With 10 successful years of growth behind Saint Francis Tulsa Tough, the event’s founders and organizers have decided to expand by creating a second annual event in the fall to complement the summer races and rides.
Cyntergy Hurtland will begin as a one-day cyclocross race. Set for November 21, 2015, the event will take place at Owen Park in Tulsa. Prize money for the race will total $15,000, making it one of the largest single-day cyclocross purses in the U.S. The event is part of the 2015 USA Cycling National Cyclocross Calendar.
There will not be an admission charge for spectators and will feature a variety of food, beverage and other entertainment options. Additional event details will be announced as they become final.
Jeremy Powers, the current U.S. Cyclocross champion and top-ranked American rider in the world, designed the Cyntergy Hurtland course.
“I really enjoyed creating this course with the team in Tulsa,” Powers said. “From the day I saw the venue, I knew it had many features that fit a world class cyclocross course, including natural rolling terrain, built in stair sets, a road right up the middle of the park and water features. A lot of great minds are going to make this race in Tulsa one of the premier events in the country in the coming years. I can’t wait to race the course in the coming seasons and showcase international cyclocross in the amazing cycling community that is Tulsa!”
Tulsa Tough Executive Director Maclcolm McCollam said Powers brought great insight and creativity into the course design process.
“We knew we had something special with Owen Park, but we had no idea how great it could really be for a cyclocross event until Jeremy walked through it with us,” McCollam said. “He saw things we hadn’t even imagined. Watching him get excited as he visualized the many opportunities convinced us we were onto something really special.”
In an effort to increase visibility for the variety of cycling events that exist, organizers also will host the Disco Drome. This indoor event will take place Friday, November 20 at Cain’s Ballroom. The race will feature the Red Bull Mini Dromo, an oval wooded track with high banks at the turns. Energetic music will play during races. Guest will include Red Bull athlete Addison Zawada. This will be a ticketed event and pricing for general admission and VIP sections, as well as other event details, will be announced as they become final.
“We’re taking the vibe and energy from our June event and compressing it into two days with part indoors at the Cain’s Ballroom and part outdoors in Owen Park,” McCollam said. “And of course, we’ll thrown in a few surprises along the way. If you think watching the pros ride the downtown streets in the Saint Francis Tulsa Tough is a blast, just wait until you see what we’ve cooked up for the Cyntergy Hurtland. It’s going to be another ‘can’t miss’ weekend for Tulsa.”
Cyclocross is the fastest growing segment of the sport and has been popular in many parts of Europe for nearly a century. Cyntergy Hurtland aligns with Tulsa Tough’s funding mission to elevate the profile of Tulsa and promote active lifestyles. The cyclocross event will be established as a cause event, focusing on supporting the development of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) talent in Tulsa.
According to Gordy Guest, CEO of Cyntergy AEC, the event’s title sponsor, the availability of strong STEM talent is an important element in helping the Tulsa region grow.
“As Tulsa continues to grow, our region will need a talented and diverse workforce that expands along with our economy and STEM jobs will be at the forefront of this issue,” said Guest. “As an architecture and engineering firm, we certainly see this need for talent in our industry and we know STEM jobs are greatly valued well beyond our company. We are proud to support an event that encourages active lifestyles and provides new entertainment opportunities for Tulsans while also highlighting a very important cause.”
Nabholz Corporation, a founding event sponsor, also recognizes the value that STEM-trained employees bring to their industry.
“In the construction industry, we rely heavily on our employees to produce creative solutions and solve problems for the clients and projects we represent,” said Shane Fernandez, President of Southwest Operations for Nabholz. “Events like Cyntergy Hurtland are critical in our efforts to attract and retain the best employees available because quality of life is a big factor in where they choose to live.”
Cyntergy Hurtland will partner with Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, a nonprofit organization, to help create an ongoing dialogue between the event and its sponsors and the broader Tulsa region. According to the organization, the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, an initiative of the Oklahoma Innovation Institute, is a neutral convener working at nurturing Tulsa’s STEM Ecosystem. The core mission of the Alliance is encouraging organizations like Tulsa Tough to work collaboratively to build broad, deep and innovative pathways for Tulsa area students to access high impact STEM careers.
“Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance is honored to partner with Tulsa Tough in this terrific new cyclocross event for our beautiful city,” said Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance Program Director Xan Black. “We particularly grateful that Tulsa Tough is using this exciting new cycling event to showcase the importance of STEM education – both through financial support of our wonderful Tulsa Children’s Museum and by recruiting STEM mentors for students across the region.”
In keeping with it’s mission to help develop STEM talent in the Tulsa community, Cyntergy Hurtland will donate a portion of its registration fees to Tulsa Children’s Museum, the event’s 2015 charity beneficiary.
“Tulsa Children’s Museum is grateful to be designated as the 2015 charity beneficiary for Cyntergy Hurtland,” said TCM, Executive Director, Ray Vandiver. TCM’s STEM programming has impacted more than 270,000 children and families in the Tulsa area since opening Discovery Lab in Owen Park in May 2013. TCM and other Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance partners promote proficiency in critical and creative thinking, teamwork, perseverance, and other 21st Century skills. These abilities are vital to empowering our kids to build brighter futures for all of us.”