OCHO - a gnomese word for lunacy-fringe

Spinner & Puck

Every once in a while, all of the planets align, and crazy good times flow like the Niagara.  Gnome-Fest Ocho was one of those times. Perfect weather...generous sponsors...and incredible guests all came together to create a gnome-city festival  that will certainly become legend ...past - present  or future.

Steve & Carl Trailbuilding on Corkscrew

Cale and I headed up to Levis together and found a few folks had already started to build gnome-city. We camped behind the city hall -chalet and cracked open some coldies with Carl. The day was beautifully warm and sunny. A few folks from Madison came and started a suburb of Gnome City right out of the box. The only real thing on my agenda was at 4:00 pm to help do a little trail work on the last bit of Corkscrew, so I stayed hydrated and hung out. Steve Meurette, Carl, his swissy Fezzek and I headed out with tools and found just a few spots about midway down that needed some finish work. We worked for maybe an hour and as we hiked the length of the trail back towards Steve's truck, we commented on how the trail was primed for a fat-bike steam-rolling parade from gnomefezzetrs!

Blatz & Julio

Thursday night, things got a little blurry, so I'll skip forward to Friday. Amigos started to roll in and build their gnomesteads from the great lupine field out to the raw pine frontier....Gnome City [GC] was steadily getting and erection. Julio, Blatz and I got out on the bikes. Another perfectly warm sunny day up on the front mound was just what we needed. ~The calm before the storm~

Levis Gold

Julio and I headed out to Sand Creek Brewing to get set up for our first off-site registration event and pick up 2 half barrels to bring back to GC. By the time we left... the tap-room was full of amigos getting their fest started with a pint and a growler to go. We jetted back to GC, while the Ladies (Bethany, Sandy & Amy) stayed at the brewery to get peeps registered. I hear that the brewery was a rock'n party. Back at GC we turned the dial to ELEVEN and didn't look back. We tapped the kegs and derby'd around the blazing firepit. Multiple rounds ensued, with good music thumping away and Spinner taking multiple diggers riding the gnomungus pile of firewood. He put a nice crack in his frame in a spectacular endo that would have killed most earthlings....but this is Spinner, we're talking about.

Will ~ Derby

Iowa City ~ in the gnome'n house!  Adam and Aaron, accompanied by a band of crazies lit the fuse of a party that just raged! Words can't describe the chaotic fun....you just had to be there. Double A led a night ride out to Goat Dance and back down the Hermosa's while GC rocked. More pilgrims rolled into town and staked their claim to some real estate. Just when we thought we'd run out of beer, Collin from Lake Front Brewing showed up and quenched our rather large thirst....I crawled into our trailer around 2:40 am.....but the party went on....the NWA at 3:00 am was not appreciated universally by the good citizens of GC. (I told you to pack earplugs). It was a RAGE'r!

Saturday morning we surprised Julio and Bethany with new FatBikes from their spousal units. Julio received a Schlick Cycles Northpaw, all murder'd out - blackity blackness - a fat sexy ride....just how Julio likes it!

...and Bethany received a tiny hot salsa....I love to make my honey smile! This all happened as the traditional Saturday Morning Ladies ride assembled in front of City Hall. This will be the GF known for how the ladies just stole the show.....all Girl Power! and.....(wait 4 it) ..............Wild Cougar Formation [WCF]!!!

the Ladies

After lunch Mayor Martini assembled everyone to get set for the start of the Dirt Cat. This year, I didn't get assigned to a check-point, so I headed out with a group of our closest GF couisins to check out some of Levis Trow's sweetest trail. We ran into Keiker and the Q7 pair of Aces and made a party of it. I got to put a few miles in on Julios new Schlick and man that bike is F'ing sweet! The group tried to ditch me, but I found them swilling beers (up top) at the entrance to SideWinder and after a beer (for courage) we rode SideWinder and then the Hermosa's and ended up at the Talent Show checkpoint, where there was no shortage of liquor. Whirlwind forward through dinner to the awards!

Lisa on Sidewinder

At the awards people won stuff....and we raffled off some great prizes from Surly. Matt from the Twin Cities won the Pugsly frame and Fork. I can't wait to see how he builds it up! The baby pools were full of beer and the needle was still pegged. Stand by for the best Dwarfcycle Figure Eight Death Race since Cone-Man!

Photo by Lyle

Mayor Julio was up to bat and with the assistance of Cale they set the brackets for the infamous GF DeathRace! We started with ten soft dodgeballs on the course.....that was a mistake! People were just crazy aggro with their balls.  We eventually collected them all and the racing got better...and better.....till the streaking started and plenty of Girl on Girl Wrestling and skip streaking .......and starting line tequilla.....the debauchery was as thick and sweet as gnome jelly! We crowned champions and corinated a new queen of all gnomlandia - Her Royale Majesty Gabi the First with a shower of tequilla and much revelry from the bawdy citizens of Gnome City. Cale won the whole gnome enchilada and took home the rainbow underpants for his trophey case back in California. I don't really gnow how late the party went, because I couldn't quite gather my faculties to locate my phone, so I just retired with  looney thoughts racing through my head.

Sunday Services

Sunday morning our little tribe whipped up a pot-luck breakfast that was just what we needed to soak up some booze and get us ready for a little mellow farewell ride. As these things usually go, we got to wait and chat as folks found their bikes and put on their sunday best. By the luck of the gnome, just as we were ready to begin, Steve Muerette rode up and guided us on a delightful tour de points. The perfect cap to a glorious weekend of FUNonBIKES!

A huge thanks go out to all of our guests...our generous sponsors....all of the good folks that build trail at Levis ....my Co-Mayors (Bethany ~ Julio~ Martini) and of course - Gnomes everywhere!