It goes without saying that 2020 has been a tough year for all, and High Fives is certainly not exempt. Travel and group restrictions have caused the cancellations of the majority of our events and camps. This has been difficult, especially, when seeing the smile on an Athletes’s face and sharing a High Five with them is one of our most favorite things.
Because of this, we were beyond excited when we found out that we would be able to host not one, but two days of adaptive mountain biking at Northstar Resort thanks to the incredible support of an EpicPromise Grant.
Of course, the safety of our Athletes and community is of utmost importance. In order to ensure this safety, we committed to maintaining social distancing protocols and requiring each individual to wear a mask. Most importantly, we were committed to hosting a safe and effective camp for our Athletes because any day you can get in the mountains and ride with your friends is a great day. At the end of the day, an air high five is still a High Five.
In addition, we were fortunate enough to get rockstar treatment from Northstar Resort. Through the EpicPromise Grant, High Fives was able to host both of these mountain bike camps on days the rest of the mountain was closed to the public. Yes, you read that correctly. Northstar provided High Fives TWO PRIVATE days of mountain biking! Not only was this the safest option of keeping our group size and interaction limited, but also allowed Athletes loaded onto the lifts without any outside pressure.
We invited a small group of local Athletes and had one heck of a great time. The smokey California skies did little to slow anyone down. Northstar staff buffed and watered the trails in order to give riders the perfect conditions to progress their skills and have a blast.
With the help of City of Reno and Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, we had Bikes for everyone to try. Coaching and mentorship were provided to assist and support new riders. Everyone was super keen to really get after it and progress their skills.
Ricci Kilgore was riding on the High Fives Foundation’s new Bowhead Reach mountain bike. While it may have only been Ricci’s second time on the Bowhead, it took no time for her to get into the groove. It looked like she had been riding it for years! Her natural athleticism was apparent. She railed turns and hit perfect landings on big jumps.
Throughout the two days of riding at Northstar, we were able to get a total of 16 Adaptive Athletes out on the trails. New High Five Athletes like Shelby Estocado, Bryan Noonan, and Ryan Bodine were taught by experienced High Five Athletes like Jason Abraham and Jarred Evans.
High Fives Athlete Ricci Kilgore absolutely SHREDDING!
Being able to host camps like these with the support of Northstar Resort allows us to build and strengthen our commnuity while giving Athletes something to look forward to and truly enjoy.
A huge Thank you to all those that made this camp possible:
Darn Tough Vermont, Arcade, Vapur, Charlotte’s Web Phunkshun, Lone Mountain Printing, Clif Bar, Smith Optics, big truck, Locale Outdoor, Ride Concept, and MORE.
To see all the photos for our Amazing days at Northstar follow these links:
