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Awards are available in all shapes, sizes, supplies, and flavors, with bottles of Ihana Shiraz set to uncork the celebrations of off-road racing for 2025 on January 24, the limited-release wine from McLaren Vale, South Australia going to winners of RADL GRVL.
While prize cash does pay the payments, money is just not all the time on provide at endurance off-road occasions. The journey itself is the last word reward in lots of instances, however what are essentially the most famend and alluring bodily awards for large bodily achievements?
How about an award that vanishes? Not taken away or misplaced, however reworked right into a puddle of water, would that be epic sufficient?
“Because we’re so targeted on goal-oriented work all year long, getting one thing that you understand goes to vanish however continues to be a aim, is a really attention-grabbing idea,” three-time Iceman Cometh Challenge champion Alexey Vermeulen informed Cyclingnews in regards to the Ice Trophy.
“As a Michigan child rising up in biking, I all the time heard it was an iconic loopy race that my neighbors went to and talked about how horrible the sand was and the way loopy the ingesting was on the finish. Then to do the race the primary time, after I was nonetheless on the highway, simply undergo via it, be like ‘wow, this environment is loopy’, and win, it is simply epic.”
Cyclingnews reached out to a dozen elite athletes who compete throughout gravel and mountain bike occasions across the globe to search out out what awards they discovered most attention-grabbing. This led to the identification of a spectrum of spoils, starting from drinks and meals, cowboy hats and hand-knit sweaters, pirate swords and multi-function knives, and extra. The ‘disappearing’ Ice Trophy was talked about most frequently, both earned or desired.
“I feel profitable an ice trophy you can barely maintain above your head is superb,” mentioned two-time elite girls’s Iceman winner Deanna Mayles, the November point-to-point mountain bike race she has referred to as “one of the best day of the 12 months”.
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Reigning Leadville Trail 100 champion Melisa Rollins received Iceman in 2024 and mentioned it was one of many “coolest” prizes she has ever received, pun supposed.
From beer in Belgium and wine and cheese baskets in Switzerland, Haley Smith famous {that a} particular Swiss Army knife and an Australian boomerang had been two memorable awards from her efforts in mountain bike stage races. She and Rollins are in Australia this month for RADL GRVL.
“It’s actually frequent to win big beers in Europe; I received a bunch of massive Chouffe beers in Belgium final 12 months,” Smith mentioned. “[I’ve also won] a Swiss Army knife on the Swiss Epic and conventional boomerangs on the eight-day stage race, Croc Trophy, sadly, final 12 months its final iteration. I really like these reminders of the cool locations we have raced.”
Three-time Gravel Worlds winner and 2023 Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame inductee Ali Tetrick echoed a standard thread a couple of wall stuffed with reminders of “cool locations” carrying loads of worth for her personally. She solely had to go searching her front room to search out her favorites, from a belt buckle earned at Unbound Gravel 200, a set of Gravel Worlds pirate swords, and a Viking horn from The Rift in Iceland.
“I really like when awards are tied to the tradition and character of an occasion—they carry a lot extra which means than a conventional trophy. Each one jogs my memory of the unbelievable day I had on the bike, the individuals I met, and the group I shared it with,” Tretrick informed Cyclingnews.
“Winning The Rift in Iceland earns you a shocking Viking horn, a bit wealthy in historical past and tradition. It can be utilized as a ingesting vessel, musical instrument, or signaling gadget. It pairs superbly with the Icelandic wool sweater I additionally received, which is as cozy as it’s attractive.”
Other ‘{hardware}’ with honourary mentions included a Leadville miniature mining cart, an electrical guitar at Rad Dirt Fest, a mini tree from Ranxo Gravel, and the F1 helmet offered on the rostrum by professional race automotive driver Valtteri Bottas at FNLD GRVL, a race he co-founded with Tiffany Cromwell and Amy Charity.
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Solid block of ice
The disappearing Ice Trophy grows in legend throughout the years for the long-lasting celebration that continues effectively previous the end line whereas it withers away. The chunk of ice is paraded round Traverse City, conjuring similarities to a FIFA World Cup victory parade.
“What’s cool is that everybody follows the ice trophy. Last 12 months, Deanna and Alexey, and the final 12 months earlier than that as effectively, went round with the ice cup and it simply brings all of the riders collectively, although you had been simply battling it out earlier within the day,” mentioned Paige Onweller, a Michigan native who has completed fourth two occasions.
“So for me, I feel that is why it is cool as a result of everyone seems to be there. They comply with the ice trophy, it is simply what you do. It’s actually enjoyable to see all of the riders who’ve been competing towards one another form of band collectively and have enjoyable. So it is a good strategy to have fun, bringing everybody collectively.”
The custom-made, big chalice weighs greater than 40 kilos and have to be hoisted excessive within the air, ideally overhead, as soon as crammed with Bell’s Brewing beer. The trophy itself has a wealthy 20-year historical past and could also be extra of an ordeal to copy annually than the 30-mile race itself.
“The ice chalices have had many renditions over time. Currently, they’re carved by our pals out of Ice Creations in Napoleon, Ohio. These trophies are pushed up in dry ice on the day of the race. They are heavy, roughly 40 to 50 kilos every, a strong block of ice that’s hollowed out simply within the high,” mentioned Kat Paye, CEO of The Festival Foundation which oversees a number of occasions in Traverse City together with Iceman Cometh Challenge.
Paye mentioned solely two trophies are created annually, one for every elite class, and the 280-mile switch from Ohio to Michigan is orchestrated for the objects to reach on the Travese City ‘celebration zone’ roughly three hours earlier than the end.
“The trophies find yourself with their very own tales on the finish of this journey as a result of after the winners get their awards, the ice trophies go away with the winners and go to all of the native bar and restaurant institutions. They are taken inside and out of doors and thru the buildings, creating puddles.”
Michigan native Paige Onweller continues to be seeking the elusive Iceman victory. She completed third general at Unbound Gravel 200 this previous 12 months and famous that the trophy celebration was as rewarding because the trophy itself.
“I’ve by no means received it, not but. What’s cool is that everybody follows the ice trophy. Last 12 months, Deanna and Alexey, and the final 12 months earlier than that as effectively, went round with the ice cup and it simply brings all of the riders collectively, although you had been simply battling it out earlier within the day.
“So for me, I feel that is why it is cool as a result of everyone seems to be there. They comply with the ice trophy, it is simply what you do. It’s actually enjoyable to see all of the riders which have been competing towards one another form of band collectively and have enjoyable. So it is a good strategy to have fun, bringing everybody collectively.”
Three-time Mid South winner Payson McElveen agreed in regards to the celebration, and an opportunity to hoist the cup himself.
“My dream situation? The ice trophy would definitely be up there. I really like that it disappears,” he mentioned, his finest end at Iceman sixth in 2016. “I’ve been on a bar crawl with Howard [Grotts] with the ice trophy. And after I retire, that’ll be one of many high three post-race nights of my life, for positive.”