50 Ways to Ride the Chequamegon
Essay Contest to Award Race Spots

Each spring the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival lottery selection process determines who is in and who is not for the 2,500 race spots allowed. With approximately 3,500 applications each year for these limited spots, some think the toughest challenge in the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival sponsored by Trek is simply getting in.

Lottery losers, late comers, Chequamegon newbie’s take note, with a bit of creative effort, you could be awarded one of the 50 reserved registrations for the coming years sold out event in the 50 Ways to Ride the Chequamegon Essay Contest.
Contrary to the contest title, essays don’t have to list fifty individual reasons for wanting to ride although some have. Sincere letters, cycling stories, original songs, poems, drawings, parodies and even chunky crayon notes from children have all been used to gain the judge’s favor. Past essays have sighted family relations, health considerations, personal event history, advocacy efforts, race resumes, demographics and other reasons in an attempt to achieve one of the coveted spots.

A fifteen-point scale is used to score each submission. Originality, creativity, humor, sincerity, special effort and a variety of other undisclosed factors produce a score for each essay. As a scoring tip to contest entrants, points are not awarded for whining about not getting in or demanding that the event owes you a spot for any reason. Also bribes of any monetary, nutritional or other value will not be considered in the judging process nor are they encouraged. Competition for the reserved entry allotment is stiffer than the lottery drawing with several hundred submissions expected for the coveted fifty reserved registrations.

Essays must be legible, with a 500 word maximum (most are much less) and be postmarked or emailed to the Chequamegon office no later than July 1. Shortly after that date, submissions will be judged and winners selected. All those who entered the contest will be notified of the outcome by July 15.

Winners will get reserved entries. Those out of the winning column will be encouraged to join the spectator or volunteer fun at the Chequamegon event in the fall. The decision of the judges is final in this last-chance-at-an-entry-spot essay contest. All essays become property of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, will not be returned and may be reproduced at some future date without notification.

To be included in this year’s “50 Ways to Ride the Chequamegon” essay contest postmark your essay to Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, PO Box 267, Cable, WI 54821 by July 1. Emails are acceptable if received by the deadline at cheqfat@cheqnet.net.