2007 Montana Cup Hall of Fame

Ray Hunt

On Saturday, October 27th, 2007, rick Judge made the following announcement at the Montana Cup Awards Ceremony. . .

“I am pleased to report that the Montana Cup Hall of Fame members have selected a 2007 Inductee by unanimous vote (this could be the first time that John Hartpence, Robert Sowers, and rick Judge have unanimously agreed on anything -- by contrast, the other HOF member, Nicole Hunt, is a very agreeable person).  In a moment, I think you’ll see why this year’s decision was an easy one.

Let’s start with attendance.  This individual has run in every Montana Cup race except one -- an astonishing (and record) total of fifteen races.  ...he has served as a team organizer [ten] times.  
Not only has he shown up more consistently than anyone else, he has shown up in style.  A cursory review of the results shows that he has finished in the top-10 ten times.  In 1998, he won the race outright, and the next year he enjoyed being a part of Team Bozeman's historic first dethroning of Missoula's men at the Montana Cup.

In 2006, he served as co-race director for the most spectacular Montana Cup in history, and raced to fourth place overall in an extremely competitive field.  In doing so, he captured his second straight individual master’s title, and led the Butte squad to their second straight men’s master’s team victory.

One of the criteria for selection as a Hall of Fame member is to have improved the event itself.  This individual has done that time and again, and in every capacity imaginable.  In addition to shaping the race into one of the most fun, innovative, and anticipated events of the year, he created the whole damn thing!   

Obviously, the person I am talking about is Mr. Ray Hunt.  Please join me in congratulating Ray for his well-deserved induction into the Montana Cup Hall of Fame . . .” <the crowd goes wild>
 

In his own words: "I can think of few higher honors than this induction. Montana Cup Day is my annual holiday, and nothing short of oblivion prevents me from celebrating it. My brain floods daily with thoughts of the Montana Cup, and that's okay, because obsession is a good thing when channeled properly. 

"I have to give credit where credit is due. I co-found the 'Cup' with my old pal, Diamond Jim, back in '92, and DJ and I intended to provide Montanans with an opportunity for open-division team XC. Today, it really bothers me when people (those who can remember that far back) refer to the meet as, 'Ray's race.'  It wasn't about me or my ego, and that is why I previously evaded nomination for this hall of fame, but it seems that I can no longer avoid it. John Hartpence summed up my predicament well when he wrote 'I don't think Ray can resist his entry into the HOF.  He created this monster... how can he deny his own rules?!?' So my thought is to 'relax and enjoy.' My dream is that the Cup will continue to unite Montana's runners long after I am done and forgotten."