2019 Northstar Epic Promise Bike Camp – 2 days
THANKS TO A NORTHSTAR EPIC PROMISE GRANT, THE HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION HOSTED 2 DAYS OF ADAPTIVE MOUNTAIN BIKING AT NORTHSTAR RESORT, IN TRUCKEE, CA With disabled sports eastern Sierra & the City of Reno. FIRST-TIME MOUNTAIN BIKERS WERE COACHED BY VETERAN RIDERS AND MENTORS, GIVING ATHLETES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHRED TOGETHER. THANKS TO NORTHSTAR AND EPIC PROMISE, HIGH FIVES ENJOYED TWO DAYS OF ABSOLUTE FUN!
DAY 1
August 30th, 2019 | Photo Credit: Jordan Drew
RIDERS EAGERLY GATHERED IN THE VILLAGE AT NORTHSTAR RESORT AND QUICKLY LOADED THE BIG SPRINGS GONDOLA TO BEGIN THEIR DAY OF RIDING. THREE ATHLETES IN ATTENDANCE including Bill Travers, Thomas Cloyd & RICCI KILGORE, NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED THE BEAUTY OF MOUNTAIN BIKING AND THEIR EXCITEMENT WAS PALPABLE! AFTER A BRIEF SAFETY MEETING, High Fives Founder, ROY TUSCANY DISHED OUT SWAG BAGS. A HUGE HIGH FIVE TO OUR SPONSORS Yeti, GoPro and Yakima FOR THE SUPPORT AND ANOTHER HIGH FIVE TO THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS FOR PROVIDING GEAR TO THE ATHLETES: POC SPORTS FOR HELMETS, GLOVES, AND SHORTS, Phunkshun FACEMASKS, Vapur WATER BAGS, JERSEYS FROM Red Brick Clothing, SHOES FROM RIDE CONCEPTS, HATS FROM Bigtruck, Zealios SUNSCREEN, Darn Tough VT SOCKS, BASELAYERS FROM Saxx. ATHLETES STAYED FUELED AND HYDRATED THANKS TO RED BULL, NOOMA, AND Clif Bar.
ONCE EVERYONE WAS FITTED INTO THE PROPER BIKE, THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO DO BUT GET OUT ONTO THE TRAILS.
THE MORE EXPERIENCED RIDERS; RYAN ST. LAWRENCE, JASON ABRAHAM, JARED EVANS, LANDON MCGAULEY, STEVE WALLACE, AND SKYE CHANEY WERE QUICK TO TAKE THE NEW RIDERS UNDER THEIR WINGS AND SHOW THEM SOME BASIC RIDING TECHNIQUES. MTB CELEBRITY AND RED BULL RAMPAGE PRO RIDER, PAUL BASAGOTIA, COACHED ATHLETES ON TRAIL SELECTION AND PROPER LINE CHOICE
Mountain biking with High Fives at Northstar was absolutely fantastic. Since my injury I had wanted to ride, but hadn’t found the opportunity as bikes are pretty expensive. Getting the chance to test out different styles of bike and then absolutely shred the mountain was amazing, now that I’ve done it and know I can hold my own, I will definitely be going out riding again. Was also amazing to see some of the more seasoned guys absolutely ripping the mountain, impressive stuff to see live.Thomas Cloyd
THE SMILES GREW BIGGER AFTER EACH RUN AS THE RIDERS DEVELOPED THEIR SKILLS ON THE BIKES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, RIDERS FEASTED ON PIZZA AT RUBICON IN THE VILLAGE AND EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH FUN THEY HAD AND HOW THEY COULDN’T WAIT UNTIL THEY WERE ABLE TO GET BACK ON THE BIKES.
Day 2
September 13, 2019 | Photo Credit: Peter Day Photo
Round two of the Northstar Epic Promise camp began similarly to the first, all the Athletes met at the base of the Northstar gondola and eagerly loaded to head to the top of the mountain. The process of getting riders dialed into their bikes went quicker, as riders knew exactly which bike they intended to ride.
Ricci Kilgore was super keen to get out on the Bowhead Corp Adaptive mountain bike and was the first person on the lift. She spent the whole morning racking up laps, each time getting faster and more confident. After every lap, she zoomed past the High Fives hangout area with a huge smile on her face and said “going for another one!”
I was having the time of my life out on the trails, I have never really mountain biked before but after the first lap I was hooked. The bikes allow me to experience the trails and feel one with nature but at the same time scare myself and do some shredding!Ricci Kilgore
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR NOVICE RIDERS, ORION OWENS AND WILL SANDELL TO QUICKLY FIGURE OUT WHAT IT TOOK TO KEEP UP WITH THE REST OF THE GROUP. WITHIN A FEW SHORT LAPS, ORION WAS LEADING THE CHARGE WITH A SMILE PLASTERED ON HIS DUSTY FACE.
High Fives Founder, Roy Tuscany has clearly discovered a deep love for biking and was absolutely charging the bike park from first to last chair, notching a massive twelve runs. On the chair after each run he was asking the instructors for tips and you could tell that he was following their advice because by the end of the day he was schralping berms and catching some serious air. It was truly impressive to see how much his downhill riding ability improved from first lap to last.
After sustaining a spinal cord injury from catching too much air in 2006, I have always been scared to once again catch air in any sport, but the equipment, the trails, the staff and the vibe from the day, made it possible for me to feel comfortable catching air and riding the trails with confidence at NorthstarHigh Fives Founder and CEO, Roy Tuscany
As the second day of downhill mountain biking at Northstar Resort wrapped up, the conversations at dinner revolved around the good times and new friendships formed. The Epic Promise Northstar adaptive bike camps were done for the year, but will not be quickly forgotten.
None of these great times and incredible learning experiences would have been possible without the help of volunteers, Rob Jarvis, Zeke Levenworth, the tips, help and encouragement from Northstar staff, the coaching from the Specialized Academy and the support of our generous sponsors POC, Red Brick Clothing, Phunkshun, Clif Bar, Vapur, BigTruck, Darn Tough VT, Arcade, Zealios, Yeti, Saxx, GoPro, Yakima, & NOOMA.
If you would like to see more photos see the links below:
Day 1: Jordan Drew, Alpine Media Photos
Day 2: Peter Day Photo
