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LAKEPORT >> Hundreds of cyclists swarmed into Lake County Saturday and thousands of tourism dollars came along for the ride.
The cyclists, along with several hundred boosters, were in the county for the 24th annual Konocti Challenge, a bike race featuring four levels of cycling: 20 miles, 40 miles, 65 miles and 100 miles.
The number of riders, 707, was down slightly from last year, according to Ride Director Jennifer Strong. She blamed the decrease on this year”s heat, with high temperatures in the 90s all along the challenge routes in the late morning and afternoon. Still, the hot weather had not tempered the spirits of the riders.
“Bicycling around the lake and in the mountains is special,” said rider Fred Turner, 61, of Sacramento. Turner has been riding about eight years and this was his fifth consecutive Konocti Challenge.
“This is one of the most fun rides of all the cycling events put on in California,” Turner said. “The scenery is beautiful and the community is very welcoming.”
He added, “Events like this are great for the community because the participants bring a ton of money into the county.”
The Skylark Shores Resort, site of registration and the start and finish of the race, sold out all of its 45 rooms on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and has already nearly sold out for the 2015 race weekend, according to a desk clerk.
Strong said about 85 percent of the riders came from outside of Lake County, including nine states. More than 1,000 riders, guests and event volunteers attended the after-ride barbecue.
Out-of-county riders included Hunter Richison, 12, of Walnut Creek, whose grandmother also rode in the challenge, both along the 20-mile route. It was Richison”s fifth Konocti Challenge.
“I did the ride just for fun, for the enjoyment of riding,” Richison said at the after-ride barbecue. “I started riding when I was seven.”
The Konocti Challege began in 1990, under the direction of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and local cycling clubs. The Lakeport Rotary Club took it over in 2001. The event started with 200 riders 24 years ago and attracted 765 a year ago, according to Strong.
Local riders taking part in the challenge included Jeanette Addis, 62, and Kelly Taylor, 48, both from Hidden Valley Lake.
“This is the first time I”ve ever did any kind of bike race,” said Taylor, who rode the 40-mile route. “This is the best day of my life.”
Addis, who took the 20-mile route, did it because friends asked her to ride with them. She said she was glad she did, even though this was her first competitive ride.
“It was fabulous,” she said. “Everything went well.”
Taylor added, “I”ve lived in lake County for 15 years and I never saw it before the way I did today.”
The Challenge is sponsored by the Lakeport Rotary Club and supports local non-profits, including Delta Iota Tau Sorority, Clear Lake and Kelseyville high schools” mountain biking programs, Boy Scouts of America, California Highway Patrol Explorers, Vietnam Veterans, Workforce Lake and the Scotts Valley Women”s Club. It takes place yearly on the first Saturday in October.
Waterford resident Jon Potter, 62, used the event as a birthday party since his birthday was Oct. 6.
“I”ve been riding for 25 years and participating in the Konocti Challenge about 15 years,” Potter said. “I ride six to seven thousand miles a year. It”s fun and good exercise. It has kept me healthy and young and has helped bring my blood pressure down.”
