The high desert mesa altitude (at 5,280
feet, a truly mile-high city) of Albuquerque, NM, seemingly had no impact
on the level of competition or the blistering times of the competitors at
the 2009 IPMBA Conference Competition. Our friends at Albuquerque PD, our
host agency, created a high energy, high speed and very challenging course
for this year's participants.
Designed to maximize the existing facilities at the Albuquerque Civic Plaza,
the course started atop the main stage with a descent down a long flight
of stairs, almost immediately into a cone course comprising a three-stage,
BMX-inspired pump-track and a tight serpentine. This lead to a ramp up and
a bridge crossing a section of the massive Civic Plaza Fountain. It then
moved on to a stair-carry and a long serpentine before heading down two offset
fights of stairs and over two teeter-totters before ending in an all-out
sprint to the finish.
To kick off the event with a bang, world class professional mountain biker
and coach Shaums March scorched the course with an impressive 1:15.00
even after briefly losing his chain just before the teeter-totters!
Jason Schiffer of Team Bethlehem moved up from 2nd overall last year
to a fastest overall time in 2009 at 1:19.61 and took first place in the
Male 30-39 age group. Team Bethlehem also claimed the 2nd fastest overall
time, Jon Pesesko at 1:23.00, who scored first place in the Male 40-49
age group. The Flying Dutchmen's top rider Lex ven den Muysenberg
- just one second back - took third overall with a time of 1:24:00 and earned
second place in the Male 30-39 age group.
Jon Thompson of Wheels of Fury claimed second place in the Male 40-49
age group, less than two seconds behind Jon Pesesko, with a time of
1:24.97. The Male under 30 age group was dominated by the Dezert Ratz, with
Michael Clifton scoring first (1:36.00), followed by Kenneth Coburn
(1:59.82).
The top female competitor, Nicole Jagers of Force 4, gave the guys
some serious competition, with an impressive time of 1:57.00. The Open Category
promised to be a fierce duel between the two high speed Team Volcanic
competitors, but after a rough endo on the pump track, Eric Kackley
had to settle for a painful second place to Mike McKernan's first place time
of 1:32.83. Just to prove that only his feelings were hurt by the fall, Eric
made a second-but unofficial-run at a blistering 1:22.27 pace.
Rounding out the individual age groups was a first place for the forever
young Jim Roy of Bayou Boys in the Male over 50 group with a truly
impressive time of 1:31.03, less than eleven seconds behind the fastest
competitor!
The top three EMS riders hammered home with third place honors in the Team
category. Team Force 4 was comprised of Matt Lane at 1:30.09, Mike
Hudspeth at 1:33.19, Nicole Jagers at 1:57.72, and the "token
cop", Mike Grinstead, at 1:30:42, for a cumulative time of 6:32.22.
They did not lag far behind Team We're Not from Here (6:24.56) - Scott
Elliott, Tommy Hamelink, Matt Foots, and Darren Conradi
- and the Bayou Boys' Don Coppola, Kyle Callihan, Mike
Gauthier, and Jim Roy (6:32.32).
The final rider on the track was riding the same bike as the first rider
on the track. While not officially permitted to compete, Pat Hernandez
of Albuquerque PD could not resist Shaums March's offer to take his bike
for a spin. A mere 1:18.63 later, he was crossing the finish line. Like
Jason Schiffer, Pat is moving to the next age bracket for 2010 - will
top honors move with them? Be among the first to know...join IPMBA in
Chesterfield-St. Louis, Missouri, May 6 - 8, 2010!
Congratulations to each of the fifty riders who gave it their all in the
2009 IPMBA Competition. You gave us a spectacular show and your competitive
spirit in the thin, high desert air made IPMBA proud!
2009 IPMBA
Competition Results
- INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION
-
Male under 30
Michael Clifton - 1:36.00
Las Cruces (NM) Police Department (Team Dezert Ratz)
Kenneth Coburn - 1:59.82
Las Cruces (NM) Police Department (Team Dezert Ratz)
Male 30 - 39
Jason Schiffer - 1:19.61
** 1st overall **
Bethlehem (PA) Police Department (Team Bethlehem)
Lex VanDen Muysenberg - 1:24.00
** 3rd overall **
Police Training Centre Mijkenbroek, The Netherlands
(Team Flying Dutchmen)
Female 30 - 39
Nicole Jagers - 1:57.72
East Baton Rouge (LA) EMS (Team Force 4)
Male 40 - 49
Jon Pesesko - 1:23.00
** 2nd overall **
Bethlehem (PA) Police Department (Team Bethlehem)
Jon Thompson - 1:24.97
Dallas-Fort Worth (TX) Airport Police Department
(Team Wheels of Fury)
Male 50+
Jim Roy - 1:31.03
Topeka (KS) Police Department (retired) (Team Bayou Boys)
- TEAM COMPETITION -
TEAM WE'RE NOT FROM HERE - 6:24.56
Scott Elliott, Niagara Regional Police Service
Ontario, Canada - 1:39.87
Tommy Hamelink, Politie Haaglanden
The Netherlands - 1:32.29
Matt Foots, Queensland Police Service
Brisbane, Australia - 1:43.60
Darren Conradi, Queensland Police Service
Brisbane, Australia - 1:28.00
TEAM BAYOU BOYS - 6:27.70
Don Coppola, Baton Rouge (LA) Police Department - 1:39.87
Kyle Callihan, Baton Rouge (LA) Police Department - 1:33.70
Mike Gauthier, Baton Rouge (LA) Sheriffs Office - 1:42.30
Jim Roy, Topeka (KS) Police Department, retired - 1:31.03
TEAM FORCE 4 - 6:32.22
Matt Lane, Guilford County (NC) EMS - 1:30.09
Mike Hudspeth, Guilford County (NC) EMS - 1:33.19
Nicole Jagers, E. Baton Rouge (LA) EMS - 1:57.22
Mark Grinstead, Seattle (WA) Police Department - 1:30.42
- OPEN CATEGORY -
Mike McKernan - 1:32.83
Team Volcanic Bicycles
Eric Kackley - 3:12.68/1:22.27
Team Volcanic Bicycles
© 2009 IPMBA. This article
appeared in the Summer 2009 issue of IPMBA News.
More Stories from the 2009 IPMBA
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