Tales From the Creek

 2008 Stories (Many more coming soon!)
After an 8 year absence, Jaguar goes 2 for 2 at the Furnace Creek 508. (pause for effect..sigh of relief), by Jeff Jaguar Martin, 2008 solo finisher
Furnace Creek 508: The Unexpected, by Monica Quetzal Fernandez, 2008 solo finisher (and Death Valley Cup finisher)
My Journey to and Through the 2008 Furnace Creek 508, by Joan Nanook Grant, 2007 team finisher and 2008 solo finisher
2x Team Siafu's 2008 extensive race report
Mission Accomplished: Extensive Video Blog by Kevin Van Dyke about 2008 solo finisher Mike "Siberian Husky" Arenberg
Doubt Kills Dreams, interview with Deanna Aye-Aye Adams, 2008 solo finisher and epileptic cyclist
2008 Furnace Creek 508: The Loon's View, by Scott Loon Dakus,2008 solo finisher
The Bumble Bee at the Furnace Creek 508, by Catharina Bumble Bee Berge, 2008 solo women's champion (8-page Pdf version)
Bumble Bee Flew Again, by crew chief ‘worker bee’ Mavis Irwin

 2007 Stories (Many more coming soon!)

In 2008, All 35,000 Feet of Climbing can Kiss My Ass by Deanna Aye-Aye Adams, 2007 rookie solo entrant
The Pickled Herrings of 2007, by Catharina Berge of 2x Pickled Herrings, 2x finishers
Thrasher's 508, by Eric Troili, solo finisher: Moments are to be seized and savored. This moment took three years to seize and it will take a lifetime to savor. (10.08.07 45:21:31). The button at left takes you to the blog version. Click here for the 47-page Pdf!

 2006 Stories
Team Swallow's 2006 Furnace Creek 508 Slideshow
Race Report and photos by solo men's finisher George Red-Eyed Vireo Vargas
"Team Kitten—Cutest Team Name, But Fierce Predators at Furnace Creek 508" by 2x team Kitten rider Wendy Gardiner
Race report by men's solo finisher Greg Silly Goose Matherly
"The 508 Team “Rottweiler” — Race report by Ralph Rottweiler Jacobson written in bullet-point style with photos (PDF, 19 pages)
"A Crew Person's Perspective of the 508" by Vicki Pelton, crew person for John Blue Dog Jurczynski
Visit the web journal for 2x team Numbat
Race Report by men's solo finisher Michael Cookie Monster Cook
Visit the blog of Team Fruit Bat's Bradley Saul to read about his 508 experience with this 4x men's team
Race report by solo recumbent finisher Michael Flicker Wolfe
Race photos taken by 508 staffer Ian Parker
"The Furnace Creek 508 Through a TigerShark's Eyes" by team member Tim Jones
Race Report for 2x Team Gallus Gallus by team members Christina Peick and Martin Kristensen
"Alpine Ibex's 2006 Furnace Creek 508" — This race report for Michael Alpine Ibex Emde, the 2006 Men's solo champion, was written by crew member Robert Treadwell
"Team Bumble Skipper at the Furnace Creek 508" by 2x Team Bumble Skipper finisher Catharina Berge (PDF, 9 pages)
Race Report for 2x Team Golden Drasenji by crew member Jana Lingo
Race report by Willy Nevin of 2x Team Tortuga (PDF with photos, 32 pages)
2006 Official Race Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Racing High and Low at the 2006 Furnace Creek 508"

 2005 Stories
"The 522 Mile Flight of the Griffin" — Race report by finisher Kevin "Griffin" Griffin
"Best Souza story EVER, Furnace Creek 508" — Slowtwitch forum post by Souza's crew chief Paul Thomas
"2005 Furnace Creek 508" — race report written by Mike McGeough of two-person team Night Crawlers. (PDF, 21 pages)
"Inside Out" — This extensive race report on solo rider Bill Praying Mantis Pratt-Steele was written by crew chief Nick Gnu Gerlich. Includes link to a photo slideshow of Bill's experience.
"The Mystique of the 508" by John Hamster Hughes. This story, an overview of the 2005 race and what draws people to it, appeared in UltraCycling magazine. Contains race results. (PDF, 4 pages)
"Fire in the Belly" by Paul Skilbeck. This race report on the 2-man team Red Kangaroo, appeared in UltraCycling magazine. (PDF, 2 pages)
"Engine Compartment Hot Dogs and My Trusty, Crusty Handkerchief: My 508 Story" by Sponge Bob Paxson
"A Bird's-Eye View of the 508: Runner-Up, Champ, Crew, and Why/How-To Perspectives" — a compilation
of reports by Janet Osprey Christansen (PDF, 23 pages with lots of photos and excellent insights!)
"The Golden Dragon Breathes Fire at The 508" — Race report by Nicole Golden Dragon Honda (PDF)
"Team Coonhound: 508 Race Report" by Team Coonhound rider Sergio Avila
"Presenting The 508's First Woman Fixie Rider: Ms. Archeoptyerix, or Something Like That!"
by crewmember Janet Osprey Christiansen
"The Orange Cat Experience: Tales from a Two-Person Team" by James Norton
"The Furnace Creek 508 Oct 8-10 2005" — Race report by Paul Muddy Mudskipper McKenzie (PDF, 5 pages)
2005 Official Race Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Raising the Bar at the 2005 Furnace Creek 508"

 2004 Stories
"Smart Race, Nail-Biting Finish" by fourth-place finisher Stuart Rocky Mountain Wolf Kroonenberg
"Kick-ass wind; rocky, washed-out roads; and relentless hills" by Robert Mahi Mahi Baldino (PDF)
"2004 Furnace Creek 508" — Race report by recumbant rider Jim Shrike Kern (PDF, 4 pages)
"One Gear, No Coasting, No Problem" — Race report from fixed gear rider Jeff Parrot Bauer
"Joined at the Toe Clip" — NY Times feature about Team Sasquatch by Roy Wallack
"The 2004 Furnace Creek 508 Bicycle Race Photo Gallery" — Humorous commentary and photos by Janet Osprey Christiansen, women's champion (PDF, 12 pages)
"Follow That Bird! Marko Tweety Bird Baloh and crew on the 2004 Furnace Creek 508" by Joe Gross with over 500 photos
"When the Jet Stream Passed through Death Valley" — Race report by Peter Penguin Pop, complete with crew comments, photos, and elevation profiles
"Almost Impossible: A Fixed Gear 508" by Sam Seal Beal (PDF, 3 pages)
"Matlock Cycling Club's time-trial flyer Chris Hopkinson has certainly been living up to his 'Iron Man' tag" — story in the UK press.
"Daddy Long Legs does the Furnace Creek 508" by Tom Lawrence
2004 Official Race Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "'Tweety Bird' and a 'Hurricane' Blow Away A Record-Sized 508 Field"

 2003 Stories
"Guide to the Furnace Creek 508 for Women Less-Than-Brazenly Self-Confident" — A women's guide to successful preparation and completion of the 508 by Janet Osprey Christiansen
Athlete Spotlight – Bevan Brontosaurus Barton, age 16, 2003 solo official finisher, by Steve Beaver Born
The 2003 Furnace Creek 508, by Steve Beaver Born, two-time finisher and 2003 staffer
Four Rookies and a Three Year Old? Team Osprey's Tale, by Janet Osprey Christiansen, 2003 solo finisher and Nancy Dankenbring Award Winner
Team Loon and the 2003 Furnace Creek 508, by Scott Loon Dakus, 2003 solo official finisher
Still Learning, by Lisa Deerhound Dougherty, 2003 women's solo champ
508 race report, by recumbent rider Jim Shrike Kern, 2003 solo official finisher
2003 Furnace Creek 508 Ultramarathon Bicycle Race, by Ed Black Bear Kross, 2003 solo official finisher
Leapfrog & The Furnace Creek 508, by Colin Leapfrog Lynch
Team Werewolf does the 508, by Tim Woudenberg, 2003 solo official finisher
2003 Race Report by John Hamster Hughes: "The 508 is a race the first 24 hours and a survival ordeal the rest of the way."

 2002 Stories
"Ostendorff's Racing Skills Break Through" from the Torrance Daily Breeze
THE DOUBLE FURNACE CREEK 508 – A Triology by Steve Beaver Born, solo finisher
A Piranha in the Desert? by Carl Piranha Poppe, rookie solo finisher (awesome six page PDF download with photos!)
Team Onager's Furnace Creek 508, by team finisher Bill Osborn, website with tons of photos and a great layout!
Furnace Creek- Where the West-and the Quest-was Won, by Nancy Mother Goose Guth, 2002 solo finisher
Team Sun Bear at the Furnace Creek 508, by Rebecca Sun Bear Smith, 2002 solo finisher, website with lots of photos
Furnace Creek 508 narrative, by Rebecca Sun Bear Smith, 2002 solo finisher
Team Poodle's 508 experience by Peter Penguin Pop, 2002 team finisher, website with lots of photos
Team Poodle's 508 experience by Doug Dog Sloan, 2002 team finisher, website with lots of photos
Team Falcon 2002 – another fun circus in the desert, by Jim Ryan, team finisher
The Grouchy Old Geezer Worm at the 508 by Ron Worm Way, solo finisher
The Coyote Journey - A Rookie's Success Story in the Furnace Creek 508 by Ray Coyote Barnes, rookie solo finisher (awesome 23 page pdf download!)
Roast Pork in the Desert or Piglet’s Big Adventures by Robert Piglet Pogorelz, solo finisher
To the Edge and Back Again: Python's 2002 Furnace Creek 508 Slitherfest by Graham Python Pollock, rookie solo finisher (awesome 13-page PDF download!)
Furnace Creek 508: It's Under My Skin by Jeff Bubba Shrimp Stephens, solo finisher
The 2002 508: the toughest yet by Seana Hoopoe Hogan, women's champion
Tortoise at the 508-I'd prefer that rookies didn't read (story slow like rider) by Mark Panther Patten, solo finisher
2002 Official Race Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Experience Pays Off for Race Veterans at the World’s Toughest Weekend Bicycle Race"

 2001 Stories
Flight of the Bumble Bee, by Reed Flamingo Finfrock, five time solo finisher and crew chief for 2001 women's champ Catherina Bumble Bee Berge, plus comments from the Bumble Bee herself
Berge Bikes Way to Top, by Melyssa Springmeyer, Visalia Times-Delta (PDF file with photos)
My 508 Adventure, by Randy Daymude, AKA Chuck, the vertically challenged half of Team Chuckwalla, two man team finisher
Conquering Ghosts and Demons by Stuart Nanosaurus Nibbelin, solo finisher
It Can Be Done: A Rookie 2-man Team 508 story, by Brad Carey, the ‘Walla’ part of team Chuckwalla
Team Falcon – Secrets to the Team 508, by Jim Ryan, team finisher
Just Remember, it's Harder to Ride the Bike, by Bill Orr, Crew member Team Morro Eels
A Rookie's Tale, by Rick Akita Ashabranner, solo finisher
Ostrich at the 508—When Good things Go Great, by Eric Ostrich Ostendorff, solo finisher
2001 Furnace Creek 508—The Dippy Hunt is On!, by Ken Kangaroo Rat Holloway, solo finisher
2001 Furnace Creek 508, by Peter Penguin Pop, six time solo finisher
2001 Furnace Creek 508, by Doug Dog Sloan, rookie solo finisher
It's All About Limits, by Marvin Tortoise Fields, 60+ recumbent entrant
The Race This Time, by Perry Swan Smith, solo finisher
2001 Official Race Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Foreigners Dominate the Fabled Death Valley Speedfest"

 2000 Stories
"Bandicooting the Furnace Creek 508" by women's solo winner Jeanie Bandicoot Barnett
Handicapping the 2000 Furnace Creek 508, by Steve Beaver Born, spectator
The Furnace Creek 508, a Family Affair, by Steve Beaver Born spectator (huge report)
Musings of the Penguin, by five time finisher Peter Penguin Pop, 2000 finisher, with many photos!
It's Getting Late on the 508, by Rick Longhorn Kent, 2000 finisher, with many photos!
More Than I Expected, by Ishtvan 'Mascka' Makk, 2000 finisher
2000 Furnace Creek 508: Spiders, Coyotes, and Alien Abductions, by Gary Bear Baierl, 2000 finisher
An Incredible, Amazing, Spiritual Journey, by Jeff "Jaguar" Martin, 2000 finisher, with dozens of great photos!
Team Basenji: A Rookie Team Perspective, by Bernie Barge, 2000 team finisher
Furnace Creek 508: L'ultima follia di Nico... by Valsesia Dragon Fly Nico Dino, 2000 finisher, in Italian, many photos!
Team Gastropod's Furnace Creek 508, by Dan Crain, 2000 team finisher, with many photos and tons of details and notes!
FC508, What I've learned, by Brenda Smith, Crew chief for Barclay Beetle Brown, 2000 finisher
2000 Race Report by John Hamster Hughes and Steve Beaver Born

 1999 Stories
"Turning Up the Heat: Rugged Terrain, Difficult Climbs Make Furnace Creek 508 a Test for Cyclists" — This pre-race feature on Team Rat Pack appeared in the Orange County edition of the Los Angeles Times on October 7, 1999. Other Orange county cyclists attempting the race are also mentioned.
Team Racing with Norm Hoffman and Friends at the 1999 Furnace Creek 508, by Mike Wracher, 1999 team finisher
View From The Cockpit, by Barclay Beetle Brown, 1999 participant, with many photos!
38 Hours in Death Valley, by Byron Raven Rieper, 1999 finisher
Long Lonely Ride Through Hell, by Mark Simon, San Francisco Chronicle, crew for Kevin Griffin Griffin, 1999 participant
Team Whippet Revisited # Four, by Jerry Wildermuth, Team Whippet, 1999 team finishers
Watching Snails Race in the Desert, by Connie Beal, Crew Wife for Sam Seal Beal, 1999 solo finisher
An Abalone's Eye View of the 508, by Jonathan Abalone Arnow, 1999 solo finisher
Team Titanium Tibia: Comebacks at the 1999 Furnace Creek 508, by Chuck Bramwell, 1999 team finisher
How a Cockroach Survived the 508, by Franz Cockroach Hansjoerg, 1999 solo finisher
Gilligan's Island: Rookie Rider, Rookie Crew at the Furnace Creek 508 1999, by Glenn Stevens, crew for Dean Crocodile Crothers, 1999 solo finisher
1999 Race Report for Ultra Cycling Magazine by John Hamster Hughes

 1998 Stories
"The Furnace Creek 508. That's 508 miles. All at once. On a bike." — This race report by 2nd place solo finisher Tracy Tigger Colwell appears on chainreaction.com
A Weekend in Hell? by Dan Mountain Goat McGehee, 1998 solo champion
Surviving the Furnace Creek 508, by Mike Algae Aberg, 1998 solo finisher
The Nanosaurus' FC 496 (!!!), by Rick Amoeba Anderson, crew for 1998 solo entrant Stuart Nanosaurus Nibbelin
Brahma Bull "Snorts" through Death Valley, by Pete Brahma Bull-et Bajema, 1998 solo finisher
Some 508 Race Memories, by Jeff Brown Bear Bell, crew for Tracy Tigger Colwell, 1998 solo finisher
The Tigger's 508 Race Report, by Tracy Tigger Colwell, 1998 solo 2nd place finisher
Bubba does the Desert, by Steve Beaver Born, crew for Jeff Bubba Shrimp Stephens, 1998 solo finisher
They call me Bubba Shrimp... I'm a Cyclist, Jeff Bubba Shrimp Stephens, 1998 solo finisher
Tandems Take Charge, by Scott Garrison, Team Centipede, 1998 team champions
The Last 300 Mile Chase, by Michael Lion Lau, 1998 solo finisher
Fuzzy's Report on the Snail Darter's Race, by Lee Maggot Mitchell, crew chief for Anne Snail Darter Schneider, 1998 solo finisher and 50+ course record holder
It's Out There, by Perry Swan Smith, 1998 solo finisher
1998 Official Results Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director

 1997 Stories
The Grateful Dead's Live Version of the Furnace Creek 508: HIGHLIGHTS from Panda's Best Recollections, by Justin Panda Peschka, 1997 solo winner
So Much for "Furnace Creek Folklore," by '97 Panda crew members Ann and Bill Peschka
Third Crossing, by Jerry Wildermuth, Team Whippet, three time team finisher
Just Once!, by Reed Flamingo Finfrock, four time 508 finisher
The Heron Takes Off, by Dan Crain, Crew Chief for Lou Heron Hristov, 1997 finisher
When the Devil went Down to Georgia - Part II, by Zoran Meerkat Musicki, 1997 finisher
The Tale of the Barfing Penguin, by Peter Penguin Pop, 1997 finisher
Why not?—A Rookie Rider's Thoughts on the 1997 508, by Terry Hutt, Team Camel
Furnace Creek, the story..., by Timothy S. Kinkajou Kinkeade, 1997 finisher, and crew member Pat King with many photos
NOTE: If you read only one story about the 508 and how to do it, read this one!
In the Desert, I Don't Remember My Name, by Drew Otter Olewnick, 1997 finisher
1997 Official Results Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director

 Pre-1997 Stories
"The We Generation" story about team racing for Men's Fitness, by Roy Wallack of Team Sasquatch, 1996 team finishers
1996 Official Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Riders Freeze, Records Fall at Furnace Creek 508"
1995 Official Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Furnace Creek 508: The Twentieth Race But Still Many Firsts"
1994 Official Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "The Triumph of Wisdom and Spirit at the Furnace Creek 508"
1993 Official Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Furnace Creek 508 '93: The 18th Running of America's Original RAAM Qualifier"
1992 Official Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Records Fall at Furnace Creek 508"
20/20 Hindsight on the Furnace Creek 508, by Frank Goulard, 1992 finisher and 1993 and 1995 entrant
When the Devil went Down to Georgia, by Zoran Musicki, 1991 finisher
1991 (October) Official Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "Furnace Creek 508: A Battle Against All Odds"
1991 (April) Official Report by John Hawk Marino: "Loren Godshall Wins April 1991 RAAM Open West and Breaks Course Record"
1990 (October) Official Report by Chris Kostman, Race Director: "New records set in the 508 mile cycling classic"
1990 (April) Official Report by John Hawk Marino, Race Director: "Swiss Riders Dominate RAAM Open West"
1989 (October) Official Report by John Hawk Marino, Race Director: "Laura Stern and John Turner Win RAAM Open West"
1989 (June) Official Report by John Hawk Marino, Race Director: "Seabourne and Raychevich Win June 1989 RAAM Open West"
1989 (April) Official Report by John Hawk Marino, Race Director: John Hughes Wins April 1989 RAAM Open West"