FAT BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Glen Seelenbrandt, RKMP Director

Steve Kaczmarek ’85, CEO and founder of Borealis Fat Bikes, invited the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program (RKMP) to participate in the Fat Bike World Championships held January 27–29 in New Richmond, Wis. He outfitted the Bears with top-of-the-line, custom-fit, carbon fiber bikes, and he covered the race entry fees.

The course ran from the New Richmond Golf Course to the New Richmond Nature Center, providing killer views and wide open spaces, as well as the charm of rolling along the Willow River. I was especially proud of all four of our boys who finished the race with smiles on their faces despite the sub-zero temps on race day.

The four-day trip also included spending time in and around Minneapolis. In addition to their training day and Saturday’s race day, the Bears attended a University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s hockey game and a Minnesota Timberwolves basketball game, and took two trips to the Mall of America. We all easily meshed together as a group, and I loved the boys’ “up-for-anything” attitude and their non-stop laughter.