This past weekend, The Oregon Coast Visitors Association joined riders from around the US and abroad in Oakridge, Oregon for three days of downhill mountain biking, camping, and music.
This was our second year as title sponsors for Mountain Bike Oregon, which is an incredible opportunity for us to bring the stoke of Oregon Coast trails to the biggest mountain bike event in the state.
The event kicked off during the Thursday night welcome party with a few words from our South Coast Destination Coordinator, Dave Lacey, who welcomed everyone on behalf of OCVA and introduced our coastal mountain bike networks and Ride the Dirt Wave events.
The real action went on Friday-Sunday, with all-day shuttles taking riders into the mountains for epic views and descents. With free bike demos available each day, and long days ending at the beverage garden with free drinks from Deschutes Brewery, this was truly a mountain biker’s paradise.
Starting Friday, our team loaded up on the shuttle bus and rode endless miles of Oregon’s best singletrack. The stoke was high, and we carried it into our Title Sponsor Happy Hour, where we welcomed riders to snack on local seafood and coastal beers from Public Coast. We played frisbee golf, chatted about all things bikes, raffled off some People’s Coast and South Coast Tours swag, and sent riders home with their own Ride the Dirt Wave socks and hats.
On Saturday evening, the party ended with the premiere of Brice Shirbach’s Oregon Coast Road Trip film, part of his ‘Underexposed’ mini documentary series. In the film, Brice explores our coastal trail systems and chats with the locals who make it possible, including Sierra Spinler (Local Stewardship Team at Klootchy Creek Trails), Daniella Crowder (Vice President, Newport Trail Stewards), and Zach Martin (Chair of Wild Coast Trails Association).
After a long day of riding, it was so rewarding to watch the film next to the people who make these trails and events possible. It’s truly a community labor of love, and Brice captured the heart of our trails in his film.
Over the long weekend we rode with seasoned MBO attendees and first-time riders, and got them excited to check out the coast trails. The best part? Riders agree that the coast is the perfect mountain biking location because it’s not just trails— with the beach, hiking, and water activities nearby, it offers something to keep the whole family busy for an extended trip.
We can’t wait to get back up to Oakridge for more epic riding, and in the meantime, we look forward to welcoming all the new riders to our home trails.
Why was OCVA in Oakridge?
This was OCVA’s second year as the title sponsor for MBO. But why did the coast sponsor an inland event? In many ways, Oakridge is a lot like us. Like other small towns on the coast, Oakridge was once a logging town. Tourism, especially trail systems and events like this, offer a way for these towns to reinvent themselves. Mountain biking and other outdoor recreation opportunities offer a lot to these shifting economies, and Oakridge offers a great example of just how well-loved these places can be.
So what better place to get people excited about our coastal trail system than at the premier mountain biking event in the state?Over 500 riders are now stoked to check out the coast on two wheels, and we can’t wait to see them on the trails.