After first learning about the event in 1997, I've wanted the opportunity to not only attend, but compete head-to-head against the nation's best riders at the Sea Otter Classic. 

Fifteen years later, on April 18, 2012, I'll get my chance to compete in Cat 2 Dual Slalom at the Sea Otter. 

December 15, 2011 marks the beginning of my physical training and preparation that will include shedding nearly 50lbs and massive improvements in cardio for race sprinting. It will surely be an unforgettable winter. It also marks the day after completing my two-year Professional MBA program at Georgia State University, which means more time for training.

Stay tuned for regular updates and photos on my journey to the 2012 Sea Otter.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Having qualified only a month ago for the event, I knew the course well and was prepared for a tough event. Seven of the roughly 45 racers who qualified showed up to compete in my class: Amateur Cat 2/3 30-39. I was seeded in 4th after qualifying runs on Friday going into Saturday's final heats.

Here's how Saturday's racing went: The round of eight was fairly easy, as I took both heats with decent leads. In the semi finals, I was paired up with the #1 qualifier John O'Shura (shown in photo). He won the first heat by a slim margin, but I took him in the second with enough difference to move on to the final round. In the final, I met with Bryan Morgan who also won the qualifier here a month ago and was the #2 seeded rider. First round, I lead Bryan all the way to the last jump, but over shot it to miss the final gate on the course. After going back to get the gate, I was down by the max 1.5 seconds. In the final heat of the day, I beat Bryan, but not by a large enough margin to take the win. He was a great competitor and someone I look forward to racing again.

I'm proud to earn a silver medal, and I am really excited about training harder to compete next year in Cat 1 for the national championship jersey.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

After qualifying third in Dual Slalom at the pre-event qualifier a month ago, I return to Beech Mountain, NC to compete against some of the best riders in the country in Cat 2/3 during the National Championships. While I could use a bit more cardio, I'm excited about the prospects given my result at the qualifier and continued training. Trying to balance grad school, work, and racing has certainly been challenging. 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

I've taken the Yeti out a few times to the local Cobb County ABA BMX track to see how she'd stack up. Initially I received strange looks from the locals. Like, "Is that a mountain bike?" or "Hey, where's your BMX'er dude?" After a few rides though, they warmed up to the idea of an extra-large cruiser. A few of the riders get spooked by the gear shifting on the front straight, but no real complaints so far. 

The Yeti provides the perfect balance of lightweight and stiffness needed to get out of the gate quickly and rail the berms. Surprisingly, for quite a few motos now I'm first out of the gate. Not bad considering I have ~5-10lbs of extra bike and haven't really raced in over 10 years.

If you have a 4X/DS bike, get out to your local track and give racing a go. Who knows, they may eventually add a special class for us extra-large cruisers.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

After waiting nearly two months for the Santa Cruz Jackal (and SC telling me it would be another month or longer), I finally cancelled the order. Seems this is a common problem with SC bikes.

Instead, I picked up this barely used Yeti DJ. Frame is super stout, yet light. Paint and construction are first rate. Great mix of kit except for the SRAM X7/X9 drivetrain. I really dislike the shifter, specifically the gear increase lever positioning. You have to reach between the grip and the decrease lever to operate. Very inconvenient for 4X/DS/BMX. Shimano clearly has SRAM beat with their dual action trigger.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

It must be the thrill of the hunt that I enjoy. For the past few months, I've been researching "affordable" (sub-$1500) 4X/DS rides to hit the local DS, BMX and pumptrack trails with. While the new GT La Bomba looked to be a fierce contender with its upscale kit and all-new alu frame, I just couldn't make it past the hideous bright orange paint and unproven lineage. The Giant STP 1 was also an interesting ride, but didn't impress with the low-grade kit and purple color. I guess the OEMs think everyone who rides these has dyed hair and painted nails.

In the end, the Santa Cruz Jackal won me over for its simple, clean design, above par spec and wide variety of frame color options. On order through Alpha Bikes in Alpharetta, I expect to take delivery in the next week or two. Will be sure to review the SC in detail after a few rides.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Operations Management Professor Xia did an excellent job preparing us for his mid-term. He was clear and open what topics would be covered, and at what depth we would be tested. 

Professor Butler's Leadership course continues to be the class I've taken the most away from. Her insights into having real "impact" with your decisions and how you lead, has already changed how I manage. Her exam, well...that was a bit crazy. One hour, 60 questions, and an odd structure in the matching of terms/definitions, left most of us with a few unanswered questions at the end.

Overcoming these (and certainly much more difficult) obstacles with grace and good grades becomes a way of life. Head down. Two years. And you're done. 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

PAYwareMobile.com was built to serve a truly international audience with automated IP routing by country, independent country sites, mobile pages integrated to the App, and multi-language all on a single Umbraco CMS platform based in the Rackspace Cloud.

This marks VeriFone's second web award and fourth nomination in just the last three years.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Please take a moment and donate what you can to this wonderful cause.

http://www.24hoursofbooty.org/goto/ryankramer

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

As expected, the first year of my PMBA program flew by. Sure there were lots of late nights filled with intense studying and team projects. Difficult subjects and even more difficult professors. The work-school-life balance was toughto manage, which I owe primarily to my advanced procrastination skills. With 24 credits complete and another 24 to go, I'm really looking forward to the electives for my concentration in marketing. 

The Atlanta Blizzard 2011 delayed the start of my B2B Marketing elective, but spirits were still high as we kicked off Saturday's PMBA required courses. Saturday's classes, Operations Management and Organizational Leadership, look to offer lots of great discussion and learning. 

Back to the books.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

The kit arrived in two short days and included:

• Pinnacle XMT Clay Bar
• Pinnacle XMT Clay Bar Lubricant
• (2) Good quality microfiber detail towels

After washing and drying the car, I set to work on removing the grit from the paint. Working in 2'x2' areas as directed, I misted on the XMT lubricant (included nozzle is perfect) and gently massaged the paint with the new XMT clay bar. As I worked each section of the hood, fenders, roof and trunklid, the bar would gradually glide smoother and smoother over the surface. This was proof that the bar was lifting the grit our of the paint. Working the bar required additional sprays of lubricant to keep things moving smoothly. 

Once I was through with the job, it was evident the bar picked up all kinds of grit and dirt embedded in the paint. The yellow bar had a noticeably darker tone with black specs visible. The paint is now perfectly smooth, so I topped the car off with another coat of Pinnacle's Signature Series II wax. The entire clay bar process took me roughly 25 minutes and was well worth the effort.

Pinnacle XMT Speed Clay Bundle

Pinnacle Signature Series II Carnauba Paste Wax

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

When you use their entire system to prep your car (Body Shampoo, Paintwork Cleansing Lotion, Clay Bar) beforehand, you really end up with a finish that's worthy of Souveran. I'm told one of the key ingredients that makes Souveran so amazing is the high percentage of Brazilian Carnuba. The percentage in Souveran is higher than any other brand. Any higher would require the person applying it to melt it with their hand beforehand.

When applying the wax, you can feel the oils in the wax that penetrate the clearcoat to give it a rich, deep color. Many waxes also leave white residue on trim and in corners, but not Souveran. And there's no need to wait until it dries to wipe it off. With other waxes, this just causes white flakes. Not very desirable on that dark car of yours. 

If you're looking to give Pinnacle a try, http://autogeek.net is an authorized reseller and can get you started.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

For thirty years, Linda graced the airwaves as an announcer at NBL BMX Nationals across the country and UCI BMX events around the world. A person with real love for life, Dorsey would light up a room upon entry. 

The BMX world was saddened in 2008 when she lost her battle with cancer. She will be sorely missed and will now be remembered for all of her dedication to the sport. I'm certainly glad I had the chance to spend so many races with her on the UCI Supercross and World Championship circuit in the years leading up to her passing.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/4433.html

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

The hottest 4X bike on the planet ridden by the fastest rider on the planet: Jared Graves

And yes, Santa, this is all I want for Christmas. Already have my two front teeth.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

The team at Campaign Monitor has compiled a mammoth chart on CSS, CSS2, and CSS3 elements supported in the most popular email clients.

http://www.campaignmonitor.com/css/

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

See the full gallery on Posterous

Much smaller in width and height than a normal pillow, the "As Seen On TV" Sobakawa Cloud pillow holds its own. The claimed 10M micro foam beads operate much like the ubiquitous neck pillows used by travelers today. The pillow came with a "$9.99 Bonus cover" that was apparently mandatory given the multiple warnings as, "You Must Use the Cover at All Times".

Two key items make this a nice pillow. The pillow adjusts nicely to your position and its curved shape contours around your shoulders. I find this gives me some ventilation, keeping me cool.

Overall, I'm happy with the pillow so far. I'm a back sleeper, and I've gone through 5 pillows in the past 6-8 months. We'll see how this holds up over time.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

If a nation wants to call itself “X”, why can another nation call it “Y”? Let’s take España and Côte d’Ivoire for example. Why do the English or Italian languages (or any other for that matter) have the right to rename them to Spain and Ivory Coast or Spagna and Costa d’Avorio? Ferrari and Sony don’t change their names in various countries.

I find this practice of renaming nations inefficient and confusing.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Great chance to meet everyone doing the 24 Hours of Booty, learn about the course, and just have a good time.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »