A group of triathlon competitors arrived in Chicago for the 2006 Gay Games, but their bicycles didn't. And that's not an easy thing to replace, since some bikes cost $2,000 or more.
Left: Members of the Chicago Razors after competing in an event. Right: A Razor wins a medal at the Gay Games. Photos courtesy of the organization
The Chicago Razors stepped forward and worked with a bike shop in Evanston. Each competitor was able to get a last-minute, high-quality rental. Strife quickly turned to satisfaction as all were able to compete.
'To be able to do the Chicago triathlon [ course ] was easily the highlight, the best Gay Games triathlon,' said Bill Toepper, 49, who serves as the president of the Razors, Chicago's all-inclusive gay triathlon team, as they bill themselves.
Toepper has competed in four Gay Games, and already is planning for Cologne in 2010. It was the Vancouver Games in 1990 that, in essence, launched Chicago's gay triathlon club.
'We enjoyed the Vancouver experience so much that, over the next couple of years, we continued to hang out together, do some races together,' Toepper said. 'We kept a database of Vancouver gay athletes and had them coming to Chicago for what was then [ known as ] the Mrs. T's Triathlon. So, for about four years, we had about 50 to 100 gay tri-athletes for the event, and it was a lot of fun. But then [ that event ] kind of fizzled because, in the end, it just became more difficult to get into that race.'
When the Chicago Games approached in 2006, Toepper said it was a 'logical time' to restart the fire. 'We were able to reach gay athletes locally, had a bar night at Sidetrack, talked about what we wanted to do, came up with a few simple plans, including training together and have a social component too. We really wanted to be good hosts for the Games. And I think we were able to pull it off,' he said.
The Chicago Razors now have about 120 members, mostly men; about 50 are active members. They have weekly runs, bicycle rides and, when Lake Michigan warms up, weekly swims in the lake.
'We do our best to try to bring new members in through clinics and one-on-one teaching. We're always trying to get people exposed to the sport,' said Toepper, who lives in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, is gay and has a partner ( Craig Preston ) .
The Razors compete in about eight races annually, usually involving overnight trips to Midwest cities, with about 10 or 15 guys. They also have a monthly social event.
There are a few women on the Razors, Toepper said. Most of the men range from 30 to 40.
'I'd say the level of competitiveness is not too high,' he said. 'Many joined around the Gay Games [ in 2006 ] , so, after a few years, most of the guys are getting faster and more competitive, though.'
A few of the Razors are even fast enough to win their age groups. Mostly, though, it's a team of, 'competitive weekend athletes,' Toepper said.
'Triathlon is a sport for guys, or girls, with resources because some use a $2,000 bicycle,' he said. 'The bike kind of prohibits some people [ from participating ] , unfortunately. However, you can do it on a $200 bike, I swear.'
Membership in the Razors is free, although competitors must provide their own swimming goggles, wet suit, shoes, helmet, etc.
'Sure, [ swimming, running and bicycling ] are individual sports, but with all of the training, they really are great team sports, so to speak. We develop great camaraderie within the group,' Toepper said.
The Razors will compete in several Midwest events, highlighted by the Accenture Chicago Triathlon Aug. 24. Members also will compete in the annual Pride to Run race before Chicago's Gay Pride Parade.
'If you can swim, bike and run, you can do it,' Toepper said. 'The most difficult thing is if you are a sub-par swimmer; then it can be difficult to swim in open water with all of the splashing and kicking and chaos that is going on [ in the water ] . That's probably the most difficult thing for newcomers, though the guys seem to overcome that pretty easily. The next most difficult thing is the culture of riding the bike, especially riding in miserable [ weather ] conditions.
'I guess we're a group of obsessive, compulsive, organized people who just enjoying hanging out with one another, be it training, relaxing at someone's home or traveling to a race.
'Triathlon is sort of a lifestyle, at least for a lot of us it is. It's a great hobby.'
For more information on the team, go to: www.chicagorazors.com .
