Race Director Jeremy Kershaw looked a little tense at the start of the LeGrand du Nord bike race. Not to worry though, the race came off without a hitch. One of the highlights was Bill Lane’s 47th place in the 50-mile race. (Bill was missed in last week’s results).
Jeremy Kershaw, race director of the Le Grand du Nord and the creator of Heck of the North, an umbrella organization that oversees several long distance gravel grinding bicycle events in the Northland, lives in Two Harbors with his wife Avessa Rockwell and children.
Heck of the North events are unique. They offer no prize money. Riders are on their own to navigate race courses and competitors are not allowed assistance from aid stations or spectators. Heck of the North events, said Kersahw, are done solely for the love of cyclists who love adventure riding.
Following this year’s race, which started in downtown Grand Marais and ended at Voyageur Brewing, Kershaw sat down to answer some questions for the Cook County News- Herald. Q- In a few words, describe what the highlights of each race were for you.
The morning rollout is always a highlight. To see everyone’s preparation come together, and with such great weather on Saturday, that was really cool. Our fastest hundred-mile male rider, Ian Hoogendam, overcame some major health issues after a very traumatic accident this last year. To see him fly in, with a several minute lead, was inspiring. But what I really love, are those people tackling their first 100-mile gravel challenge. No matter what place they come in, I think they feel a real sense of accomplishment. To me, that’s what it’s all about. Q- Do you think you will keep the course the same, or will you modify the routes somewhat?
I’m a tinkerer at heart… so I would predict at least small changes most years. The routes as they are now are very nice, in my opinion, so I don’t want to fix something that is not broken. There are a few roads out there, though, that I am dying to see if I can piece together. Q- How big do you want to grow these events?
I never want to lose the feel of my events simply in the name of growth. I think there is a sweet spot of between 250 and 350 riders. If an event gets too big, I think there is an element of community that might be lost. Q- Did everything go as planned? Or were there some surprises?
There are always some surprises. But overall, we were very pleased at how the event came off. The planning that we had done in advance, the contribution of our volunteers and some lucky weather really paid off. But within minutes of seeing the first riders come across the line, I was already planning for 2018. We want Le Grand du Nord to be challenging and as safe as possible. On our drive back to Duluth, my wife and I always start a list of what to make better for the next year. That’s in the works right now. Q- Is there anything you would do differently?
I would love to make the Gunflint Trail a gravel road again. What are the chances? So far, there are only some minor logistical changes that we are working on for 2018. That being said, our team is always open to suggestions. Q- Did you have enough volunteers? And if so, how did they do?
My wife, Avessa Rockwell, did a great job of coordinating our volunteer team. And our volunteers did a really outstanding job. Somehow, we were able to take care of almost all the tasks that needed to get done. It’s tough to get enough people together in a relatively small town and on such a busy holiday weekend. We feel really fortunate to have some fun, dedicated and savvy volunteers. The event simply would not be the same, or happen at all, without these people. Thank you!
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