of it.”


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Colorado Rocks /outdoor-adventure/colorado-rocks/ Mon, 07 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000 /uncategorized/colorado-rocks/ Colorado Rocks

July 20, 2002 They came by car, they came by train, and some even rode their mountain bikes, but despite the freezing rain they kept coming. The sold-out crowd that mobbed the grassy slopes of the Winter Park Resort outside of Denver last Saturday came to party were not disappointed. Tucked amidst alpine slopes, the … Continued

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Colorado Rocks

July 20, 2002 They came by car, they came by train, and some even rode their mountain bikes, but despite the freezing rain they kept coming. The sold-out crowd that mobbed the grassy slopes of the Winter Park Resort outside of Denver last Saturday came to party were not disappointed.

Jeff Lenosky does his thing on the rhythm section. Jeff Lenosky does his thing on the rhythm section.
Rain Dance: The crowd can't get enough of the rain or Sheryl Crow. Rain Dance: The crowd can’t get enough of the rain or Sheryl Crow.

Tucked amidst alpine slopes, the most ideal setting for the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival thus far, concertgoers at the resort got quite a show. Although drought conditions in the area forced the cancellation of the kayak and scuba diving pools for the day, attendees took advantage of all the festival had to offer.

At the trials riding course, fans packed in six deep to watch the two-wheeled antics of riders Jeff Lenosky and Ryan Leech. The The pair thrilled onlookers with three extended exhibitions. Each performance closed with a standing ovation.

Sean Williams, a Denver native who caught all three of the bike exhibitions, said he was impressed by the rider’s ability and skill level.

“I really liked the way they played off of each other,” he said. “They did everything I wanted to see them do especially the 180’s and 360’s. The action was non stop.”

Leech and Lenosky, both world-class riders, perform on a custom set crafted from aluminum scaffolding and wooden decks complete with a rhythm section, 10-foot platforms, and two one-quarter ramps. But spectacular bunny hops, wondrous wheelies, and precision maneuvers were only one part of the trials exhibition.

After each show the pair delighted their audience with an autograph session, taking the time to shake hands and answer questions.

“It was a sweet show,” Williams said. “I think the kids really liked it.”

The 24-foot climbing wall was also a popular stop as both veterans and beginners took the opportunity to show off and test their skills.

Despite the foul weather, main stage performers Train and O.A.R. fired up the crowd and second stage acts Tonic and Pseudopod kept the soggy concert goers moving and on their feet.

Sheryl Crow closed the evening in a chilly downpour but no one seemed to mind. “Are you wet enough to be my man?” she asked the audience during the chorus of her song “Strong Enough” and was met with an ecstatic reply. As the rain-starved ski slopes soaked up the water, the mud people emerged and brought the festival to a euphoric end.

By far the most enthusiastic crowd of the festival, the musicians, crew, and athletes alike are hoping to find a similar reception as the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival begins its West Coast leg this week in San Diego with shows to follow in Phoenix, L.A., and the Bay area.

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Festival Fitness /outdoor-adventure/festival-fitness/ Mon, 07 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000 /uncategorized/festival-fitness/ Festival Fitness

July 29, 2002 Traveling more than 10,000 miles of pavement from coast to coast and everywhere in between, the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival will cover a lot of ground this summer. But with long bus rides between concerts, the festival’s world-class athletes, accustomed to daily training regimens, are forced to exercise creatively—wherever and whenever they … Continued

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Festival Fitness

July 29, 2002 Traveling more than 10,000 miles of pavement from coast to coast and everywhere in between, the Jeep World ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Festival will cover a lot of ground this summer. But with long bus rides between concerts, the festival’s world-class athletes, accustomed to daily training regimens, are forced to exercise creatively—wherever and whenever they get a chance.

Jimmy Blakeney works his upper body atop a platform in the bike trials course. Jimmy Blakeney works his upper body atop a platform in the bike trials course.
Erica Mitchell and Jamie Cooper sprint up the stairs during Sheryl Crow's sound check. Erica Mitchell and Jamie Cooper sprint up the stairs during Sheryl Crow’s sound check.

Dark recesses below the second stage, amphitheatre stairways and even scaffolding have become impromptu work-out facilities as the athletes strive to keep in shape while living on the road.

Kayaker Rusty Sage, who says he prefers cross training when not on the road, naturally turns to other activities in the adventure village for his daily workout.

“I climb the rock wall almost every day,” he says.

An all-around athlete, Sage does whatever he can to make the 24-foot tower more challenging. He has been spotted climbing blindfolded, backwards, and even up the walls most difficult routes using only his upper body.

Sage says he also gets a good workout while paddling in the kayak pool. “The boat fills up with water as I do tricks so it gets heavier and harder to maneuver, he says. “It’s like running with a parachute behind you.” Former Triple Crown kayaking champion Jimmy Blakeney says he prefers daily workouts in the shade found beneath the second stage, but the lack of space and equipment forces him to stick with basic exercises like push-ups and sit-ups.

Trials Rider Ryan Leech can also be found beneath the second stage on a regular basis but prefers Pilates, which he learned while performing with the Cirque de Soleil, rather than traditional exercises.

“I used to have a lot of lower back problems,” he said “Pilates basically strengthens your core and since I’ve started I have felt really good.”

For Leech, his exercise routine is so important he doesn’t even hesitate to do it on the bus.

“Even a five minute routine makes me feel a lot better.”

Erica Mitchell, world champion freestyle kayaker, can regularly be found with fellow paddler Jamie Cooper running up the stairs in the amphitheatre but says she also gets a great deal of strength training done while working with concertgoers in the kayak pool.

“Pushing the kayaks in and out of the pool all day is really good exercise for my arms and lats,” she says.

All the athletes agree that in addition to their extracurricular efforts they still get a decent workout during their daily exhibitions in the adventure village.

On their days off the athletes also take advantage of hotel gyms, pools, and city streets to keep in shape.

But for top-level athletes competing at professional levels, exercising the body is only half the battle. Staying mentally sharp is also very important and regular chess matches have become a popular way of strengthening the brain.

“You have to strategize which is important in competition,” says Blakeney. “It really helps if you are already in that frame of mind.”

The athletes will need all the strength they can get as the tour makes its way north to Seattle before heading back east for nine more shows.

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Coming on Strong /outdoor-adventure/biking/coming-strong/ Mon, 07 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000 /uncategorized/coming-strong/ Coming on Strong

LAST SEPTEMBER, ON THE FINAL DAY of the three-week, 1,851-mile Vuelta a España, 28-year-old Montana native Levi Leipheimer lived out the secret fantasy of every lowly support rider. Leipheimer, a U.S. Postal Service team member at the time, was riding for reigning Vuelta champion Roberto Heras of Spain, but after 20 days of inspired pedaling … Continued

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Coming on Strong

LAST SEPTEMBER, ON THE FINAL DAY of the three-week, 1,851-mile Vuelta a España, 28-year-old Montana native Levi Leipheimer lived out the secret fantasy of every lowly support rider. Leipheimer, a U.S. Postal Service team member at the time, was riding for reigning Vuelta champion Roberto Heras of Spain, but after 20 days of inspired pedaling he sat in fifth place—just two spots behind Heras—with only a 24-mile time trial remaining.

Quick study: Leipheimer in Spain Quick study: Leipheimer in Spain

“It was a bit awkward,” Leipheimer recalls. “Roberto was the defending champion, but I wasn't going to hold back.” He certainly didn't. His second-place time trial put Heras in fifth and sealed a third-place finish overall, the best ever by an American in the world's third most prestigious stage race. “Levi has always been a very good time trialist,” says USPS operations director Dan Osipow, “but defeating the defending Vuelta champion was not something we were expecting.” Three months later, Leipheimer inked a lucrative two-year deal with Dutch powerhouse Rabobank, which means that on July 6 he'll be leading one of cycling's top squads.
Of course, American success on hallowed European pavement doesn't turn heads the way it used to. This season, longtime Lance Armstrong lieutenant Tyler Hamilton rides for Dutch team CSC Tiscali; Kevin Livingston and Bobby Julich are the main support riders for German team Deutsche Telecom; and George Hincapie and Fred Rodriguez have both been ranked in the World Cup top ten. Levi just adds to the American firepower.

So does Leipheimer stand a chance in his first Tour? Perhaps. He took fourth in October's world time-trial championship in Lisbon, Portugal, and his Vuelta performance displayed the relentless consistency of past cycling greats. But his real challenge, says Julich, will be transforming from garçon to The Man. “It's different when the pressure of leading a team is on your shoulders.” Especially if you have a team full of young guns ready to pull a Leipheimer.

Radio Flyers

Like any good military op, the Tour depends on communications

Traffic jam: TDF racers between Calais and Antwerp, July 2001
Traffic jam: TDF racers between Calais and Antwerp, July 2001 (Patrick Kovarik/AFP Photo)

Think driving with a Big Mac and a cell phone is dangerous? Try taking the wheel of a Tour de France team car. During Le Tour, Johan Bruyneel, the USPS squad's field manager, shares a silver Volkswagen Passat with nearly as much communications gear as a 747. While piloting the four-wheel command center around tight corners and over mountain passes, the 37-year-old Belgian listens to play-by-play race reports on the radio, eyes live coverage on a six-inch television screen, chats in four languages on his cell, and sends instructions to the riders—each of whom carries a credit-card-size two-way radio and has a tiny microphone clipped to his jersey. Though Bruyneel putters along just behind the peloton, he's able to keep tabs on more than 180 competitors and deploy his guys accordingly.

“Everybody depends on communication now,” he says. “It's changed the races.” Case in point: During the 130-mile L'Alpe d'Huez stage of last year's Tour, Bruyneel radioed Lance Armstrong and instructed him to play possum for the cameras. “I knew the other teams were watching and listening to interviews,” he says. “I told French TV I was worried because Lance didn't look good at all.” Sure enough, as Armstrong appeared to fade, rival team Telekom radioed their riders, sending three to the front to increase the pace. Only when Armstrong turned on the gas for the final climb—to win the stage with a two-minute lead—did they realize that Bruyneel had beaten them at their own high-tech game.

Go Postal

(Illustration by Ward Sutton)

Lance Armstrong stood alone atop the podium after his last three Tour wins, but his victories were built on the backs of a team of world-class riders expected to chase down breakaways instead of chasing the maillot jaune. While some teams, like Spain's Kelme, stack the deck with pure climbers, and others, like Belgium's Domo, bank on their sprinters, the U.S. Postal Service team plays a delicate balancing game to give Armstrong a full range of defenses. But putting together a winning team isn't cheap—Armstrong has a history of handing over his Tour winnings to his teammates ($337,00) and reportedly dishes out another $250,000 from his own pocket. Here's a guide to the riders pushing for an Armstrong four-peat.

THE GENERAL
Wispy Roberto Heras (1), from Bejar, Spain, is a mountain climber par excellence. He'll be the last teammate to stay with Armstrong in the Alps and Pyrenees, going on the offensive to make the opposition waste energy catching up. Should Armstrong get sick or injured, 28-year-old Heras takes over as team leader.

THE MAN
As team leader, Lance Armstrong (2) has the job of doing as little work as possible in the flat stages, while staying on guard for splits in the pack that could cost him time if he gets stuck in the slow half. The 30-year-old Texan has to save himself for when it counts: the grueling climbs and time trials, where he can clinch a win.
THE CAPTAINS
The role of Spainiard José; Luis Rubiera (3) is simple—blow apart the lead pack on uphill climbs. Expect him to take the offensive on stage 14's Mont Ventoux. George Hincapie (5), the strapping, 6-foot-3, 170-pounder out of Greenville, South Carolina, is master of the flats, reeling in all who escape the peloton.

THE FOOT SOLDIERS
The remaining five (4, 6, 7, 8, and 9) are the sacrificial lambs—they'll fetch water bottles and help pace Lance back into the peloton if he gets a flat. Twenty-six-year-old Floyd Landis, of San Diego, a powerful climber with strong time trial skills who finished second at the Dauphiné; Libé;ré; in June, will pace the posse of Colombian Victor Hugo Peñ;a, Benoît Joachim of Luxembourg, Czech Pavel Padrnos, and Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia.

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