Record RAGBRAI Rolls Through BVU
Tens of thousands of cyclists, support personnel, and visitors experience the beautiful BVU campus and Storm Lake during historic RAGBRAI overnight stay.
The 50th anniversary edition of The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI L) coasted through the Buena Vista University campus on Sunday, July 23, as an estimated 35,000 to 50,000 cyclists and support personnel docked in Storm Lake for the ride’s first overnight stay.
Staff members serving Buena Vista University Alumni and Development erected a tent to welcome alumni, friends, and visitors at Awaysis Park, a nerve-center of sorts for the day’s activities. Alumni on the ride received a BVU cooling towel.
Hundreds of others were also given lip balm, sunscreen, bracelets, pens, and more, all showing the BVU navy and gold.
“We loved seeing alumni, friends, and current students and their families as they shared with us their thoughts about the opening-day RAGBRAI ride from Sioux City to Storm Lake,” said BVU President Brian Lenzmeier. “We noticed BVU cycling jerseys and t-shirts among the crowd. We always cheer for the support many members of Beaver Nation show for us.”
A glimpse at some of the Beaver alumni who visited the BVU booth after a 77-mile ride:
Al Joens ’85 suffered a flat tire early on Sunday as he rode a tandem cycle with his wife, Melissa Lanzourakis. The couple, a fixture on RAGBRAI, packed special “nerd” outfits they donned for The Spazmatics concert at Awaysis Park.
Don ’80 and Mary (Walker) Haden ’82 both donned Beaver biking jerseys on their trek from Sioux City to Storm Lake, celebrating their 10th time on cycling’s signature tourist attraction for the Tall Corn State.
Andrea (Schmidt) Nielsen ’93 rode with her daughter, Summit Nielsen ’21, while Benji ’98 and Lori (Stevenson) Kasel ’99 celebrated their 19th ride. Dan Hanson ’82, meantime, is a former Beaver football and tennis player who now enjoys the sport of biking. He donned the locally famous RAYGUN t-shirt that reads, “They Don’t Say Buena Vista Without You.”
Dr. Stan Ullerich ’82 and Professor of Economics, Emeritus talked about the pleasant nature of the opening ride, a day marked by early hills, light winds, abundant sunshine and all kinds of activity, including an afternoon stop where the BVU volleyball team set up a grill at a location near Washta, the stomping grounds of Head Coach Will Baumann ’04.
“We are grateful to the City of Storm Lake for including BVU on the route as it passed through Storm Lake,” President Lenzmeier concluded. “It made for point of pride among our alumni riders as so many others complimented them—and us—on the beauty and condition of our lakeside campus. We are truly blessed. And, after the opening day of RAGBRAI, there are tens of thousands of visitors who can now better appreciate our ‘beautiful view.’”