News from the XC front – 3/26/05
By Ed Sanchez

Here’s a brief little update on the Nor-Cal XC race scene.

One of my favorite race promoters is bringing XC back to Boggs Mountain. BillyCross Racing (www.billycrossracing.com ) will be splitting their race schedule between the Lake Sonoma venue, (where I have raced with them for years) and Boggs Mountain Demonstration Forest, near Cobb CA. Boggs has always been a favored destination for the XC set, ever since the first Boggs Mountain Bash over 10 years ago, put on by promoter Dan Barger. (www.CSMEvents.com) The outfit also did the Sizzler race in San Jose, ( both XC and DH) and the famous Treeze & Breeze in Santa Cruz. Barger stopped promoting MTB racing in 2001. The year prior to that, Mark Lowenstern, the man who promoted the prestigious, 6 race Knobular series, also pulled out. The absence of these races left a huge hole in the Nor-cal scene.

< reminiscing > I remember being able to do 25 races a season. I never had to travel further north than Oroville, further south than Monterey, or further east than Tahoe to race. THAT was the Norcal XC scene of the 90’s. I am not even counting the Humboldt/Mendocino race scene,(the Lemurian, LaGrange, etc…) I am an old fart…..</reminiscing.>

Thankfully Boggs has returned! The XC racing scene is not dead, just a little bruised. With the advent of the NorCal high school racing league, a new generation is bound to revive the glory days of California XC racing!

OK, enough already, here are the dates for Billycross -
April 3rd – Lake Sonoma, HS race at 10am, adults at 3pm
April 10th – Boggs Mtn, HS race at 10am, adults at 3pm
May 15th – Boggs 8hr team race, 10am-6pm
May 29th – Lake Sonoma, regular XC race, 10am
June 26th – Lake Sonoma 8hr team race, 10-6pm
July 31st – Boggs Mtn. regular XC, 10am
Aug 14th – Lake Sonoma, XC, New course!! A full loop around the lake!!
Sep 25th – Lake Sonoma, 6hr team race, 10-4pm
Oct 2nd – Lake Sonoma, regular XC, 10am
For more info on XC racing and other events, go to www.ncnca.org, or keep it tuned to this station.

See you on the trails, Ed