BIKING

Man with Detroit Lakes ties, who bicycled across Africa, escapes 'dire' situation in Iran

Nathan Bowe — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 19:55:23 GMT

DETROIT LAKES — Ian Andersen, who bicycled across Africa and North and South America, has narrowly escaped a bad situation in Iran, which has been under heavy aerial assault by Israel since June 13.

@ridewithian
“I can no longer protect you. If you’re stopped by police, I should just wave goodbye because there’s nothing I can do.” That’s what my guide Reza told me this morning. The borders are shut except apparently Iraq. We gotta get out—like, yesterday. Fast facts: Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km) Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs Today’s distance ridden: 0 miles (0 km) Total distance ridden: 4,328 miles (6,980 km) Currently in: Harijan, Iran 🇮🇷
♬ original sound - Ian Andersen

He was in Iran because he is in the middle of another cross-continental trip — this time biking across Europe and Asia. He posts his adventures on TikTok under @ridewithian.

Andersen is part of the Daggett clan. His mom is Polly Andersen, whose parents are Delta and Karen Daggett of Detroit Lakes. Ian grew up in the Twin Cities, but spent a lot of time in the Frazee and Detroit Lakes area in the summertime.

With Iran now essentially at war with Israel — and the United States widely perceived by Iranians to be on Israel’s side — Andersen had to abandon his bikepacking plans and lie low in a rural area about 80 miles north of Iran’s capital city of Tehran.

After Israel launched its attack, he found himself desperately trying to avoid any contact with Iranian police and get out of the country. But that was not easy to do, he said on a TikTok video posted June 14, because border crossings had been closed and flights had been canceled.

He and a guide had been heading by car to Tehran to get a visa to enter Afghanistan, which was going to be the next leg of his journey. But with a steady flow of cars leaving the city amid ongoing bombardments, they had to give up that plan. “It’s too dangerous,” he said on his Biking to Japan Vlog. “There’s likely police blockages into and out of the city. I would surely be arrested.”

The situation is “quite dire,” he added, looking tired and stressed. Iranians, who had been friendly when he first biked into Iran, “now see the U.S. as being tied directly to Israel. Now people see the U.S. as the enemy. So I’m in quite a bit of danger here,” he said on his video blog. “No longer safe to bike. In my opinion, it’s a matter of escape and survival. Evading police capture.”

The previous night, he added, “while social media was still working,” he read people’s messages of support and encouragement. “I just appreciate all of you for sharing your well-wishes and strength,” he said.

Fortunately, his Iranian guide stuck by him — even though he had to warn Ian he could no longer protect him from arrest if they were stopped at a police checkpoint. “That’s the scariest part,” Ian said in a June 15 video. “There’s not much he can do. If they suspect me of anything, they’ll just chuck me in prison for a few years, and that will be the end of it.”

Then Ian found out from the U.S. State Department that “there’s a possibility to exit via Azerbaijan,” an eight-hour drive away along the Caspian Sea.

“Azerbaijan is a risk,” he said on the video. “Because we don’t have the ability to enter. We have no visa. No authorization to cross the border.” But they went for it anyway, with Ian saying, “We’re hoping to get both of those things before we get there.”

Along the way, they went through an Iranian military checkpoint without incident, with the soldiers largely ignoring cars and focusing on pickup trucks that might be carrying hidden attack drones.

Before they got to the border, Ian received an emailed document from the Azerbaijani government providing both the necessary visa and the necessary permission to cross the border.

Others were also crossing there, and once across the border, they were unexpectedly met by the Azerbaijani media for TV interviews.

“That border is never opened,” Ian said in the video. “It hasn’t been open for five years. Very grateful to Azerbaijan.”

At the end of the video, Ian was biking again, and the local time was around midnight. He was tired but happy. “I’m going to sign off here and go find a hotel," he said.

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11th annual Loop the Lake Festival set for June 21

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 23 May 2025 18:22:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — Cyclists are invited to join Bike Bemidji in celebrating the start of summer at the 11th annual Loop the Lake Festival on Saturday, June 21.

The 17-mile route starts at South Shore Beach and loops around Lake Bemidji. Stops are set up along the way where participants can enjoy music, food, photo opportunities and fun at rest stops, including Lake Bemidji State Park.

There will be live music performances staggered throughout the day at various locations, including Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge, Lake Bemidji State Park and the Sanford Center.

The event will begin with a rolling start between 7:30 and 10 a.m. There will be reflective bike stickers available while supplies last.

Registration information

For those who register before May 31, the cost is $10 per person ages 13 and older and $5 for those 12 and younger. Loop the Lake T-shirts cost $17 and are not available for purchase after May 31.

From June 1-19, the cost is $20 for ages 13 and older and $5 for 12 and younger.

For walk-up registrations on June 20 during check-in or on the day of the event, the cost is $30 for ages 13 and older and $10 for ages 12 and younger.

The registration cost includes food, music and photo ops along the scenic route. Event T-shirts are not included in the price of registration.

Loop the Lake merchandise is for sale during check-in and at the event.

Adaptive cyclists can make arrangements by contacting Diane Pittman at (218) 444-7172 or diane@truenorthbemidji.com. To rent an adult bike for the event, call Jamie at (218) 333-1857.

For more information or to register, email info@bikebemidji.com or visit bikebemidji.com.

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Hermantown man, 74, drops out of 135-mile race with just 6.5 miles to go

Jimmy Lovrien — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 21:50:21 GMT

TOWER — Michael Koppy was on pace to become the oldest person to finish the Arrowhead 135.

Then, with just 6.5 miles left to go in the brutal 135-mile race from International Falls to Fortune Bay Resort Casino near Tower, Koppy, 74, of Hermantown, stopped with severe back pain and called a friend to request a snowmobile pick him up.

“I thought I had it, too,” Koppy said as men on either side of him helped walk him from the back seat of a snowmobile to his friend’s warm truck.

Koppy’s homemade sled, which weighed 55 pounds fully loaded with the race’s required survival gear and which Koppy had pulled the entire race, was tied behind the snowmobile.

Robbie Skantz, the race volunteer who picked Koppy up, said he found him lying down on the trail.

“We tried everything we could, but he gave it the old college try to get up, and we walked with him for a little bit, but he just couldn’t — he just couldn’t,” Skantz said. “Too much pain in his back.”

Skantz said Koppy was disappointed he couldn’t finish and called him a “tough old dude.”

At about 12:30 p.m. Monday, more than 53 hours after the race started some 128 miles up the snowmobile trail, Koppy phoned his friend Byron Kuster, who was following him along the race course, requesting a snowmobile pick him up.

Kuster, who relayed that to race volunteers, asked the snowmobilers to talk Koppy out of stopping.

Another friend, Ajay Pickett, 38, of Woodbury, who finished the race on foot early Wednesday, spoke with Koppy by phone from the Fortune Bay lobby, urging him to take the ibuprofen the snowmobilers were bringing, lay down for 30-40 minutes before giving it another try.

After all, Koppy had another 6.5 hours until the 7 p.m. cutoff time — 60 hours after the start.

“You have plenty of time to finish,” Pickett told him, adding that there was very little elevation to climb between him and the finish.

But, according to Kuster and Pickett, Koppy wasn’t able to open his bivy sack and was getting cold.

Koppy’s wife, Carol Bonde, said she couldn’t think of a time when he didn’t finish a race. His ultramarathon resume includes several 200- and 250-mile races.

He also holds the fastest-known time for a supported completion of the 310-mile Superior Hiking Trail, which stretches from the Minnesota-Wisconsin border south of Duluth to the U.S.-Canada border. In 2020, at age 69, Koppy finished the route in five days, three hours and 44 minutes, shaving more than a day off the record set a year earlier by a 24-year-old man.

Koppy ran the Arrowhead 135 and is set to run the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile ultramarathon in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains in June, to raise funds for the Duluth Area Family YMCA.

Koppy, who had polio as a child and lost both his mother and brother to the disease, discovered a love of running in high school, going out for track and cross-country to stay in shape for wrestling. Ultimately, he fell in love with the sport after running 1,000 miles in the summer.

“I loved the meditative aspects of long-distance running, and I really never stopped since,” Koppy told the News Tribune last week.

Through the night, racers pass through final checkpoint of Arrowhead 135

10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Embark checkpoint, Cook

As racers approach the third and final Arrowhead 135 checkpoint, they’re greeted by signs of foxes with stanzas of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” written on them.

But after 110 miles of running, walking, biking or skiing, those foxes and words get to people’s heads.

“Did they make you think you were hallucinating too?” Brandon Wood, 42, of Anchorage, Alaska, asked fellow racer Ajay Pickett, 38, of Woodbury, Minnesota, as the two sat in the checkpoint’s heated canvas tent. Both are competing in the 135-mile race’s “on-foot” category.

The signs were placed by Eric Weninger, who, dressed in a fox costume, stood next to a fire outside the tent late into the night Tuesday and early Wednesday, hooting and hollering as soon as he saw a racer’s headlamp appear down the trail.

Weninger, owner of the checkpoint’s sponsor, Embark Maple Energy (an energy gel company with a fox in its logo), said that while the poem is special to the Arrowhead 135, he knows the signs confuse racers.

“We’re on night two. A lot of folks have been running for a day and a half straight now,” Weninger said. “So it kind of adds to the psychological component of it.”

The fox signs with poem stanzas are fairly innocent compared to what used to greet incoming racers at this checkpoint.

A previous sponsor of the checkpoint would put mannequins in the trees and signs telling racers the checkpoint was a lot closer than it really was.

The Embark checkpoint is the last stop for racers before they reach the finish line at Fortune Bay Resort Casino in Tower. Having started Monday morning in International Falls, it’s where many racers call it quits.

But not Carla Gabrielson, of Grand Rapids, who was leading the female "on foot" category when she reached the checkpoint at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and got back on the trail headed for the finish about two hours later.

She’s won the Arrowhead 135 twice and finished four times.

“I train very, very hard because I like winning,” Gabrielson said, adding that she doesn’t like just finishing.

Sitting on a wooden bench inside the tent, Gabrielson had a nagging cough and said her back was occasionally bothering her. Tape protected her nose and cheeks from the cold, though she wishes it was colder.

But she wasn’t worried about the 25 miles between her and the finish line. She trains five days a week at a fitness center for five hours at a time, running 10-20 miles, and then on Saturday, she puts in a 30- to 50-mile day.

“I feel great because I train hard,” Gabrielson said before she got back on the trail.

Competitors report 'sleepwalking' to halfway point

11 a.m. Tuesday, Melgeorge’s Elephant Lake Lodge and Resort, Orr

Arrowhead 135 competitors found themselves practically "sleepwalking" their way to the 135-mile race’s midway point during the first night of competition.

Rachel Utecht, 37, of Fargo, North Dakota, ate a bowl of soup late morning Monday as she prepared to go back outside. She managed to sleep about an hour at the checkpoint — Melgeorge’s Elephant Lake Lodge and Resort — approximately 72 miles into the race.

“I was 'sleepwalking' on and off last night,” Utecht said.

That is, she was "sleepwalking" as she walked down a snowmobile trail in the middle of the night, pulling her gear in a sled behind her.

“You know when you have to open your car window to stay awake? It’s like the worst version of that,” she said. “And then you kind of stumble, and that’s what wakes you up.”

She has yet to have any exhaustion- or sleep-deprived hallucinations.

“That typically doesn’t happen until the second night,” Utecht said.

She wasn’t the only one "sleepwalking."

Jason McDaniel, 45, of El Paso, Texas, said he was “droning” as he walked through the night, which he described as “being in a fugue state while moving.”

He did manage to get two hours of “the most glorious sleep” at the checkpoint. Was it hard to wake up?

“No, because my freaking legs hurt,” Johnson said just before returning to the trial.

Shortly after Johnson left, Karla Kent, 61, of Las Vegas, reached the checkpoint. She rifled through the bag on her sled for her charging cables.

“You think you pack it all, then your brain just shuts off,” Kent said.

Asked if she had "sleepwalked" during the race yet, Kent said, “Oh, yeah, and I’ll probably do it again. But if all goes well, we’ll make it. It’s all that matters — get to that finish line.”

Hermantown man, 74, on pace to become oldest finisher

7 p.m. Monday, Gateway General Store, Kabetogama

A 74-year-old Hermantown man seeking to become the oldest person to finish a 135-mile-long winter ultramarathon across Minnesota remained on his goal pace at the first checkpoint Monday evening.

Michael Koppy walked into Gateway General Store on U.S. Highway 53 a little before 7 p.m., leaving approximately 45 minutes later after sitting, eating, warming up and chatting with other racers.

Having reached the checkpoint at 37 miles in just under 12 hours, he’s traveling at a pace a little faster than three miles per hour.

While he ran about half the first 10 miles, he’s walked all but the downhills since.

“It’s tougher than I thought,” Koppy said as he rummaged through his gear sled, looking for energy bars before returning to the trail.

But Koppy, who is running to raise funds for the Duluth Area Family YMCA, remained confident.

“I just think I’ll be taking it a little bit easier, not a lot, but just back off just a tad because I know the next section — there’s a lot more hills,” Koppy said.

Rachel Utecht, 37, of Fargo, North Dakota, said she felt “pretty good” as she put layers back on in the automotive parts and cleaning product aisle and prepared to go back outside. She was less tired than at the same point in past races, but said she also ran the least this year.

“I think of it in terms of days and nights,” Utecht said. “That’s like sunrise to sunset and then over again and over again. So I’m slow enough, I’m lucky I get to see three sunrises — it’s pretty great.”

Like the others, she reported soft trail conditions. “If you haven’t trained your ankles and stuff, it’s a s---show,” Utecht said.

Others were ready to call it.

Josh Anderson, 42, of Cottonwood, Minnesota, arrived at the checkpoint together shortly before 8 p.m. Monday. He was done.

“Mile 25 is not the mile to determine you don’t like winter ultras,” Anderson said.

With 100 miles to go, racers rest, refuel at first checkpoint

1:30 p.m. Monday, Gateway General Store, Kabetogama

By the time racers reach the first checkpoint, they’ve already covered 37 miles.

Just 98 to go.

“I’m trying not to think about it,” said Scott Wopata, 41, the first runner to reach the checkpoint after about 6.5 hours on the trail. “One leg at a time kind of thing.”

Inside the Arrowhead 135's first checkpoint — Gateway General Store on U.S. Highway 53 — Wopata, of Dundas, Minnesota, quickly filled his water bottles with warm water as volunteers used tape to repair the bottom of his sled full of gear. He spent 14 minutes at the checkpoint before hitting the trail again, opting for liquid calories instead of solid food.

John Vallez, 37, of Duluth, who arrived at the checkpoint a few minutes after Wopata, hauled his gear in a pink kid’s sled. After perusing the convenience store snack section, he topped off his water and drank a cup of wild rice soup before returning to the trail.

He didn’t sit down to rest.

Others took time to savor the soup and warm up inside.

Forest Wagner, 44, of Fairbanks, Alaska, who is biking the race, sat down to eat a burger and soup.

While he’s cross-country skied races like this in Alaska, this is his first Arrowhead and the first time he’s biked such a race.

“When you’re on skis, it sure looks like the bikers are having an easier time … It’s not the case,” Wagner said.

He’s hoping overnight lows, forecast to be 3 degrees, will help stiffen up the snow and make biking easier.

Cooler temperatures would be welcomed news to Mark Dowdle, 27, of St. Paul, who ran into the first checkpoint wearing shorts.

“Changed into shorts at Mile 2,” he said.

His ideal temperature?

“The temperature that’s not making me sweat,” Dowdle said as he sat at a table inside, drinking a Dr. Pepper and eating chips and a bag of two-day-old spaghetti.

Race begins with fireworks

7 a.m. Monday, Kerry Park, International Falls

For up to 60 hours, bikers, runners, skiers and two kicksledders will slog along 135 miles of northern Minnesota snowmobile trails, fighting exhaustion, cold, trench foot and frostbite.

You’d hardly know the 166 participants at the predawn start of the Arrowhead 135, which takes participants from Kerry Park to Fortune Bay Resort Casino near Tower, were about to embark on such a suffer-fest.

Fireworks lit the dark sky as racers who have been through this ordeal together before reunited and hugged. One participant sang "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers as he lined up. The official start was signified by a man yelling, “Release the hounds!”

Racers have 60 hours to reach the finish line and there are only three checkpoints along the 135-mile-long race. Those checkpoints offer a reprieve from the cold for most racers.

A few will be competing “unsupported,” meaning they can’t go inside the entire time and must only rely on the food and water they bring or snow they melt into water.

No one can accept outside help from friends or family during the race.

Their progress can be tracked here.

The temperature hovered near 20 degrees at the start and is expected to reach 30 degrees Monday, according to the National Weather Service. However, the temperature could dip as low as 2 degrees overnight. Tuesday could see a high of 31 degrees and an overnight low of 10 degrees.

It’s far warmer than the years the race has been held in 30 degrees below zero polar vortex conditions. Race Director Ken Kreuger said he expects the finish rate, which averages about 58%, to be higher this year thanks to the weather. It’s been as high as 82% and as low as 20%.

Pam Reed, 63, of Jackson Hole, adjusted the gear on her sled near the start line shortly before the fireworks. She believes the warmer temperature will be OK.

“I think I like it warm,” Reed said. “We’ll see.”

She is returning for her “eighth-ish” Arrowhead 135, having won it twice and dropped out twice.

Reed, who has been running ultra marathons for 40 years, keeps returning to the Arrowhead for the people and “old-school” race vibe.

“Everybody’s so kind,” Reed said. “It’s really cool.”

On the race’s eve, reminders and warnings

4 p.m. Sunday, Backus Community Center, International Falls

With 15 hours before the race, participants gathered in an auditorium so organizers could run through some of the rules — like no outside help during the race and check-in at every checkpoint — and make a few safety reminders.

While volunteers will respond to a racer calling for help, race director Ken Krueger urged “self-rescue” and said making it to one of the three checkpoints at miles 36, 70 and 110 would be ideal.

“If you’re out there struggling and miserable and cold … it’s colder on the back of a snowmobile,” Krueger said.

If they need help on the trail, racers should pull out their sleeping bag and tent or bivy and set it up just off the trail with blinking lights visible so passersby know to check on them.

If they just want to snooze and intend to continue the race once they wake up, then they should set up camp a little further from the trail.

Bill Brandt, the race’s medic, warned racers to “curtail your enthusiasm” and reserve energy in the first half of the race.

Sweat and moisture will complicate things, Brandt said, and even with warmer temperatures, racers should protect their airway.

“If you go out there and you work up a big old sweat and you’re moving a bunch of air in and out of your airway, you can freeze your airway, you can frostbite the inside of your throat,” Brandt said. “And if that freezes, then it’s going to thaw, then it’s going to rupture, then it’s going to bleed, and then you’re going to be spitting up a bunch of blood and you're going to have a kind of excitement that you really weren’t hoping for.”

'You got to be able to save your own life:' Volunteers ensure racers have required safety gear

Noon Saturday, Backus Community Center, International Falls

Participants filed into the gymnasium lugging bags full of gear to be inspected by volunteers.

Each participant must carry survival gear like a sleeping bag rated at least to 20 below zero, a tent or bivy sack, a stove, a fire starter, their insurance card and other items. Racers must finish carrying at least 3,000 calories of uneaten emergency food.

“You got to be able to save your own life,” said volunteer Joe Weise. “That’s the key idea.”

The race, held on snowmobile trails, requires participants to wear blinking lights and reflective clothing or material.

“The odds of you dying, freezing to death are fairly low,” Weise said. “You’re a lot more likely to get hit by a snowmobile, so we want to avoid that at all costs.”

While cyclists can carry the gear in bags attached to the frame of their bike, runners often pull their gear in sleds totaling 40-50 pounds.

Weise, who has entered four Arrowhead races on foot and fished two, described the race as “60 hours of the human experience.”

Todd True, 54, of Esko, is attempting the race on foot again after dropping out 35 miles into the 2023 race. Then, that summer, he crashed mountain biking, breaking his neck and ankle.

Now he’s back for what he called “a nice long run in the woods — hopefully.”

“Once you start hanging out with the wrong group of people, it just kind of seems like the thing to do,” True said.

This story was edited at 6:46 p.m. on Jan. 29 to correct the spelling of Byron Kuster's surname. The most recent update was posted at 4:31 p.m. on Jan. 29. The News Tribune regrets the error.

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Unicon 21 brings Bemidji High �� grad Dane Jorento back to town for fortnight of fun

Charley Gilbert — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 22:30:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — Though Unicon is an international event bringing people together from all over the world, it was a special homecoming for one of this year's participants.

Dane Jorento graduated from Bemidji High �� in 1979 and felt nostalgic coming back to Bemidji for the two-week unicycle championship. He became a self-taught unicyclist at age 12 and recently got back into it after a 40-year break.

“I don’t even know why I got back into it again, but I’m glad I did,” Jorento said with a smile. “It has been so fun and it is so inspirational seeing all of these talented people at Unicon.”

Jorento grew up in Solway before moving to St. Paul to attend the University of Minnesota and later becoming a mental health therapist. Even after all these years, the Bemidji area still holds a special place in his heart so he was excited when he heard the news that Bemidji would be the host of Unicon 21.

“It’s such a wonderful town,” Jorento remarked. “Everyone is so friendly. I miss it and it is nostalgic being here.”

He noted how much he appreciated the scenery of Lake Bemidji as he participated in Unicon’s Loop the Lake event earlier this week.

“Cycling around the lake, it was so scenic,” Jorento shared. “It’s so fun. Unicycling is such fun exercise. Biking is not as hard, so when you are on your unicycle in a place like this it just feels like freedom.”

As two weeks of unicycle-centered fun came to a close on Friday, Jorento and other participants competed in a criterium event at the Sanford Center parking lot by racing several laps on a circuit road course, navigating the many twists and turns. This was followed by the street finals later in the day.

A highlight for Jorento about the championship, and unicycling as a whole, is how it not only unites people from around the world, it also attracts and creates a welcoming space for people of all ages.

The age range in the criterium on Friday was quite broad, with 6-year-old Piper Augenstein as the youngest competitor and 72-year-old Bill Gilbertson as the oldest.

“When I saw them together I knew I had to take a picture,” Jorento remarked following the race. “Unicycling really is for everyone.”

‘An amazing time’

As BSU graduate and Unicon co-director Kirsten Goldstein reflected on the two-week event, she shared how she and her fellow unicyclists were feeling the same exciting energy as on the opening day.

“The amount of positive feedback from the competitors, participants and local Bemidjians has been amazing,” Goldstein said. “I think that opening ceremony energy has really carried through, and everyone has said it’s been an amazing time.”

Goldstein was an influential voice in bringing Unicon 21 to Bemidji, and she has been left in awe of how the community has not only embraced the event but also stepped in to help all along the way.

“You know with an event on this scale, you are always going to have a few hiccups,” Goldstein noted. “We ran out of volunteer shirts on day three. We don’t get that often with Unicon. We sold out because of the unprecedented and really unexpected amount of Bemidji locals who volunteered. So if you’re going to have a problem, that’s the one to have.”

She noted how at events such as the opening ceremony and flaming puck hockey event there were more Bemidji locals than unicyclists present, leaving her amazed and proud.

“So many people have told me, ‘The people are so nice here!’” Goldstein added. “Everyone’s been really surprised by people wanting to get to know them in town and at the restaurants here. The Unicon participants have just loved it — we really gave them a good Minnesotan experience.”

She left off by sharing her appreciation for the many Unicon participants who traveled far and wide to join in the bi-annual event.

“With a small town, our presence is really heavy and bold, and Bemidji embraced us with open arms,” she said. “I hope we send off all of our participants with a lot of good memories.”

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Unicon 21 kicks off two-week convention with opening ceremony, parade

Charley Gilbert — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 19:09:19 GMT

BEMIDJI — Traveling far and wide, thousands gathered at the Sanford Center on Sunday afternoon for the opening ceremony of Unicon 21.

Drawing more than 1,200 unicyclists from across the globe, the International Unicycling Federation World Championship and Convention hasn’t been held in the U.S. for 22 years but is now happening in Bemidji primarily thanks to one person in particular: Kirsten Goldstein.

As president of the Unicycling Society of America, vice president of the International Unicycling Federation and co-director of Unicon, Goldstein has several sentimental reasons for bringing the international event to town.

“I went to Bemidji State in 2011 and I graduated in 2014,” Goldstein said. “I really consider Bemidji to be not only a second home but a second first home.”

This is the seventh Unicon that Goldstein has attended and the fifth year she has had organizing responsibilities. As Goldstein stood outside of the Sanford Center surrounded by unicyclists from around the world, she couldn’t help but feel emotional.

“I have so many emotions about this,” Goldstein said, gesturing to the crowd. “The happy, the overwhelmed, the excited — every single warm and fuzzy emotion that exists in the world I have experienced.”

Opening ceremony

The two-week event kicked off on Sunday with an opening ceremony that included a speech by Goldstein and a warm welcome from Leech Lake Band member and emcee Branden Bowstring.

As Bemidji sits on Native American ancestral land, Bowstring shared the importance of being educated about the local Anishinaabe culture and celebrating and honoring tribal heritage.

“We always love getting out and sharing a piece of who we are as Native Americans because a lot of times people don't see that side of who we are,” Bowstring shared. “Let's just try to bridge the gaps between the two cultures and bring people together.”

A drum group then played a flag song followed by a veterans song while dancers dressed in traditional regalia made their way around the dance circle.

Bowstring then invited everyone in attendance to join in for a final intertribal dance, sharing his excitement at everyone filing down from the stands to participate.

“It’s so awesome, that’s why I do these things,” Bowstring shared. “There's a difference between watching it and participating in it. If you actually participate in it, you take a little piece of that with you.”

Goldstein added her thoughts about the final collaborative dance.

“I keep saying emotional, but it's just where I'm at right now,” Goldstein said. “I loved seeing it. The support and the excitement for it all is just phenomenal.”

The Unicycling Unicorn

Following the tribal ceremonies, the crowd was treated to a series of tricks and skills from Jamey Mossengren of Minnesota — widely known as The Unicycling Unicorn — who has been unicycling for 35 years.

“I remember when we showed up to grandma’s when we were young and she had bought a unicycle for us grandkids to use,” Mossengren recalled. “So my brother and I saw it and were like, ‘Oh, let's try to learn,’ and we did. And now, I'm still doing it.”

Mossengren wowed the crowd with his tricks including pedaling with his hands, juggling fire-lit torches and climbing to a 12-foot-high unicorn unicycle.

“I love unicycling,” Mossengren shared. “I think it’s fun, it’s different, it’s unique — it makes people smile.”

After mounting the unicorn unicycle, Mossengren juggled a torch, a large knife and his phone attached to a selfie stick, which was welcomed by the cheer of onlookers as he juggled the objects without fault.

To conclude the ceremony, Mossengren announced that he would be attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the tallest “rideable” unicycle. On a 44-foot high unicycle made by Tom Miller of The Unicycle Factory, he started prepping for the high altitude.

Tensions rose as Mossengren got harnessed in and the crowd cheered as he started to mount the tall unicycle from a boom lift that had been brought in for him.

Unfortunately, though he was able to ride the tall unicycle for a few moments on two attempts, both proved unsuccessful as Mossengren needed to travel 27 feet, or 10 revolutions, to qualify for the world record.

However, the crowd still cheered and applauded their support for his attempts and the entertaining show. Folks rushed up for a chance to take a picture and get his autograph once he returned to ground level.

“The crowd was awesome,” Mossengren added. “People are very excited to be here. Come check out some events, they are pretty fun and I think people will be impressed by what they see.”

Bemidji, the perfect host

After Mossengren concluded his performance, attendees gathered outside of the Sanford Center for the opening unicycle parade to Paul Bunyan Park.

With Goldstein at the lead, she recalled what a previous Unicon director once said about hosting the event.

“He said that ‘It's like inviting people to your home and you don't understand what's happening, because two different worlds are colliding,’” Goldstein said as she gestured to the crowd. “It's the most rewarding feeling to see everyone here.”

As Unicon continues through July 26, the championship will feature a wide variety of events from basketball to hockey all taking place on unicycles.

“Every event is open to the public,” Goldstein said. “The ticketed events are going to be some of the best things to come see.”

Goldstein also noted her gratitude for the overwhelming support from Bemidji and everyone she has worked with so far.

“We have gotten so much support from this town — I am flabbergasted,” Goldstein shared. “I never expected so much support, and it's been one of the greatest feelings to have that kind of support from a town that I don't technically live in. To feel that is something indescribable, really.”

Event schedule

Several of Unicon's events throughout the convention will be open to the public with the purchase of a ticket. The following events require tickets for public admission:

5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17: Individual freestyle in the main gym at Bemidji High ��. 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 18: Group freestyle finals in the gym at Bemidji State University. 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 20: Flatland finals at the Sanford Center. 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 20: Pair freestyle finals in the main gym at Bemidji High ��. 7 p.m. on Monday, July 22: Basketball finals in the gym at Bemidji State University. 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24: Trials finals at the Sanford Center. 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 25: Hockey finals in the main gym at Bemidji High ��. 1 p.m. on Friday, July 26: Street finals at the Sanford Center.

Tickets cost $15 each and are available online through Ticketmaster or on-site using cash or credit card. To purchase tickets in advance, visit thesanfordcenter.com/events/detail/unicon-21-unicycle-world-championships.

Here's a look at the upcoming schedule of Unicon events that are free to watch:

7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 16: 10K race starting at the Sanford Center and traveling to Lake Bemidji State Park. 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16: Junior individual freestyle at Bemidji High ��. 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23: Flaming puck hockey outside Bemidji City Hall. 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24: Cyclocross at Nymore Park. 8 a.m. on Friday, July 26: Criterium at the Sanford Center.

To see the full schedule, visit www.unicon21.us.

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Bemidji's Loop the Lake Festival to impact local traffic Saturday

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 17:47:52 GMT

BEMIDJI — With the annual Loop the Lake Festival in Bemidji on Saturday, June 15, the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office is reminding the public to be cautious of bicyclists sharing the road.

The Loop the Lake Bike Festival will take place on trails and roads around Lake Bemidji.

This year's route includes sharing the following roadways: Birchmont Drive from Bemidji State University to Northwoods Landing, Bemidji Avenue from Northwoods Landing to Birchmont Beach Road and Birchmont Beach Road to the Lake Bemidji State Park Entrance.

To ensure the safety of bicyclists and motorists during the event, Birchmont Beach Road will have a detour in place, a release said.

Eastbound vehicle traffic will travel in the westbound lane from Bemidji Avenue to Country Club Road with the eastbound traffic lane reserved for bicycles. Westbound traffic will detour northbound on Country Club Road back to Bemidji Avenue. Residents who live in the detoured area of Birchmont Beach Road should only turn eastbound.

Loop the Lake is a popular family-friendly ride, with approximately 1,000 bicyclists participating. A rolling start takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The detour is expected to last from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Bicyclists will be riding with the traffic flow along the 17-mile ride. Motorists are encouraged to slow down and leave a 3-foot clearance when passing riders, the release said.

On the east side of Lake Bemidji, bicyclists will be using the Paul Bunyan Trail. They are required to stop at each road crossing but motorists are urged to drive with heightened caution when crossing the trail.

The sheriff's office urges the public to keep safety a priority throughout the day. To find more bike laws and riding safety tips, visit www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/safety-education.html.

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Loop the Lake Festival to hold 10th anniversary event June 15

Charley Gilbert — Thu, 23 May 2024 16:42:21 GMT

BEMIDJI — Mur Gilman is eager for the 10th anniversary of Loop the Lake Festival on Saturday, June 15.

“I just love to see people get on their bikes and enjoy what a great place we have to ride,” said Gilman, chair of the steering committee.

According to Gilman, there will be live music performances staggered throughout the day at various locations including Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge and Lake Bemidji State Park.

The event will begin with a rolling start between 7:30 and 10 a.m. with a music truck from Paul Bunyan Broadcasting. There will also be a limited supply of reflective wristbands given at check-in that will have the 10th anniversary logo.

Gilman said to celebrate the 10th anniversary, there will be past year’s T-shirts on display at the beach house on Nymore Beach and former postcards and posters throughout the biking route.

“It’s really rewarding to see people excited to go out on their bikes to enjoy our community and our beautiful environment,” Gilman said.

Registration information

For those who register before May 31, the cost is $10 per person ages 13 and older and $5 for those 12 and younger. Loop the Lake T-shirts will not be available after May 31.

From June 1-13, the is $20 for ages 13 and older and $5 for 12 and younger.

For walk-up registrations on June 15 during check-in or on the day of the event, the cost is $30 for ages 13 and older and $10 for ages 12 and younger.

The registration cost includes food, music and photo ops along the scenic route. Event T-shirts are not included in the price of registration.

Loop the Lake merchandise is for sale during check-in and at the event.

Adaptive cyclists can make arrangements by contacting Diane Pittman at (218) 444-7172 or diane@truenorthbemidji.com. To rent an adult bike for the event, call Jamie at (218) 333-1857.

For more information or to register, email info@bikebemidji.com or visit bikebemidji.com.

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Planning a trip to the Brainerd area? Here are some fun outdoor activities in Crow Wing County

Pineandlakes Echo Journal — Sat, 18 May 2024 07:03:00 GMT

BRAINERD — The Paul M. Thiede Fire Tower Park on County Road 11 in Pequot Lakes is open for the season.

Park visitors can now climb this over 100-foot-tall tower that was built in 1935. The park also has numerous picnic shelters, a vaulted toilet and three miles of walking trails with many interpretive signs along the way.

Other county parks include Big Island on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, Milford Mine Memorial Park just a few miles north of Crosby, and South Long Lake Community Park located at the south end of South Long Lake.

Also, coming in 2024, the Little Emily Lake Park located on Little Emily Lake in Emily.

Crow Wing County has many great opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors including over 300 acres of parks, 32 miles of nonmotorized trails, 215 miles of motorized multiple use trails, 15 miles of single track off-highway motorcycle trails, and over 100,000 acres of public land.

In addition to parks, the 1,000 plus miles of trail opportunities are diverse and cater to all including nonmotorized uses such as hiking, horse riding and mountain biking, as well as motorized uses such as ATV riding, off-highway motorcycle riding and snowmobiling. The trails are monitored and maintained by both county land services staff and trail user groups.

Maps of all county trails are available in the Land Services building. A full list of all Crow Wing County parks, trails and recreational opportunities can be viewed at http://crowwing.us/289/Recreation.

Loon workshop series on tap in Crosslake

The National Loon Center and Northern Waters Land Trust, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Loon Restoration Project, will again host a summer workshop series: "From Land to Water: Conserving Minnesota’s Loons."

Learn about the fascinating world of Minnesota's iconic state bird and the vital freshwater ecosystems they call home. These interactive workshops are designed to educate participants on loon research and diverse conservation methods aimed at protecting loon habitats, food sources and nesting grounds.

A new and expanded format will offer two programs each month: a specialized conservation topic with guest experts and an introduction to loon surveys, providing hands-on training for statewide loon monitoring initiatives.

This is an in-person workshop with an outdoor field component aboard the National Loon Center's StewardShip on Cross Lake. Life jackets and binoculars will be provided.

Ten workshops will be offered on Thursday afternoons from May through September.

Conservation Topic of the Month workshop (2:30-4:30 p.m.)

May 30: Resilient Shorelines/Landscaping for Loons June 27: Loon Safe Boating July 25: Aquatic Invasive Species Aug. 22: Water Quality Testing and Monitoring Sept. 19: Loon Friendly Fishing

Introduction to Loon Monitoring workshop (5-7 p.m.)

May 30: Intro to Loon Monitoring June 27: Loon Nesting Behavior July 25: Loon Chick Development Aug. 22: Late Summer Behavior Sept. 19: Pre-Migration Behaviors

This workshop series is free and open to the public. Spaces are limited. To secure a spot, register online through the Northern Waters Land Trust website at northernwaterslandtrust.org/events.

For more information about the events, call 218-547-4510 or email info@nwlt-mn.org.

Pine River plant sale and gardening club

The annual Pine River Garden Club plant sale will run from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Friday, May 24, at the farmers market near the Historic Pine River Depot.

This annual sale features perennial plants from area gardeners’ gardens, demonstrating they will do well in this growing zone. Typically there are perennial flowers, rhubarb, some annuals such as tomatoes and a variety of annual flowers, dahlia tubers, canna bulbs, gladiola corms, hostas, day lilies, black raspberries, anise hyssop, Queen of the Prairie, hops, bergenia, daisies and more.

It’s an effective way to learn about plants hardy to zone 3 and an opportunity to try something new. The gardeners can provide tips about location for planting whether in sun or shade and the best type of soil for the plants.

Proceeds from the sale go toward costs of maintaining area public gardens in Backus and Pine River, along with monthly programs for club members featuring topics such as growing dahlias, raising monarchs for release, growing peonies, raising lilies, building soil, crafting a piece of garden art or a fall item for display, and touring local gardens in the summer.

The club typically meets the third Tuesday of the month from March to October. For more information on the Pine River Garden Club, contact President Sherry Fitch at 218-821-4855.

The farmers market runs from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Fridays, May 24 through the end of September, and features many local growers and crafters with produce, plants, berries in season, crafts, canned goods, baked goods, honey and more.

For more information about the farmers market, contact Tanya Villano at 612-247-6118.

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Headwaters Music and Arts to host spring cleanup, bike ride

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 04 May 2024 17:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — Headwaters Music and Arts will host a spring cleanup, bike rack celebration and community bike ride on May 10-11 at Headwaters, 519 Minnesota Ave. NW.

The Headwaters spring cleanup/rollout will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 10, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 11.

"Come join us for an hour or two for yard work or small indoor tasks if you’re able," a release said. "We'd love to roll out spring with you."

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, Headwaters will dedicate a new music-themed bike rack designed and built by metal sculptor Al Belleveau and funded in part by a Beltrami Electric Operation Round Up grant, a release said.

Following the dedication, the Pedaling Ninjas will lead a family-friendly, group bike ride. Participants will return to Headwaters for some light refreshments.

"We’re thrilled that this bike rack will provide more transportation options not only for Headwaters folks but for downtown Bemidji as a whole," the release said.

To learn more, call (218) 444-5606 or visit HeadwatersMusicAndArts.org.

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U.S. Highway 71 tunnel construction to begin soon

Shannon Geisen — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 21:46:00 GMT

HUBBARD COUNTY — A tunnel under U.S. Highway 71 for the Itasca-Heartland Connection Trail will be installed earlier than planned.

Traffic will be detoured to County State Aid Highways 4 and 40 for approximately 15 days in August, according to Hubbard County Public Works Director Jed Nordin. Originally, construction was expected to start in September.

The Hubbard County Board approved a detour agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at its Tuesday, Aug. 1, meeting.

“I believe with the approval of this today, (the DNR) would be able to allow the contractor to begin work next Monday. That was my understanding,” Nordin said.

The Itasca-Heartland Connection Trail is a multi-purpose, paved trail between Itasca State Park and the Heartland Trail. Tunnel construction is part of Phase 1.

Earlier this year, the 2023 Minnesota Legislature awarded a $2.4-million bonding request for the environmental review, predesign, design and construction of a paved, multiple-use trail, beginning from the park’s contact station to the park's southeast boundary and through a tunnel under U.S. Highway 71, then continuing east of the tunnel for about two miles, where it will connect with an existing snowmobile trail.

Kent Skaar, senior project manager for the DNR Parks and Trails Division, told the citizens committee that spearheaded this project that trail design west of the tunnel is “well advanced,” but not ready to proceed to construction at this time.

Nordin said the DNR will reimburse the county for use of county roads during the detour by using the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s gas tax method, not to exceed $7,000.

When additional funds are available, Phase 2 will extend the trail 13 miles east to Emmaville on county land. The final phase will go south eight miles from Emmaville along the right-of-way of CSAH 4 to the intersection with the Heartland Trail, where a trailhead would be constructed.

In related business, the county board:

Approved amendments to four private easements across unsold tax-forfeited land for Leif Haugland in Lake Emma Township. Approved final payment of $200,125 to Vogt Dirt Service, LLC of Bemidji for aggregate surfacing.]]>