Fat & Skinny Enjoys Perfect Weather For Weekend Events
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
The number 13 didn’t seem to have any bad luck for the Fat & Skinny Tire Fest this year as people from far and wide came out to enjoy the beautiful weather over the three-day event. The 13th annual event constantly had activities taking place from Central Park, Hire Park and downtown Warsaw to The Village at Winona and Winona Lake’s Greenway Trail. None of the events had to be cancelled or moved due to weather. “We’ve had record numbers for participation in about everything,” said co-organizer Greg Demopoulos Sunday evening during the Men’s Category 1 Road Criterium. “We had a huge amount of people Saturday night hanging out with our bands. It’s the best weather we’ve had. In 13 years, we’ve never had a perfect weekend. This is the best weather we’ve had. Even the rain we had Friday night helped for the races because the trails were getting pretty dry. This is the type of weather you pray for. Thirteen has been very lucky for us.” Aaron Lifford, 29, and Ed Fujawa, 34, both of Indianapolis, came up to compete in the DINO Series Saturday. “It’s an awesome trail system. You always get a great crowd for the race, and it’s great to be a part of the festival,” Lifford said, who has participated for his third year. The DINO Series – Do INdiana Off-road – is a series of six races across the state, Lifford said, including Brown County, Versailles, Potato Creek North Vernon and Southwest Way. Lifford said he likes to finish as best as he can, but he’s been participating for four years for the health benefits and socializing aspect. Fujawa has come up to the Fat & Skinny Tire Fest “off and on” for the past five years, he said. “It’s always a great scene here. It’s always a great turnout,” he said. Since the DINO Series at the Fat & Skinny is the first in the series, he said it helps get him and other competitors back into racing after the winter. He and Lifford are part of the Matthews Bikes team, sponsored by the bike shop in Indianapolis. “All of us focus on mountain biking. There’s 12 of us on the team,” Fujawa said. This was the first year for Josh Verhage, 35, Grand Haven, Mich., to participate in the Tire Fest’s DINO Series. “I’ve never raced here before, but I’ve got a cousin I’ve come to ride with and I’ve always wanted to give the whole weekend a try,” he said. Along with the mountain bike racing, he said he wanted to give the Criterium races a try as well. “I hear they’re terrifying fun,” he said. Verhage was riding with City Hub for the races. In the Village at Winona Saturday, kids activities were going on from noon until 4:30 p.m. before the third and final Solution Action Sports bike stunt team performance of the weekend. All three shows drew a crowd.
