Team Laughing Dog completes Race Across America

SANDPOINT — It started full of gumption in Oceanside, California and ended more than a week later with celebratory beers in Annapolis, Maryland.

In between, the fourth incarnation of Team Laughing Dog rode 3,000 round-the-clock miles and made it safely across the U.S. in the annual Race Across America, clocking in at seven days, 10 hours and 18 minutes.

A team of eight riders and seven crew members cranked the pedals across America’s highways both day and night, raising money and awareness for cystinosis while trying to cross the U.S. as fast as their legs would let them.

Laughing Dog Brewing owner Fred Colby, a longtime sponsor of the team in what is quickly becoming an annual tradition in Sandpoint, was one of the eight riders in this year’s race. For more than a week, he essentially lived the same day over and over, crossing the country one mile at a time.

“You sleep, you get up, you ride, you crew. It became a blur,” described Colby. “The toughest part was mentally. Six days into it, everything starts to run together.”

For the fourth straight year, Sandpoint sent a team to the start line of RAAM, and it hardly mattered that Team Laughing Dog finished ninth among the nine eight-person teams in the field. The bottom line is they made it, and made it in one piece, no easy task.

Colby, John Hatcher, Brent Swank, Marty Stitsel, Brandon Peterson, Landy Hauck, Greg Smith and Whit Whitman did all the pedaling, but that’s only part of the challenge. Crew chief Kirk Johnson, along with Mel Dick, Ethan Colby, Dave Sturgis, Rich Mullins, John Monks and Mary Lemm, also played a large part in traversing the country’s highways by bike.

 “We rode this thing, but the unsung heroes were the crew,” admitted Colby. “Without them, we couldn’t do it.”

Johnson has been a part of all four Sandpoint teams, but was the sole crew chief for the first time this year. He said much of the job is handling myriad logistics, monitoring the riders’ psychological and physical state and making sure everyone stays safe. Johnson said nerves can get a little raw at times, especially when you’re getting three hours of sleep anight if you’re lucky, but part of surviving the RAAM is simply knowing that the show must go on.

“It’s always good to get it done safely, and I think everyone still likes each other. Those are two big things,” said Johnson, who plans ride the race for the first time next year, as the fifth Team Laughing Dog is already taking shape. “Nerves get a little raw when you’re sleep deprived. You make sure everyone stays focused on the task at hand and stay positive.”

Fellow crew member Mel Dick has also been a part of all four Team Laughing Dog adventures, and called this year a different kind of challenge. Teams of four would ride for six hours, then crew for six hours, before taking a 12 hour break while the other team carried the load.

Great weather and tailwinds across Kansas, which traditionally features a stiff headwind, helped a far less experienced team of riders than usual grind out the 3,000 miles.

“It was a fairly inexperienced group of people, but I would say it was one of our smoothest rides so far,” said Dick, who has experience as both a rider and crew member. “It was great to see people like Fred, who’s been a staunch supporter of the team, ride.”

Compared to years past, when the team was once shot at and told to get off a person’s land or when vehicles broke down, not much went wrong this year. The only harrowing call came when Colby was descending what is called the glass elevator, easily the longest and steepest descent on the course.

While hitting speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour, Colby’s wheel began to literally come apart, making for a white knuckle moment, but alas, there was no road rash to be had.

“I got scared pretty good on the glass elevator when the carbon rim started coming apart at 50 miles per hour,” described Colby, who managed to get the bike stopped before wrecking. “I had a three inch section of the rim de-laminate, but I never put the bike down.”

For what it’s worth, Colby said he would do the race again, admitting he would train even harder next time. He also plans to be part of the crew next year, when round No. 5 is set to take place.

The euphoria of crossing the finish line is something none of the riders will forget. All eight riders were exhausted, and it’s a safe bet the celebratory libations hit the spot.

“We opened a bunch of beer,” said Colby of the post-race revelry. “When I stepped out of the motor home that morning, the sun was pretty high in Annapolis.”

The team has already raised several thousand dollars for cystinosis, and Colby is hoping more continues to roll in.

To make a donation to 24 Hours for Hank and cystinosis, visit “www.teamlaughingdog.com.”