Showdown Shout-out! Recap, Videos, and more!

At first we thought an opera house might be a weird gathering place for a group of hardcore mountain bikers, but last Friday Oct 19, at the Green Mountain Showdown, you guys bellowed, sang and grandstanded like fat ladies with horned helmets…and we loved it!

We also didn’t know whether a fall gathering would appeal to the MTB masses but when we saw the line-up down the street from the High Park Opera House at 7:30 pm, we knew it was going to be a blockbuster.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the 2nd Annual Showdown. About 150 of us packed the theatre and enjoyed epic videos and slideshows, spoken word, awesome prize giveaways, music and, of course, the inaugural eMBies, the People’s Choice Awards for all things mountain biking in Vermont. (For more about the eMBies, check out our winners page.)

There are many key people and organizations we have to thank including Tom Stuessy of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (nice keynote dude!) and Skye Nacel of the Mocean Project, who mastered the MC gig. Thanks for all your help with the organizing you two. And to Walter P. (aka DJ Rekkon): your music moved us. Thanks.

We also need to thank Long Trail Brewery and Green Mountain Distillers, who have plied us with their fine liquors and ales since our very humble beginnings. Once again they stepped up with donations at this Showdown and to them we say, “Proste.”

Darn Tough Socks have always been there for us like, uh, a favorite pair of socks and for that we raise our 10 little piggies to salute you. Thanks for all the schwag and support you guys.

Some of the best bike shops in Vermont were represented at the event and we owe ‘em our business: thank you to iRide, Chucks Bikes, The Skier Shop and East Burke Sports, for stepping up. Be sure to step in to their stores and show ‘em some love.

A huge high-five to Natalie Vogt for hand-crafting some of the best trophies this state has ever seen. And thanks to you and Lilias Ide for passing them out at the event.

Shout outs to Backcountry Magazine and Dirt Rag Magazine for donating prizes. Buy these mags. Read ‘em. Love ‘em.

And a huge thanks to the resorts and trail organizations Killington Mountain Bike Park, Kingdom Trails, Burke Bike Park, Trapp Family Lodge, Highland Mountain Bike Park and the Fellowship of the Wheel. Were it not for you all, we’d still be slicing sniggles through private properties. Thank you for your support and for giving us all a place to play.

Of course a multi-media event like the Showdown isn’t complete without some sick pics and vids to get our stoke on. For that we have to thank Mad River Valley explorers Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson for their submission about biking in Vermont, the arctic and the Alps; Dale and Darcy Cahill for reading the moving piece “Going Downhill” (to read that story click here); and young vid ace Henry Miles who’s video edits rival that of the pros. Henry, you make us look good buddy!”

Then there were the other amazing slideshows and videos by local lensmen Bear Cieri, Erik Timmerman, Aaron Rohde, Chris Nelson, Evan Waldman, Jim Deshler, Danielle Owczarski, Dana Allen, Henry Miles, George Wissell as well as out-of-towners Ben Haulenbeek and Justin Schroth. What can we say? Were it not for people like you we’d just be looking at ourselves in the mirror all the time! Seriously though, you are all incredibly talented and we can’t thank you enough for the eyegasms.

And finally, thanks to the entire Vermont mountain bike community for continuing to support our grassroots efforts to celebrate the best sport in the world. See you at Winterbike!