Fast Brass Monkey on ice turf

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 298, 4 August 1989, Page 12

Fast Brass Monkey on ice turf

Cold, clear weather made for ideal conditions for last Sunday's 35 kilometre Waiouru Brass Monkey mountain bike race.

With weeks of frosts the ground was good and solid, for the first batch of riders that is, meaning fast times were recorded. Expert men's section winner and overall

winner was Grant Tyrrell who completed the course in 1 hour 22 minutes and 39 seconds. The course started in the hills behind the Waiouru Army museum

and covercd tank tracks, Army Training Group roads more tank tracks and mud bogs. Organiser Andrew Ninness from Palmerston North said his group was very pleased with this year's event which saw a 30 per cent increase in numbers - 96 competitors in all.

He said it was the same course as last year but the frozen ground conditions made for much faster times. He said the group much appreciated the help and co-operation of the Waiouru Army Training Group and the support of the Army's adventure training group, who also had racers entered. Also thanked were the Waiouru Netball Club women who catered for the racers, who stayed the weekend at Camp Helwan, just north of the Army base. A feature of the "Brass Monkey" rules is a clothing check - to make sure competitors are adequately dressed for the freezing conditions, though this year at least the wintery sun was shining so weather was less of a worry. Other normal mountain biking rules applied, such as all tools necessary to keep the bike mobile must be carried, with no assistance allowed. Saturday saw riders compete in a fun event which this year was paired racing round a dirt bowl circuit. Andrew Ninness said riders fair "honked along" in this event, designed to keep everyone amused. Placings in the event were: expert section 1 Grant Tyrrell 1:22:39; 2 C Evans 1:25:35; 3 B Gibbs 1:27:32. Sport 1 J Ritchie 1:27:24; 2 S Johnson 1:27:26; 3 Turnpage 13