Photos + words by Charlie Sears
alphamail@theawarewolfs.com | www.charliesears.co
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October 3rd, 2015 – The Valley Cat – San Fernando Valley CA
Hosted by Ernie Mendoza, this was the first alley cat NOT hosted in San Diego that benefited Ride4Water. The Awarewolfs have had a heavy hand in getting Ride4Water off the ground so we were beyond stoked to help Ernie make this alley cat be the best it could be. Made the 2.5 hour trek all the way up to the SFV and set up the tent :
^ BOOM.
^ Ride4Water had one of their water filters set up for the racers.
^ 1st place prize. An Engine 11 frameset, a 2015 Chrome Coveted Jersey, and some other rad things.
^ This guy’s bib may say he’s awesome but he wasn’t much help. He slept on the job a lot.
^ Ice cream man cruised.
^ Ernie assembled an excellent group of volunteers.
^ All the volunteers took off before the race began so they could handle their checkpoints.
^ Before handing out the manifest, all the racers lined their bikes up on the curb.
^ The manifest.
^ Once the manifest was out, the racers DEVOURED it.
^ Plottin and schemin the quickest route.
^ Team work sometimes makes the dream work…
^ Ernie had all the racers line up in the grass.
They’d have to run to their bike after he yelled GO.
^ Ernie going over some things before yelling GO.
^ GO!
^ Racers had to run to their bikes on the curb.
^ And they were GONE!
It was about an hour before the first racer came back.
^ The look of VICTORY. First place followed close behind by one of the volunteers.
^ Ernie making sure all the checkpoints were signed off by the first place winner.
^ Second place smashing back.
^ Ernie making sure second place’s manifest was all checked off with first place still stoked in the background.
^ Third place came in to the finish from across the field!
^ Third place stoked. Ernie making sure.
^ Yiew!! 
^ And there you have it. The winners of The Valley Cat!
1st : Felipe Zamora
2nd : Bryan Lemus
3rd : Kevin Kisiglione
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After the race, Ernie arranged for us ALL to grub hard at Buffalo Bruce’s.
^ “Serving kick ass BBQ and wake yo ass up coffee.”
^ Thanks for all the foooooooood and hospitality Buffalo Bruce’s!
***
And thanks everyone who made The Valley Cat a success!
This was Ernie’s first alley cat and the thought he put in to it was insane. Totally crushed it.
In total, 24 racers entered and $665 was raised for Ride4Water’s clean water efforts.
If you’d like to donate to the cause, you may here :
