Two-time Olympic swimmer Moss Burmester will take on the 2017 Singlespeed Mountain Bike World Championships this weekend. Photo / Scottie T Photography
Two-time Olympic swimmer Moss Burmester will take on the 2017 Singlespeed Mountain Bike World Championships this weekend. Photo / Scottie T Photography
It is no secret that two-time Olympic swimmer Moss Burmester knows his way around a pool, but how will he go hurtling downhill on a singlespeed mountain bike?
That question will be answered tomorrowwhen he takes on the 2017 Singlespeed Mountain Bike World Champs in Rotorua, as part of his younger brother Cole's stag do.
Burmester competed at the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008 and said, since retiring from swimming, he had enjoyed the freedom to get outdoors and take part in less "controlled" environments.
He will get that and more during one of the world's most unique sporting events in which most participants wear wacky costumes and the fastest man and woman receive a tattoo for their efforts.
"Cole had entered and he's getting married in December so we decided to make it part of his stag do. Cole's involved with the Tauranga Triathlon Club so there's a lot of those guys coming as well," Burmester said.
"Part of the appeal is the loose, fun nature of the event - it's not so stringent. The pool is very much a controlled environment compared to multisport and this event which is supposed to be a lot more fun and fluid, so to speak. The environment outside is a hell of a lot more interesting than a black line at the bottom of a pool.
"I guess part of it too is I'm not in a space where I'm super focused and it's all about trying to go as fast as I can and win. Now it's a lot more just going out to enjoy it - meet the people, meet the characters and have some fun."
Moss Burmester in action in the men's 100m butterfly final at the 2006 World Championship Swimming Trials in Auckland. Photo / File
While the groom-to-be will no doubt have the most embarrassing costume, the rest of the group planned to wear onesies - Burmester has been given a panda. However, he was considering another idea.
"I'm thinking about bringing the 'fish out of water' theme into it and wearing a mask and snorkel and fins, so that might happen. I might make my brother do it as well."
It is a homecoming of sorts for Burmester who grew up in Tauranga and attended Otumoetai primary, intermediate and secondary school.
"I did some mountain biking at school, we used to drive over to Rotorua and bike in the Redwoods then. It's a great place and the Redwoods are phenomenal, it's got to be one of the best mountain biking parks in the world. Mum and Dad mountain bike too, which is pretty cool, so every now and then we'd go as a family activity.
"I had a long period where I hadn't done any biking of any sort for a long time, but I recently got into multisporting and I've entered to do the Coast to Coast with my partner Carolyn. So, we've been training for that and we've done a number of events that have mountain biking in them."
He said the support that athletes from the Tauranga and Bay of Plenty community got was a big contributor to the number of quality athletes the region produced.
"I ended up moving to Auckland after my first Commonwealth Games and Olympics, but I think having that community behind you in a small town like Tauranga, that real support was phenomenal and it really helped me kickstart my career.
"I think too, the region tends to be quite an outdoorsy region with a great climate. Tauranga tends to produce a lot of talented athletes."
Last held in Rotorua in 2010, this year's Singlespeed World Champs have so far attracted 470 entries, said Rotorua Singlespeed Society member Graeme Simpson, although he suspected that number might reach 500 with last-minute entries.
Registration will be held at a large marquee outside the Pig & Whistle pub on Tutanekai St from 3pm todayand racing will start about 10am at Waipa tomorrow.
