Events

Lesotho Sky’s Nominate a Mate Campaign winners announced

· By Press Office · 3 comments

In April we launched our Nominate a Mate Campaign. Mountain bikers could nominate their friends, good-looking colleagues, superfit parents or mountain-bike legends to win a team entry to Lesotho Sky 2016.

As part of the nomination process, people had to tell us why their nominee deserved an entry. We were blown away by all the stories of friendship and courage that people shared with us. And we realised, again, that mountain biking is about so much more than pushing limits and training hard, or the latest carbon frame. It’s about being part of a tribe. Going out on a ride with mates, and the stories that are told around a campfire when the day is done.

ccs-62657-0-75694400-1461933468.jpg

Here is a selection of some of our favourite nominations:

This is my dad. I really want him to come visit Africa, he has never been here before. I want him to get this experience. And he loves MTB. We are coming from the snowman country, Norway.
Marianne Bergli nominating her dad, Tore Bergli
Guy is already legend, in fact, his awesomeness knows no bounds. He cycled across the country on a rigid single speed, and has done the same in Lesotho. I am entering this so that I can try and catch up to him and become a legend in my own right. Through his guidance, inspiration, and unique methods of motivation, I know that I can achieve this legendary status!
Patrick Whelan nominating Guy McKechnie
Once we get to the event, and he begins to realize how undertrained he is, he’ll go very quiet, which is actually quite nice because he’s notorious for telling very long complicated anecdotes about things that once happened to a brother of a guy he once knew… But he will be a Lesotho Sky legend because he will finish every last day, no matter how long, high or tough. And months later, when he’s forgotten how much he suffered, he’ll say, gee, we should do it again – and that’s when I’ll klap him.
Neil Harrison nominating Neil Andrew
When I met Bryan 7 years ago he weighed almost 160 kgs. We started biking together, mostly commuting. Through his commitment to healthy living and layin’ down some serious kms on the bike, he’s now right at 100kgs! He is an inspiration to me every time I hear him pushing through the ‘paincave’ to keep my pedals turning too.
Justin Honaker nominating Bryan Eygabroad
My dad (my friend) has had two hip replacements and is now riding more than he ever has before. I’m over 30 years younger than him and we he is now nearly dropping me in places and we have had some lekker rides together. He’s ridden a motorbike in Lesotho in the 70’s and I think its time he does it properly because those mountains never stop calling your name.
Grant Stephens nominating Ivan Stephens
Laura and I met in Cape Town and became friends over MTBs, Xterras, and beers. She will try anything for the adventure and the story. (Drive 20 hours one way for a couple days at the Single Speed World Champs weekend in Winterton, SA: Yes!) We once dragged 30 kg bike boxes and gear 4 km over Danish gravel roads to a campsite a further 15km from the start of Xterra Denmark Championships to swim in the sea, and ride and run over through the Danish coastal forest. It doesn’t matter what the event is, Laura (and I) will make a kick ass adventure out of it!
Kelley Hess nominating Laura Dubuis
Werner is the type of friend that will ride sani2c with you, and then join you on a massive detour on the way back so that he can support you while you ask your girl’s parents if you can marry her. While bleeding through his eyeballs and hearing the sound of his lungs clapping hands and feeling the gates of hell opening up in his legs, he will still try to cheer on his teammate and encourage him to push through the pain to get the team to the finish. Werner is the type of legend that, after his teammate lost a contact lens (effectively rendering his teammate blind) will guide his teammate verbally through 45km of a w2w stage to still get them both at the end and to finish the race. Werner is the type of legend that I hope my sons will one day look up to and say: “Uncle Werner is a real legend, I want to be like him when I grow up!
Philip Viljoen nominating Werner Hattingh
She has always wanted to do this ride! She is crazy and takes on the biggest challenges!
Elizabeth Bishop nominating Sarah Atmore

Today we announced the winner on our Facebook page and, despite our hope that a newcomer to the race would win, the gods of mountain biking have decided to award the team entry to Guy McKechnie. If you know him, do your best to become his riding partner for the race. But be warned, Guy is a hard man and he won’t wait for you.

To everyone who participated in the competition: thank you for showing us what mountain biking is really about. We hope to see you on the trails soon!

Click here to enter to enter for the race.

Tags:

Comments

Dominik

Apr 29, 2016, 12:52 PM

ahhhhh, was keeping my eyes pinned on this one. Well done Guy & Patrick, hope you guys have a awesome Lesotho Sky.

cat-i

Apr 29, 2016, 2:02 PM

Awww I was also hoping to win this one. Good luck and enjoy!!!

Jewbacca

Apr 29, 2016, 2:27 PM

This competition was SO much better than that rigged USN one for the Epic.... 

 

So happy the race is also a gazillion times more cool, with the organizers and team super personal and rad and fun.

 

Darol's race briefings are something off Saturday Night Live.....

 

The selflesness... last year after hours of work Christian slept on a mattress half as thick as all the others so we could all rest properly.... Legends!

 

Guys, if you ever wanted to do a race that embodies why we ride or at least, why we started riding, enter this race.

 

I will see you there!

Add a comment

You must log in to comment