Belgian Waffle Ride 2021 - Hendersonville, NC
After the long hiatus of the pandemic, DeFeet and The Barnstormers Adventure Cycling Club attended the 2021 Belgian Waffle Ride in Henderson, NC August 20-22. There’s nothing better than attending a cycling event if you love life on two wheels as much as we do - especially when the ride includes gravels. It’s great to have such an event in our “neck of the woods”. Just a two hour drive from DeFeet World Headquarters, the DeFeet van headed out with the Barnstormer trailer in tow.
As we arrived, the rains from tropical storm FRED - yes, it was a squirrelly storm - had come down in torrents, leaving lots of devastation and destruction in its path. Sadly, some lives were lost in many parts of NC and TN. We hope that the local folks find peace and solace in the wake of this massive regional disaster. Riders came from all over the nation, ready to test themselves on some of Blue Ridge's finest, twistiest, and steepest routes. Hosting a cycling event like the Belgian Waffle Ride showcases an areas offerings to cyclists as well as making a positive economic impact on the community.
The morning Burrito Ride was two and a half hours of beautiful riding and chatter among the participants. Special thanks have to go to ElieL for sponsoring this fun time. At the DeFeet booth, we were giving away four product prize packs per day. Lots of hand shakes and old sock mentions like “I still have the Shark Attack! They must be 20 years old.” Bobby Julich and George Hincapie were heard chatting about the DeFeet Golden Sock award they both won back in 1998. It was very cool to see Enzo Hincapie racing the 60 mile event.
The event had 30, 60 and 104 mile options. Most chose the leg breaking 104 miles with 11,000 feet of climbing. Former DeFeet junior team member and ex-Euro road pro Ian Boswell took the Men's Elite title and Sofia Gomez Villafane took top honors in the women's Elite. When it was all done, riders, racers and survivors relaxed and socialized while enjoying beverages from Sierra Nevada. It was a wonderful site and a welcome reunion at a great event.
