Howler Mountain Bike Race is Ready to Rock.
The San Juan del Sur Howler Mountain Bike Race announces their third annual race to be held on December 11, 2010. Ox paths, dirt paths, single tracks and riverbeds make up the the unspoiled mountain bike action of 18 to 42 kilometers. The Howler race is Nicaragua’s entry into Central American mountain bike races.
Anthony Ippolito, a world-class racer and lead Howler course-setter loves this unique course. “Nicaragua is known for it’s untouched, raw landscape. This course takes full advantage of the diversity in the surrounding terrain and you only have to go five minutes outside of San Juan del Sur to find some really amazing stuff!”
The race is organized by Larry Thraen who is an adventure travel coordinator and ex-patriot living in San Juan del Sur. He was motivated to start the race by the local families who heavily rely on bicycles for transportation. “Many people don’t even have brakes on their bikes; they use their plastic flip-flops to slow down or stop their two-wheelers. It’s also worth noting how many people these talented Nicaraguans can put on a bike. I’ve seen five kids on an old three-speed from the 60s.”
The focus of the Howler Race is to put on an international sporting event that will also serve the local communities. They are striving to attract sponsor involvement to help bring down a container of bikes and helmets for each event. “The bike donation aspect serves a two-fold purpose. One, it’s to have a bike for the race. Secondly, after the race, they can use the bike to get themselves to town for supplies or to a job that helps feed their family,” Larry explains.
Proceeds from the race will go to two local organizations: Comunidad Connect which focuses on community development projects like recycling, literacy programs, sports and volunteer based tourism in the San Juan del Sur area and Fundacion Tierra which supports the municipality’s socio-economic welfare, education, reforestation, water and sanitation.
To learn more about the race, the organizations, register to participate or donate please visit www.sanjuanhowler.com