Article | More Momentum

This is an article that appeared in the 2018 issue of 4241′ Magazine. Click on the image to read it online at Issuu, or read the text below.

More Momentum

Killington has been known as a winter vacation destination for nearly 60 years, but it’s only been over the last few years that the resort and its surrounding community have garnered a reputation as a go-to summer vacation spot. The resort owes much of its newfound summer momentum to Killington Bike Park. After five years of steady capital investment, Killington Bike Park has emerged as the premier destination for lift-served mountain biking on the East Coast. Three high speed lifts accessing 30 miles of terrain for all ability levels make Killington the biggest bike park in the East, and it draws riders from across the region with innovative Learn to Mountain Bike Lessons, Gravity Logic designed freeride flow trails, and world class downhill mountain bike racing. In order to keep the stoke level high for such a diverse group of riders, the resort is now hosting a season-long series of events that offer something fun for every rider.

Vermont Bike and Brew

The mountain bike season officially opens Memorial Day Weekend at Killington Resort, but for many Northeast mountain bikers and craft beer enthusiasts, the real kick off comes a few weeks later when Killington hosts Vermont Bike and Brew. It’s an annual celebration of all things mountain bike—and all things craft beer. The event is a collaboration between Killington Resort and MTBVT, an organization dedicated to getting the word out that Vermont is the destination for Northeast mountain bikers.

The weekend-long event kicks off on Friday evening with registration and a night ride at the Green Mountain Trails complex in Pittsfield, Vermont. Most of the action takes place on Saturday, though, starting with a critical mass group ride down Killington’s gnarliest jump trail, Black Magic. Tasting sessions throughout the day showcased 16 brewers and nearly 40 beers in the 2018 event. A whip-off competition brought out an afternoon crowd, followed by the pond cross skinny bridge challenge, live music and a bonfire after-party to take the revelry deep into the night. The Beast of a Bike Swap runs all weekend, and Sunday featured more riding and timed downhill race.

According to Ben Colona, Killington’s director of retail at Killington Bike Shop, “Vermont Bike and Brew has been a great way to get the season started. It’s nice to see a bunch of familiar faces after the long winter, and we think this event has a lot of potential in the coming years.”

Killington Mountain Bike Club Bike Bum Race Series

Along with his Killington retail duties, Ben Colona is also the president of Killington Mountain Bike Club, a local chapter of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association established in 2015 with the purpose of building trails in the Killington area, introducing new riders to the sport, and promoting all of the great riding the region has to offer.

The club spearheaded construction of the Sherburne Trails, a 4.5 mile trail network located north of Killington Resort on Route 100. In 2016, looking for a way to generate the necessary revenue for building and maintaining the trail network, club members hit on the idea of running a weekly Bike Bum Race Series. The series is modeled on Killington’s Ski Bum Race Series, which has been taking place on winter Wednesdays for decades. Both race series’ feature a fun, timed race, followed by an after-party at a local establishment, complete with gear raffles and prizes. One key difference, however, is that where the ski bum race is limited to folks 21 years of age or older, the Bike Bum Race is open to all ages.

“We really wanted to have an event that was family friendly, where kids and parents felt welcome. Our goal is to build the local mountain bike community and grow the sport, and bringing families into the sport accomplishes that,” Colona said. It seems to be working. In 2018, a total of 250 riders registered to race at least one of the weekday events, and the busiest race of the season saw 147 of them show up. “We had 71 riders under the age of 18 this year,” Colona added, “and 35 were under the age of 11.” The races certainly seem to appeal to a broad cross section of the community. “Our youngest rider was 4 years old, and our oldest was 70,” Colona noted.

The races take place just about every Wednesday afternoon all summer long, and racers can sign up for a single race, or the whole season; as part of a team, or solo. The race takes place on one of Killington’s downhill bike trails, and is suitable for riders of intermediate or above ability. The only requirement is a helmet, although a properly maintained full suspension bike, full-face helmet, and protective pads are strongly recommended.

Following their race runs, most participants adjourn to the after party—held at a different local establishment each week—for appetizers, drink specials and the always-popular weekly prize raffle. The parties tend to be raucous affairs, with adults rehashing their race-day heroics as the little ones weave in and out of the crowd, filling up on free finger food.  

“Seeing the smiles on the kid’s faces, or anyone’s face really, is the most gratifying thing,” Colona Said. “It could be an adult who maybe never imagined they’d be racing downhill on a mountain bike, or somebody improving their time from last week, or moving up in their age group standings. It’s a really special thing to be a part of.”

Divas of Dirt

Since 2016, professional downhill and enduro mountain bike racer Amy Alton has hosted a bi-weekly group ride and after-party exclusively for female mountain bikers. The rides take place every other Friday evening, from 4-6 p.m. and participation is free for those with a bike and Bike Park lift ticket or pass. Discounted rates are available for those who need to rent a bike, protective gear, or purchase a lift ticket.

Alton’s enthusiasm for the sport is palpable— she grows more animated as she speaks about mountain biking in general, and especially women’s mountain biking. In her own words, “Divas of Dirt is a gathering of women who want to ride bikes together, and have a really good time doing it. When women have an opportunity to come together, they can overcome fears in the group or community that they struggle with if they’re riding alone, or with a boyfriend or husband.”

Everything about the Divas of Dirt is designed to break through the intimidation that Alton says many women feel when approaching the sport of mountain biking. The sessions are short and the commitment level is low—there’s no formal registration process, just show up at the scheduled time and join the group. And riders are free to duck in and out of the ride at any time.

Word of Alton’s unique approach is reaching far and wide. She’s had women travel from as far away as Maine and Maryland to attend her sessions, and she’s seen as many as thirty women show up for a ride. The Divas of Dirt has been so successful that she’s started enlisting the help of other female pros to help her lead the rides.

I asked Alton what she would say to a woman who was unsure whether the Divas of Dirt was a good fit for them. “If you’re interested in getting into the sport of mountain biking, especially downhill mountain biking, this is a great foray into that, in a bike park that offers true beginner progression trails. You’re not going to get injured, because you’ll stay within terrain that’s at your level, and you’ll be riding with other women that can help guide you along the way.”

Alton does require each rider to wear a full-face helmet (discounted rentals are available) and she stresses that participants should have the basics down—an understanding of how to use the brakes at a minimum. For riders who have never ridden a mountain bike, she suggests a Learn to Ride lesson first. After that, by all means, come join Amy Alton for a Divas of Dirt ride. “It’s a celebration of women and mountain biking,” she says.

Fox US Open of Mountain Biking

In August of 2018, a new event—the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking—came to Killington. Taking place over five days, the Fox US Open featured downhill racing across many categories, including kids and an adaptive race, an enduro race,and Best Whip Competition. An interactive Festival Village packed with vendors, live music, cookouts, a bonfire and on-site camping rounded out the event for racers, families and fans alike.

Clay Harper, co-founder and race director of the Fox US Open, staged the first iteration of the event at Diablo Bike Park (now Mountain Creek Bike Park) in 2003. He created the US Open as a more fun and inclusive way to host a world class downhill race—more of a festival of downhill mountain bike culture than a traditional competition. And the US Open’s fun-first format, combined with its impressive $40,000 cash purse, certainly seems to bring out the sport’s best riders—the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking brought professional riders from locations as far flung as New Zealand, Australia, and Norway.

“With the growth of the US Open, we initially looked Killington to host the 2018 event because it’s a bigger mountain, a bigger venue, and the area has plenty of lodging available,” Harper said, adding, “Killington was also willing and able to invest in the event, building a new top to bottom trail for the downhill, which was very important to us. And the community was supportive too, from the local Killington community right up to the state of Vermont, which partnered with us to help get the word out.”

Word certainly seems to have gotten out. About 250 competitors traveled to the event, along with 5,500 spectators. The event kicked off on Wednesday, August 1, with three days of course inspection and training for the athletes, leading up to Saturday’s GT Bicycles Downhill, the Fox US Open’s flagship event. Rowdy and raucous spectators lined up along nearly every inch of the steep 3km course, which dropped more than 1700 vertical feet from the top of Killington’s K-1 Express Gondola to the Festival Village at K-1 Base Lodge. The fun continued after the race was over, with a twilight outdoor concert, and a bonfire after party that went into the wee hours. On Sunday, there was more racing with the Adaptive Downhill, GT Bicycles Enduro Race, Best Whip Competition, and the Grom Bomb Kids Downhill, which saw 62 future stars of the sport compete, cheered on by elite racers like Men’s Fox US Open Downhill Champion, Neko Mulally.

As vendors broke down the Festival Village and racers and fans filed out of the venue on Sunday afternoon, everyone I spoke to was buzzing with the endorphin high of a successful event. Jay Rosenbaum, Killington’s chief Bike Park trail builder, was proud of the work his crew had done on the GT Bicycles Downhill Course, and already looking ahead to next year. “I have a couple tweaks I want to make ahead of next year’s race,” he said, “minor things to increase the speed a bit here and there.” Clay Harper was taking notes too. “This was a tremendous success for a first year event. I think we can come back and have an even bigger, smoother-running event next year.”