KOTRT MTB JAMBOREE 2002
The 1-Hill Ride
26-27th October 2002
For submission to : The Star “Week Ender”
Written by : Chia Seng Teik
Pictures by : Chia Seng Teik & Shaharin Bin Wan
What is it that makes people of all ages, gender, shapes and sizes sacrifice their
Sunday morning snooze and head for the hills to ride their mountain bikes?
Could it be the adrenaline rush as one careens down the single track at
breakneck speed? Or could it be the sense of personal satisfaction and
achievement for having crested that particularly steep hill? Could it be the
colorful jerseys or skin-tight lycra pants or the fun, freedom and fellowship
associated with mountain biking rides? Whatever it is, mountain biking (MTB)
seems to be taking root as the fastest growing recreation sports, with a
plethora of MTB groups springing up all over Malaysia and Singapore.
This was none more evident than during the KOTRT MTB Jamboree 2002, held recently in
Penang. Organized by a motley bunch of very passionate mountain bikers who
called themselves “Knights of the Round Table” (KOTRT), the event attracted
over 270 participants. There were a few family groups and the youngest rider
was 13-year old Lam Han Pin who was accompanied by his parents. Thunder Liew
from Penang at 61 years was the oldest rider. The Mountain Bike Hashers from KL
and Malacca were well represented as well as diverse groups like the
de’RojakMTB, Ipoh Millennium MTB, Vipers Adventure Team and a smattering of Mat
Salleh expatriates. Riders also came from Pangkor, Taiping, Parit Buntar, Tambun
and Kulim. Singapore sent more than 30 riders. Penang riders from the Nuikars,
CCI, Chin Aik, AID and Intel also turned out in full force to support the
Jamboree. “For weeks leading up to the event, ‘Are you going to the Jamboree?’
became the greeting among KL mountain bikers,” commented Amir Faezal, a member
of the de’Rojak MTB group.
“There are many other MTB groups that organize Hash rides, Interstate road rides or
Holidays on Bike. However, KOTRT rides are a bit different as we focus more on
fun, food and fellowship, as our members are just ordinary people out for a
good time on their weekends. Once or twice a year though, we organize epic
adventure rides that really challenge the mind and the spirit to nourish the
body and the soul,” explained Azmi, the organizing chairman from KOTRT. “These
rides are not races, but more of a personal challenge. Most participants ride
together in groups, encouraging each other to go on and not give up. The
marshals help them along. At the finishing line, riders will come up to thank
us and tell us of their great sense of achievement having overcome their
self-imposed mental barriers to accomplish super-ordinate goals. They also have
fun doing it and food is always featured prominently. After all, ‘Eat to Ride
and Ride to Eat’ is the motto of KOTRT,” added Azmi.
KOTRT had organized rides in Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara previously, but this
year decided to do it in their home ground. Working in collaboration with the
Municipal Council of Penang Island, the KOTRT MTB Jamboree 2002 featured two
rides: the Sunset Boulevard warm up ride on Saturday evening and the main ride
which was billed “The 1-Hill Ride” on Sunday morning. Besides celebrating their
fourth anniversary, the KOTRT were also trying to do their bit to promote
sports tourism and show what Penang had to offer as a mountain biking holiday
destination.
Set amongst the scenic trails on Penang Island, The 1-Hill Ride was spread over
twelve stages. It took riders through some interesting stages like the Mount
Erskine trail, Mount Olivia Back-breaker and Stairway to Heaven. These were the uphill sections. A feeding
station was set up at Penang Hill where water, bananas and freshly baked
chicken pie from the famous Southview caterer were served. “I was cursing and
dying from the climbs, but these chicken pies more than made up for it,”
quipped Din as he went for a third helping. In fact, the chicken pies saved
Mrs. Lam and her husband who was accompanying their 13-year son Han Pin from
giving up. “We were already contemplating taking the tram down as the ride was
proving to be too tough. However, the pies and bananas saved us and we were
able to continue and managed to finish in eight hours.”
From the feeding station at Penang Hill, it was downhill all the way. At the Tiger
Hill Descent, riders careened down the trail as though there was a tiger after
them. At the Iron Cross, only those with iron legs were smiling as this
junction was reached. At the Classic Penang Downhill stage, riders meandered
through nutmeg groves, durian plantations and bunga kantan forest. This stage
offered breath-taking scenery with terraced hills, padi fields and the sea in
the horizon. And when riders completed the thousand-foot descent on the
crookedest trail in the world at The 27 Switchbacks, hearts were pounding,
thighs were trembling and fingers were numbed from the adrenaline rush. The
trail ended all too soon at Titi Krawang, from where riders made their way back
to the finish line along the beautiful backcountry and coastal roads to the
Penang Water Sports Center.
As a motivation and to ensure everyone were accounted for, there were a total of 5
checkpoints where riders were tagged and stickers given out. Collecting all 5
stickers became a personal challenge and bestowed upon the rider bragging
rights for surviving the 1-Hill Ride.
In the evening was the Jamboree grand dinner where the famous Penang Hawker
delights were featured and awards given out. Adli and Linda were crowned the
King and Queen of the 1-Hill Ride respectively. The ‘Senja Award” for the
oldest finisher was won by Thunder Liew who had to produce his identification
card as proof that he was over sixty one years old. And the ‘Die-Hard Award”
was won by Singaporean Rozidah Yasin for her never-say-die attitude.
What’s a Jamboree without a bonfire, so the leaders of the various groups were called
upon to light one as a symbolic gesture to keep the MTB flame burning. Everyone
had a good time exchanging stories, making new friends and reinforcing the
spirit of fellowship among mountain bikers.
Perhaps Nor Othman and his wife Rozidah Yasin from Singapore best summed up the MTB
Jamboree and the 1-Hill Ride. “We had a great time meeting fellow mountain
bikers from everywhere. We thought it was only one hill, but what a hill it
was. We have since learnt that in mountain biking jargon, a breath-taking
scenic ride means just that; an endless climb that will literally take your
breath away. An undulating trail means hills, hills and more hills. And never
ask how much further to go, as the typical answer will be ‘too more’
kilometers, which means too many kilometers to count. But we will be back for
Jamboree 2003.”
The writer is a founder
member of KOTRT and can be contacted at 012-4388452. Mohd Azmi, the organizing
chairman can be contacted at 012-4861861 and Shaharin Bin Wan, the Webmaster
can be contacted at 012-4000182. For more information on KOTRT rides, please
visit the website at http://pwp.maxis.net.my/kotrt/
Photo link is here.