The 2008 Ohiopyle Falls Festival

Summary of post

Spencer and two hundred other boaters go over the Ohiopyle Falls in one of the biggest whitewater events in the USA. Nobody dies.

A terrifying fall

Going over an 18 foot waterfall at the Falls Race in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, is as good an excuse as any for peeing in your pants. Why would anyone in their right mind want to do it? The frothing, churning waters at the bottom of the drop look rabidly angry. There's a punishing hydraulic that sucks you in and whirls you around and around under the water. There's also an undercut that could trap and hold you underwater... indefinitely...

Somebody's gotta do it

The only time boaters can legally go over the Falls is

Ninth Annual Subaru 24 Hour Champion Challenge 2008

Summary of post

Thrills and spills... guts and glory... pushing and breaking the limits of human endurance in a 24-hour mountain bike relay race at Seven Springs Resort, PA.

(The pic above taken by Mark Dempster)

The Race

Over 300 men and women, in teams, duo or solo, tested their mettle mountain-biking repeatedly on a punishing 12-mile course this past Labor Day weekend. The aim was to complete as many laps as possible within 24 hours, which meant riding in the night. That's right - d-a-r-k. The course has a tight, twisty single-track through the woods, some extremely technical barely walkable 'rock garden' sections and a long, steep, uphill, heart-attack-inducing climb.