So I drank slow and chilled. They waited and waited and waited until about 12:45 am to give us the results.”
“So I qualified and I think I was 18 out of 200. They originally said the top 25 racers would race the main race, but then they changed it to the top 50, which was better and they originally should have done this because that’s more competition.”
“The race finally started and I missed a few picks. I don’t know why, but this basically put me out of the running for top ten. 2 hours and 45 minutes later I finished the race. It was about 3 times longer than the qualifier, which is to be expected. Right after the race I had to haul ass to the airport and catch my flight back to Denver.”
The next year NACCC was in Richmond, VA. After going to Austin, Abell had a goal to bring the NACCC, one of the largest Courier championships, to Denver.
Denver has never made a bid to get the race and it’s a bit of an uphill battle. It involves a lot of politics to sell a city to the NACCC, and Denver is no exception to this rule. But the extra business this event brings in would boost the local economy and make the battle worthwhile for the community. The Austin NACCC was the first time food curriers where allowed in the races. This is a growing population in Denver with about 25.
This growing population should increase the interest in and support of getting the NACCC in Denver.
Denver is comparatively small, but has a great bike culture. He adds:
“We have had our ups and downs but we have had a lot of races in the city. The Alley Cat races started dying off, and the once infamous Road Rash Bash died. We still have the Mile High Messenger Challenge and Velo Chase. The races are really fun and awesome but don’t give the real vision of what it’s like to be a messenger. There is a lot more that goes into the messenger then people realize. Messengering involves navagation, hightened awareness, manifestos, pickups, packages… it’s a lot of hard work. I want people to see the real vision of what is like to be a messenger.”
Races, such as the NACCC, may not give the full picture of what it’s like to be a messenger, but they do reveal the insight that being a bike messenger is more than the stereotype of the tattooed male or female wearing skinny jeans perpetuated by pop culture and society. People on the outside may think that the bike messenger is just someone willing to lug around a messenger bag while running red lights, but the job is much more demanding than the average person perceives! Messengers are a special breed of people that are extremely determined - in fact, unshakeable in their will to succeed. They must be a steadfast person willing and capable of riding 30 to 60 miles per day. Most importantly, they must be the kind of person who could not conceive of doing anything other than delivering on time and with an air of impressive professionalism. As if to say, “It was no problem at all and it was my pleasure.” Even when this statement is an outright lie!
In order to get the NACCC here: Support the races! Show up for the events (that’s a big part) they’re huge! If we could get people from other parts of town and other cities to come to our events, it would look really good for the city and the community in the eyes of the NACCC!! Start talking about these events and blog pictures of them.
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