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The 2008 USARA Sprint & CollegiateAdventure Race National Championshipsby Chance ReadingRocky Hill Ranch in Smithville,TX is one of the best known“little secrets” in the central Texasarea. Not only does it have greatcamping, a saloon with showers,live entertainment and great burgers,it is also home to some of the best,most challenging mountain bikingin the state. It also happened tobe the host of the 2008 USARASprint and Collegiate NationalChampionship race, one of themost unique and challenging shortcourseraces in the US.This championship race caughtthe attention of racers nationwide,especially in the collegiate division.The AIX Group added to the buzz,giving a three thousand dollarteam sponsorship to the top co-edcollegiate team to accompany a stoutproduct sponsorship list. Totalingover six thousand dollars in goodsand cash, this prize was the perfectlure to entice college teams fromMaryland to Wisconsin to show upand race their lungs out.A beautiful, warm weekend framedby cool nights provided perfectrace day conditions. Off and onrain showers during the previousweek had really softened up thetrails and awoke Colorado River.As teams stepped up to the startingline, they were greeted by theofficial USARA starting cannon tobegin the race.The opening foot section of therace gave teams their first taste ofthe mountain bike leg to come.Single track littered with rocksand roots, ups and downs and theinfamous Fat Chuck’s Revenge thatwill suck the life out of anybody’slegs. Teams that chose to push thepace here, would pay a bit later inthe day.Houston’s Team M.O.A.T., thedefending USARA 24hr NationalChampions, were on hand alongwith professional adventure racerRobyn Benincasa, who took timeoff of training for Primal Quest, toshow support and to challenge theyoung collegiate teams to competeat the next level.As the day heated up, so did thecompetition. Teams streamed infrom the trail run and transitionedonto their bikes. Rocky Hill Ranchis pure mountain biking and this12 mile loop was at its best on thisday. Teams started with a smallclimb before dipping into the firstsection, the Drop Zone. Afterwinding their way up and downin this tight, fast technical singletrack,the gears dropped as teamsentered the climbing section knownas Fat Chuck’s Revenge.Photos courtesy of Glennon SimmonsAdventure World Magazine is a GreenZine 11