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RAAM Oceanside California
Race Across America (RAAM) 2008 4 Person Team
 

Meet the Team: Crew and Support
It's critical to have a stellar crew keeping you on track. Nutrition, equipment, gear, schedules, route, vehicles, and the list goes on. It's their resolve and execution that allows the riders to ride at their maximum. There's no two ways about it:
It’s a gigantic reward, but also a huge logistical undertaking.

 

David Mills
RIDER Chief / navigator


Hometown: Washington DC
Age: Over the hill (explanation)
Strengths: Form shadows, Sudoku and procrastination
Weaknesses: L5/S1, drop shadows, Rubiks Cube and cheesecake
Favorite read: Touching the Void
Favorite meal: Next
Experience: RAAM 2008 Crew Chief, Winner 4-Person Team Mixed

David's dream of crossing the country by bike was crushed by a nagging back injury and personal reasons. He adds positive energy to the team lending his motivational support as well as logistical and tactical aid. He's an excellent driver and can change a flat in under a minute. He's pretty handy with a wrench and a blender and knows his way around a map like it's his job.

 

Erik Hamilton
CreW CHIEF / NASCAR RV DRIVER

Erik HamiltonHometown: Washington, DC
Age: 26
Strengths: Making up words & facts then citing Wikipedia
Weaknesses: Damn you, ColdStone!
Favorites: Races, Chocolate, crazy-pump music, and hot hot sun!
Experience: RAAM 2008 Crew, Winner 4-Person Team Mixed

Erik Hamilton returns to Xtreme4, having changed lots and little. Erik has gone on to college after spending 4 years in the Marines, attending WVU in pursuit of his Bachelors degree. He has also caught the bug, and has joined the WVU Cycling team, the Triathlon club, and sometimes shows up for National Guard drill(if theres no games that weekend!) Erik will be bringing the same tenacity, organization, and drive to RAAM '10 that he did in 2008. However, with 15 collegiate cycling races, 3 Ironman 70.3, as well as numerous olympic triathlons lined up, Erik will have a greater wealth of knowledge in how bikes work and where the bike pump nozzle goes. Erik intends to resume the majority of his former duties: navigator, motivator, no-nonsense RV manager, and RV-becomes-Nascar driver (no joke)! However, he intends to tack on further responsibilities, such as personally training the riders in "Woo-Sah" techniques, as well as how to pack a tow cable in the trunk of a car. After the insane and mind-blowing victory staked by Xtreme4 in RAAM 2008, Erik can hardly contain himself and is ready to kick some RAAM ass! WOOT!!

 

Kip Pierson
COMMUNICATIONS / photographer

Hometown: Originally from Sterling Heights, MI now living in Washington, DC (home is where the acting job is)
Age: 31
Strengths: Hills, Running, Sense of Direction,and making smoothies.
Weaknesses: The swim and great smiles.
Favorite Race: Is the one that doesn't seem possible to others and probable that I will someday attempt it.
Favorite MOVIE: Anything without Nicholas Cage (although he did a nice job in Faceoff)
Favorite OCD THING: The lines in a freshly vacuumed carpet.
Favorite PUNCHLINE: "So the nun said, $4.50, same as in town." (insert your own setup)
Favorite TEAM: Any Detroit sports team--yes, even the crappy Lions, although not TOO bad this year.
Experience: RAAM 2008 Crew, Winner 4-Person Team Mixed

A Nintendo National Semi-Finalist @ the NINTENDO CHAMPIONSHIPS at a younger age (might be a reason for no significant other) and now an actor and a photographer, Kip has stumbled into the world of cycling and triathlons after a long burnout with marathon running. His propensity to do all things "asinine" led him to attempt his first marathon back in 1998 having never run more than ten miles at a time during his one month of training (yes, only one month of running twice a week) and then attempting his first Triathlon---an IRONMAN---with no previous experience. Though he barely survived Ironman Arizona, his need for speed, well moderate to low speed is curbed only by his inability to keep up with those around him. Next up for KIP: Any race with a tailwind.

 

Lee Poole
Mechanic / ALL HANDS ON

Lee PooleHometown: Marquette, MI
Age: 20
Strengths: determination and humor
Weaknesses: new bike parts
FavoritES: snow boarding, playing my drums, mountain biking, root beer
Experience: RAAM 2008 Mechanic, Winner 4-Person Team Mixed

What started simply as a youthful desire to keep his own bike rolling has turned into a way of life for Lee. Now a full time professional mechanic, his passion for the bike industry has not faded even as his hobby became his job. Lee is an expert downhill mountain bike racer and competitive free rider, and looks forward to working with the rest of the team to make sure that all parts are spinning smoothly for RAAM.

 

 

Making it Happen: Teamwork
Meet the team that's making it happen:
Riders »
Eric GoetzPhilip Schmidt

Crew & Support »
David MillsErik HamiltonKip PiersonLee Poole

It takes a whole team to race in the most grueling race in the world. We are in the four person team category, which means we ride as a relay from start to finish. And the riders depend on an entire support crew - about 3 crew members for each rider during the race. And leading up to the event there are even more people involved with logistics, promotions, coaching, training events, health, nutrition and morale support just to name a few. Our team is a great combination of personalities and talents.

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