RCVman lives on a small island in Puget Sound. A 35 minute ferry ride to downtown Seattle. He likes it here. There are problems like any other hamlet, but for the most part it suits his needs, both professional, social and spiritual.
RCVman first came here in the early 70s as a cultural escape from the even more isolated winters of the Methow Valley, a two hour drive over the Cascades and to the East. His last winter 'on the other side', 1979, was a very cold one with typical week long stretches below freezing. When he settled on Bainbridge the unincorporated population was 5,500. Today the island wide populace totals over 26,000. There are more cars than bikes, more kids in the schools and more trees falling at faster rates. It is a popular burb for lawyers and by most standards the daily commute into Seattle is moderately easy. It does beat the heck out of LA traffic and as a result we have a high demographic of California transplants. RCVman himself was born in LA, not escaping until 1974 headed for Spokane and the Worlds Fair. He now returns only for races, events and filial visits. It's better that way.
But next week he will again return for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California. With the specific task of filming the Stage 7 Time Trial in LA which so happens to be a 20 mile course that will test former Bainbridge Islander Kiel Reijnen as part of the Jelly Belly/Kenda Pro Racing Team. This is One Small Planet.
RCVman was downtown this morning and spotted the Town & Country marquee announcing this fact on Winslow Way, our largest street. This is a big moment for a small town and all of Bainbridge is very proud of Kiel's cycling success.
Bainbridge Island may not be the cycling hot spot the likes of Austin, TX, Boulder, CO or Santa Rosa, CA, but we have Kiel.
And he will be racing against Lance and Levi in LA next week.
Big news for a small island.
Pix:
The only billboard on Winslow Way gets it.
In 2004 we did a 24-hour indoor CompuTrainer ride. One of the riders was a young Kiel Reijnun. Squadra that day from left, Chris, Sully, Glen, Kiel, Jim and RCVman.
2 comments:
Kiel Reijnen will make an emotional return to Nevada City for the start of stage 1 at the Amgen Tour of California Sunday. The second-year pro and his Jelly Belly-Kenda teammates will don purple wristbands and raise funds in remembrance of Reijnen’s aunt, who was murdered in neighboring Grass Valley in 2005.
Read more: http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/05/news/reijnen-jelly-belly-kenda-raise-funds-for-women%e2%80%99s-assistance_116332#ixzz0o6ZmwgjG
Sad story. I'll get a wrist band in California next week. Kiel is a great kid.
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