Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 24, 1990 TAG: 9006240143
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
At first glance, cycling and water-skiing may appear to have little in common. But during the Virginia CorEast State Games, one thing will bind the two: tough courses.
For cyclists, the challenge is the Blue Ridge Parkway, site of the road race, where a thin ribbon of asphalt leads to lung-searing climbs along mountain crests.
For water-skiers, the course is Smith Mountain Lake, a piece of water that, when tossed by the wind and ravaged by boat wakes, can be as rough as a freshly plowed Franklin County tobacco patch.
Peter Teeuwen, the cycling coordinator for the State Games, said some riders balked when they first heard the road race would be on the parkway.
"I have had people call me and say, `I'm not doing that; it is going to be too tough.' I say, `Hey, you keep wanting a road race, now you have one. You should participate.' Then they relent and send their entry in."
About 300 entries have been received for the road race and for a criterium at Valley View Mall, said Teeuwen, who lives in Norfolk.
Among the participants are two of the top cyclists in the country, Dr. Camilla Buchanan of Williamsburg and James Montgomery of Herndon.
A Roanoke native, Dr. Buchanan has won a half-dozen national championships and was voted the top woman rider for 1989 by the U.S. Cycling Federation. Montgomery was the federation's top male rider in 1989 and has won 16 national championships, Teeuwen said. Both compete in the 45-49 age bracket.
The water-skiing competition, both slalom and trick, will be at Sailor's Cove at Bernard's Landing.
The entire cove will be blocked off and policed by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in an effort to give competitors the kind of mirror-smooth water conditions necessary to excel, said the State Games' skiing coordinator, Dave Maitland of the Smith Mountain Lake Water Ski Club.
"Inland lakes are a big problem for us," said Steve Lohr, president of the Virginia Water Ski Federation. "We would much prefer to have a small reservoir or a pond with 20 or 30 acres [where smooth water for competition is assured]. But you give up some skiing conditions to be more attractive to the spectators."
To minimize the amount of time the cove will be tied up, all the skiing will take place July 6, with the first round of slalom begining at 8 a.m., followed by trick skiing at about 1 p.m., then a second round of slalom, Maitland said. Spectators who drive to Bernard's Landing (take Virginia 116 off Virginia 122 in Franklin County) should have a good view of the action.
Maitland said he expects about 40 skiers. Absent will be Sparta's Benny Lohr, 13, Virginia's most successful skier. The son of the federation president, Lohr is the National Overall Junior Boys Champion. He will be in Florida trying out for the U.S. Junior Team.
The cycling road race begins at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 113, just east of Vinton near the junction of Virginia 24. That will be a good spot for spectators to view the start and finish, Teeuwen said.
Competition for cyclists ages 30 to 60 takes place July 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On July 6 at the same hours, competition will be for ages 10 to 29. Cyclists in the 19-29 age bracket - the largest group - will participate in the most grueling event. It is the 100-kilometer road race that Teeuwen said involves a continuous uphill climb between Mileposts 124 and 132.
"It is just relentless," he said of the climb. "That is quite a time to be in a saddle trying to carry yourself above the gravity and get up into the clouds a little bit."
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on June 27, 1990\ Correction
The date for the water-skiing competition at Bernard's Landing on Smith Mountain Lake was listed incorrectly in the June 24 sports preview story for the Virginia CorEast State Games. The competition will be July 7.
Memo: correction