THIS YEAR was not radically different for North Yancouver’s Kris Octter (right) in the Western Canadian Radical Mountain Bike Championship Series up Cypress Bow! last weekend. Oetter, in the male expert division, was first up on the hill climb with a time of 49:51 and tied with Ramin Sherkat for the 9.5 kilometre downhill in 20:29. Unfortu- nately the 1988 defending champion couldn’t do a repeat performance — an injured ankfe caused him to withdraw from the cross-country criterium on day two. Sherkat eventually emerged the overali winner for 1989. WV runner pushes himself to the limit WHAT MAKES a man run 100 miles in zero degree temperatures through mountainous terrain reaching altitudes of 13,000 feet with oniy a flashlight to see and bats swooping overhead? Well, it’s “sort of a personal thing’’ according to the man craz- ed enough to tackle the seemingly- impossible. ‘SI suppose you try to find out how far you can push yourself. You know, what is the limit?"’ says endurance athlete Shane Collins. Collins, a 39-year-old business and family man, just returned to West Vancouver from Colorado after finishing the Leadville Bud Light Trail 100 August 19 and 20. The ‘‘mere’? completion of the Leadville course is accomplishment enough. With a 50 per cent drop- out rate, few runners were serious- ly concerned about their time beyond finishing under the re- quired 30 hours. Collins finished the course in 29 hours and eight minutes — a period of time which spanned two sunrises, starting at 4 a.m. Satur- day and finishing at 9 a.m. Sun- day. “] had a good nine-hour run and then 20 hours of misery,”’ Collins said, referring to a torn leg muscle. Collins’ pacer for 38 nighttime miles, Enzo Federico, said Collins literally limped through two-thirds of the race. “Not only did he have to put up with the elevation and distance but he was hobbling,’’ Federico said. During the night Collins said he was “‘losing it a bit.”’ “Several times I thought I saw See Colcrado Page 15 PAGE 19 13 - Wednesday, August 30, 1989 - North Shore News mee = performs ballet on bike LIKE MATTHEW Bitts is one cool flatlander. Flatlander? You know, the guys who do tricks on bikes. But if you’re not yet educated in the manoeuvres of freestyle biking, think of it as biking’s answer to freestyle skiing. By ELIZABETH COLLINGS News Reporter Or picture Bitts’ vision: ‘‘i guess it’s kind of like the ballet dancing of the BMX because you choreograph your routine.”’ The 14-year-old student from Handsworth snagged first place in the 14-15 expert category at the North American Freestyle Associa- tion Championship in Tsawwassen August 13. To get the overall first, Bitts won first place in the flatland freestyle category and second in the street style. Bitts declined to enter the ramp category because he said, ‘‘It’s a bit dangerous for me. I'd rather perfect my ground skiils.’’ Street style is a new category in which the bikers aggressively bounce, pounce and possibly trounce a carbon copy street alley replete with an old car and ramps leading up to the walls. **You can thrash all you want. it’s not as graceful as freestyle. It’s pretty hard core street riding.”’ Competitors are judged on fluid movement — no breaks or touching the ground — difficulty of tricks attempted, and the actual execution and originality of the tricks. Bitts' sponsors, Quicksilver and AirWalk, help Bitts get around to competitions and supply him with clothes. On the demo team with Bitts is Blaise Olson, 17, and Colin McKay, 14, both from North Van- couver. Bius rides a 20°’ modified BMX frame with special tubes and pegs to stand on. He wears safety gear only for competition, when helmets and pads are mandatory. In fact, Bitts said that, unlike most sports, one doesn’t need a lot of equipment for freestyle biking. But all the same, you might want high tops and a bandana to perfect the image. NEWS photo Neil Lucente MARATHON MAN Shane Collins likes a challenge — a 100 mile challenge. Collins says he likes the balance that running lends to his life.