Adopt an Icekid: An Iceman Scholarship Fundraiser

Help awesome Traverse City kids race the Iceman Cometh Challenge this November.

Mr. Iceman, Steve Brown, has been a super Norte! supporter since day one. He has regularly come out for our weekly mountain bike ride, Vasa Domingos, and has spent lots of coaching and mentoring time with the kids to help them have more FUN! on the bike.

2 years ago, with the help of Mr. Brown, we founded the Norte! Iceman Scholarship Fund (N!ISF). The N!ISF is committed to helping Traverse City kids who have earned it – think showing up consistently for our mountain bike rides, being a positive Norte! ambassador, championing bikes at their school, volunteering at our community outreach events, graduating from The Bike Más Project – take part in arguably the most awesome mountain bike race in the US.

Adopt an Icekid aims to raise funds to help 30 deserving young people race this November by covering half of their Iceman/SlushCup registration fee.

30 kids x $35 = $1050

Norte! needs your help.

Please donate $35 and we will pair you up with one of our young racers. Your adopted Icekid will continue to train hard by riding mas bikes in the woods, give it her/his best on race day and then write you a thank you note after the Iceman.

100% of donations raised will go to the N!ISF

Gracias!

A Traverse City Kids On Mountain Bikes Update: 14 Things

1. Thanks to all the moms who came out last Sunday. A great way to kick off another season of Vasa Domingos. We’ll be back at the VST this Sunday and every Sunday through the summer. Meet at 11:45, ride at noon. You should come. Invite a friend. More info HERE.

2. Congrats on those who crushed MSB last weekend too. Special high five to Kyan for stopping to check on a crashed rider and then giving him his water bottle when that rider asked for water. You’re a good kid, Kyan, and a wonderful Norte! ambassador. Thanks, dude.

3. Fridays@TheCommons are back. Vvery Friday night through the summer. Meet at The Piazza across from Higher Grounds at 5:45. Rolling at 6 for as many laps as you’d like. More HERE.

4. Have ideas/suggestions to make Vasa Domingos/Fridays@TheCommons better? We’d love to hear them. Email us hello@elgruponorte.org

5. We started a trial Norte! Mountain bike Facebook page to try and communicate better. Join HERE.

6. We also have a group text messaging thing for last minute ride updates/cancellations. Join that HERE.

7. Wanna race this season? Check out this Michigan mountain bike race calendar HERE.

8. Norte! needs more girls on bikes – lots more. We’re launching the Chicas del Norte! to try and fix this. Thanks to Fern Spence for heading the Chicas up. Stay tuned for details.

9. We have an urban adventure summer bike camp in June – if you have a 5th/6th grader, they should do it —> Sign up!

10. We’re also considering paying coaches to lead a 1-2x/week “camp” during the summer at the Vasa. Much like GT Ski Club does at Hickory. If you’d be interested in something like this, please let us know.

11. We’re also considering putting on a couple grassroots/super casual/kid only races. Think a time trial on the Vasa single track or a Speed Of Light like thing on the Vasa. If you like this idea, please let us know.

12. We’re about to put in another jersey order. In you need/want some orange, order HERE.

13. Our friends at NMMBA have revamped their youth/family friendly distances at the Long & Short’s event. Let’s support them. Register HERE.

14. And finally, THANK YOU for being part of the Norte! community. Things would be very suck-y without you so muchas gracias.

Let’s ride bikes together soon.

A NORTE! Story: Amelia And The Iceman

My Iceman Race
by Amelia Werner

In June I had never mountain biked before.  At the time my dad and I were going to do the Iceman SlushCup on a tandem. Then we started biking with NORTE! Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt convinced me to do it on my single.  I was signed up now I had to do it.

Finally, it was race day.  I was in the fourth wave to start. Then I was at the start line. Three, two, one bang, I went. I biked as hard as I could for the whole ten miles.  At last I saw the finish.

When I finished I had to get my award.  I thought I got fifteenth place, but it turned out I got first.  I was very happy!  So, I got my award and we went to my parents’ friend’s cabin to eat.

**UPDATE**

The best way to become a better mountain biker is to ride your mountain bike more. Amelia showed up nearly every week for our VASA DOMINGOS ride. From May to November, she transformed from a complete beginner to a legit mountain biker. Strong on the climbs. Smooth out of the corners. Confident through the sand. We’re pretty proud of Amelia and the rest of our crew for their hard work and determination all season long. Let’s do it again next year!

A special gracias to Mr. “Iceman” Brown for donating a few race entries to N!YC and leading a Slush Cup Practice ride on Take A Kid Mountain Bike Day. Read TC RIDES With Iceman HERE.

~ Ty and Johanna

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A NORTE! Story is a blog series highlighting N!YC riders/volunteers/supporters in our first year of inspiring Traverse City youth through bicycles. If you like Amelia’s’s story and want to support more of the same, please consider donating to our end-of-year KIDS ON BIKES + YOU campaign. Levels and awards can be found HERE.

Gracias.

And let’s ride bikes together soon.