SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL
Jon Irizarry (from left), Kevin Dean, Wes Randall and Alex MacKenzie planned a memorial coast-to-coast bike ride in memory of their friend Kalan Morinaka, who died in November of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.



Coast to coast bike ride is in honor of Willamette student who died of ALS

Three Willamette grads will pedal coast to coast in honor of their friend

CAPI LYNN
Statesman Journal

January 6, 2007

A trio of Willamette University graduates are decked out for a cross-country bike ride in memory of a friend who died of Lou Gehrig's disease.

They are sure to look good pedaling 3,300 miles from San Diego to Miami with matching metallic-gray Sutra touring bikes from Kona, red panniers and handlebar bags from Jandd Mountaineering, and red jerseys and other cycling garments from Pearl Izumi.

But no one will mistake this trio for Lance Armstrong, Greg LeMond and Marshall Taylor, three of America's most famous cyclists.

One of these guys didn't even own a bike until a couple of weeks ago.

Kevin Dean, Alex MacKenzie and Wes Randall are amateurs in pro clothing thanks to sponsors and donors.

"They've got some phenomenal equipment," fellow organizer Jon Irizarry said. "They got hooked up with the works."

But for all the trio has in gear and apparel, they lack in experience. Dean and MacKenzie can say they commuted on their bikes from their apartment to campus, about a four-mile ride, but Randall didn't even own a bike before they charted their ambitious route.

Local cycling guru Troy Munsell, a part-owner of Santiam Bicycle, is confident that they will succeed despite the physical and mental challenges ahead.

"They're already athletes. They have the basic fitness necessary," Munsell said. "It's almost impossible to train for touring. Nobody has five out of seven days to ride eight to 10 hours. "But they've got what it takes."

Dean, MacKenzie and Randall are former football players at Willamette, but they doubt that any number of wind sprints on the gridiron prepared them to ride 50 to 100 miles per day for the next two months.

"I'm mildly terrified at this point," said MacKenzie, who dreaded training this week in Salem's sloppy conditions.

They will brace for rain -- even snow -- when they embark Wednesday. They chose a southern transcontinental route that many avid cyclists travel during the winter because of the relatively mild climates.

They plan to camp out along the way, staying in a motel only if they encounter a lot of snow and unbearable temperatures.

They will ride in memory of Kalan Morinaka, their fraternity brother who died of the disease also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. The progressive neuromuscular disease left Morinaka almost unable to talk during his final months.

Before the 22-year-old died, his friends told him about their plans to do a cross-country ride to raise money and awareness for ALS.

They figure Morinaka would think they are "a little nuts" but be supportive for the cause. Morinaka was the president of their fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and a champion of philanthropy.

"I know that was always one of his gripes: We didn't do enough philanthropy," MacKenzie said.

The project already has raised nearly $7,500 for the ALS Association. Their goal is $30,000.

In preparation for the ride, they sought advice from a pair of Willamette grads who completed a similar journey in 2005 -- from San Francisco to New York -- to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"I think they ended up surpassing their goal," MacKenzie said.

Dean, MacKenzie and Randall agreed on a tentative itinerary that will take them through eight states. They will travel with no road crew and plan to avoid major freeways and highways.

MacKenzie said there is a weeklong stretch through Texas during which they will not come across a town of more than 1,000 people. He hopes to pass the time by listening to music and audio books on his new iPod.

They have been encouraged by cyclists, friends and family to take advantage of the hospitality of community centers and churches. They plan to stop at a few SAE chapters along the way, and public libraries are on their must-visit list so they can charge their cell phones and have Internet access to maintain blogs on their Web site.

All three riders will be armed with digital cameras to document the tour, and Randall has a new digital video camera "to give visual confirmation that we're all still alive and puttering along," MacKenzie said.

Irizarry, who can't join them because of commitments to his senior research project, will coordinate postings on the Web site.

"It's a way of helping their parents sleep at night," he said.

Morinaka's parents also will follow their progress.

"It is a tremendous tribute to our son," Patricia Morinaka said. "We know Kalan meant a lot to these young men for them to undertake such a big, big thing."

Munsell has been a valuable resource for the trio. Santiam Bicycle built their bikes and connected them with potential sponsors.

The Kona Sutras retail for about $1,600 each and were purchased with the help of an anonymous donation from a Willamette alum.

Other equipment was purchased at discount prices, including panniers and handlebar packs. The handlebar packs snap off so the riders can take their valuables with them when they're not on their bikes.

Their panniers, or saddlebags, are expandable and will hold most of their gear, including a 3-pound sleeping bag, four pairs of riding pants, three jerseys, a pair of extra shoes, several pairs of socks and basic toiletries.

They also will pack food and a lot of water. Their bikes have three bottle racks, and they plan to each carry an additional gallon of water.

"The biggest concern is dehydration," MacKenzie said.

Munsell also gave them a crash course about bike repair. He taught them how to true, or straighten, a wheel; replace a spoke; fix a broken chain; and adjust the shift handle.

MacKenzie hopes they learned enough to "at least get us to the next town."

Spending virtually every hour of the next 45 days or so together likely will test their friendship. Who knows whether they will be speaking by the time they reach their destination, in Miami, about the end of February.

But they will remind one another of the reason for the ride. A cross-country journey is a fitting memorial to Morinaka, who braved a daunting battle with a devastating disease.

"It's something really hard and grueling and long," Randall said. "Thirty-three hundred miles seemed right."

clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or (50http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070106/NEWS/701060316/10013) 399-6710