For the many of you who read this rambling of mine I will now leave the topic of our wedding momentarily and fill you on the past few weeks leading up to the most Epic of sporting events I have ever witnessed and a family of friends stretching across the country that we call the CUTTERS. For some you may be familiar with the 1979 film starring Dennis Quaid amongst others, about a teen who is obsessed with Italian Bike racing. While in college he and 4 other friends create the bike team Cutters, referencing the stone cutters at the quarry they hang out at and win their first year in a last lap sprint. The film is loosely based on Phi Delta Fraternity where our history of the Cutters team picks up with the brothers Randy and Steve Ressinger(sp). The Cutters as we know them started in 1984 by the brothers and the tradition began. Each year teams of at least 3 riders and up to 4 make the long and grueling training schedule starting spring semester through the cold Indiana winter, followed by a nice 2 week training in Florida and end with the series of events leading to the ultimate in collegiate sports Little 500. The event similar to Indy 500, is a 200 lap bike race where teams “Mount your Schwinns”, exchange bikes, sprint, and eat laps to complete the race fastest and first. There are so many more details that lead up to this event and that’s what this blog is about.
When Todd first started courting me in December I received a text on New Years Eve 2008 that he was so excited to take out “The Cutters, especially Patches because it was his first big guy night out.” Little did I know at that time what a night out with Patches would entail but right then I didn’t have a clue of what he was talking about. What’s a Cutter? Why is this 35 year old entertaining collegiates? Oh lord what am I getting into here? A few months later as we wrapped up the Boston Marathon I came home and Todd flew to Indiana to see the Cutters 3-peat and historical 10th win. I didn’t join him that year because of work and never would have appreciated the event as much as I did now knowing what I know.
Fast forward to winter 2009 the Sunday after Christmas as Todd and I prepare for the arrival. Most thought I was crazy(im sure others had less niceties to say about me having 5 young men staying in the house) but as the guys came to town for 2 weeks I had my reservations. Dirty? Weirdos? Girls? To my surprise and thankfulness they were amazing! Just like Jim Kirkham, Jason Smith, Chris Vargo and the adopted Sweet Jason Sonneborn I met before them, what a great group of guys; Clayton Feldman , Eric “Hazel Bear” Young, Michael “Patches” Schroeder , Zack ”Hank” Lusk and Sam ”Tripple Thick” Harbison .Determined, polite, wow! This also was my first experience around the sport and its athletes. The gear, the terminology, and the training. I was able to participate in TT(Time Trials) at the Junction, man can they ride fast! They can also cook, clean, and carry things well. We had a ton of fun between new years and surfing on the internet for interesting topics, thank Hank for that one!
So as they left us at the end of the 2 weeks, little did I know(although I found out later Kirkham was the only one to know) that Todd would pop the question soon thus officially also marrying me into the Cutter family in addition to being a Neville(which also brings about some Little 500 Champ History in the form of Kori and the Road Runners.)
So here we are flying to Indy, and this is where the blog becomes the inevitable list of silly diatribe, chalked with double meaning, real meaning, and well, ill leave some to the imagination. Here we go:
“Domestic Partners”
Theodore Fredrick Kirkham
4 mile Campus trekking
Laughing Planet(LP)
Hazel, Patch, and Hank show up with big hugs
Todd and Heather Neville
Candy Stores
Tulips at Sample
Track, Senior Outfits, Jorts, Bad Tats, See Sam
Blue Ridge
Upland Caroline, Clayton, Vargo, Caitlin, Erik and Sasha, Triples, iCrapper
Andys House- Rev Taylor Big Damn Band, Emorys belly paintings
Bake house every morning for hours, Fowler, wearing Cutters, Allison and Sasha, Kate
Fabian says “Cutters WIN LITTLE 5”
GO GO’s House
Quarry adventure-Slant Rock, Rooftop, No parking signs, Todd the Rabbit
Nicks-Sink the Biz, Panties, Fat Chicks,
Face Loops
Flaming Lips
Little 5 Track Trecking
Nicks Mediation of “The Biz”, Late night pizza with Randy
Bakehouse and Patches Song
Running Errands at Feskes Garage
“Oh man im glad we got those crates” JK
LP with Erica, Allison, Team
Kilroys Breadsticks
Birth Canal
Burn outs
Todd as Clayton
Womens Little 500, Caroline’s Scare, Teter WINS
Toilet Paper Convo
Chicks with Diamonds
“We don’t wear pants”
Frat parties at 7am
Cutter Tailgate, Big Blue
Alumnae lunch, Kori’s Win, sneaking waters, cookies
Infield pass
Get gaps
“God says GO Cutters”
CUTTERS WIN LITTLE 5 TWICE
Robert and Kay
“Best loss we could have ever had” BKB Coach
Soaking Face Loop at Nicks
Scholars Inn
Todds receives Little 5 ring
Party, warm wine, patch and todd jagering, 3 gens of dance off
Sasha chair jumping
Kilroys cap off with Sonne and Elizabeth
Pizza X
Never met Woj’s wife
Fwew, what a trip. This list doesn’t begin to describe the love and friendships forged over the lifetime of the CUTTERS. The “W” is so important but so is the ride. As the next years riders are yet to be discovered, and generations of CUTTERS are born, I know without a doubt the perpetuity with which the family goes on will be unwavering. Whether here in Florida for Winter training, at Robert and Kays sleep over, the BakeHouse and Laughing Planet for their extreme generosity to our riders and the foundation which it sits upon, Todd, Fowlers and Jims constant planning, and Jim Kirkham’s lifetime commitment, the dynasty will be. One Love, see you next year Cutters!
