Local Ride Racing held its annual Pumpkin Cross event on Sunday, with riders in costume competing for fastest times and best Halloween look.
There was Batman, an axe murderer, some hairy legged “women,” Elliott from E.T. on the front of his bike and aMinion trying to pedal in an oversize, blinding costume – all part of the Pumpkin Cross bike race.
Maple Ridge’s great sporting Halloween tradition saw about 250 riders, most in costume, competing in the annual cyclocross put on by Local Ride Racing on Sunday. The racing was done at North Alouette Greenway Park on a wet course, but with the sun shining.
Chris Fraser of Vancouver won the novice class, completing five laps of the 2.21-kilometre course in 32.25.
The best local finisher was Ivo Ryter of Maple Ridge in third place, riding for the Escape Velocity team, finishing in 33:02.
His son Patrik, 13, competed in the under-15 class, finishing fourth.
North Van’s Craig Richey, racing for Garneau-Easton Cycling, won the elite men’s category, doing 11 laps of the course in a time of 1:03:44. He averaged almost 23 km/h across the muddy field and winding through trees.
Mical Dyck of Victoria won the elite women’s class, doing eight laps, 21 km, in 50:47.
In the intermediate B class, Mark Karau of Vancouver won the eight-lap race for the Stuckylife/Viacra team in a time of 49:04.
Maple Ridge’s Richard Machhein, racing for Team Giant, was third in 52:11.
Katrin Rytirova, 11, of Maple Ridge finished second in the u-13 women’s class.
Nine-year-old Vohn Skidmore of Pitt Meadows, racing for the Ridge Meadows BMX team, was the youngest rider on the day, and finished in the middle of the pack in the u-13 class.
Maple Ridge riders Sydney Hennessey, 15, and Jamie Hennessey, 18, and Kaelen Coles-Lyster, 15, all finished in the middle of the pack of novice women, in a field of 31 riders.
Organizer Barry Lyster said it was his best turnout, with 40 youth riders and 39 novice women.
He was also happy that spectators from the neighbourhood came to watch the action.
“It’s great to turn this into a community event.”