The 2017 Pugsley World Championship :aka PWC, went off without a hitch once again this year. unfortunately we can’t say the same for the recap ! I was sure I had sent this to Gomez weeks ago only to get it returned several weeks later. So with all of the excuses out of the way, here we go.
First off we got lucky and had plenty of new, fluffy snow, and it didn’t stop until well after the race was over. Everybody knows that gnomes control the weather and PWC has always been very popular within the fantasy woodland creature, guilds and unions, so it was no surprise that the race course was totally Smurfy.
The 2017 PWC Course Map
The race featured 2 laps of an 8+ mile, ungroomed, rainbow bright, singletrack race course that traversed the sugar mountains in Candyland with varied terrain that was basically ‘all over the board’. Our man on the course, Chris Skogen, was able to hop around the course and witness the athletic drama. This allowed Chris to provide us with this great ‘play by play’ of the top riders.
” At the start, Barry (Fargo ND), grabbed the hole shot and he’s out front by 5 lengths. Two riders, James (MPLS) and Chris (NYC) went off the 
front, found the “legal” shortcut and are about a mile ahead. The snow was falling heavy on the first secter. Paul (Mason City IA) looks to have DFL all sewn up just 2 miles into the race. Directionaly challenged, old timers, James and Chris, are running into problems with the first lap. Meanwhile Ron (Tempe AZ) has just moved out front and holds that through the first lap. Chris (NYC) suffers a rear flat at mile six and is way back. Second in, after 1 lap, is Barry followed by James (MPLS), Jason ( Madison WI ) and our lead female rider Becca (Little Rock AR). As heavy wet, snow continues to fall, riders are struggling to stay on course Becca, James and a few others make wrong turns and lose time and places. It was at this point that we all agreed, “We will not blame the beer on any of this”.
The lead group came through the Start/Finish on their way into the 2nd Lap, looking strong. with Paul in the lead for the men and Becca for the Women’s division.
At the finishline (yes we jump ahead to the finish line, we have no more on course reporting, Skogen needed a break) The finish was a sprint to the line with Paul beating out Jason by a wheel length !
The 2017 Pugsley World Championships – Podium
The Results
Men
1. Paul (Mason City)
2. Jason(Madison WI)
3. Barry (Fargo ND)
4. Ron (Tempe AZ)
5. Chris (NYC NY)
Women
1. Becca (Little Rock AR)
2. Kelsey (Madison WI)
3. Nicki (Decorah IA)
Anyone that knows the storied traditions of the Pugsley World Championships, knows that, winning the race, does not necessarily bring home the Pugsley World Championship Ax and this year was no exception. Sov outlasted everyone else in THE CHAIR. We piped in a constant selection of Leo Sayer through the bonnet and Sov emerged as this year’s recipient of the PWC Ax!
2017 Pugsley World Champion – Eric Sovern
That about wraps up our coverage of the greatest spectacle in fat-bike sport – The PWC! Join us next year for the fifteenth running of the gnomes at PWC-XXILV!
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