Winter Woolly - Lift Access Fat Bike Event at Highland

Jan 11, 2017 at 17:19
by Highland Mountain Bike Park  
Fat Bike Event at Highland Mountain

February 11th, 2017 marks an historic milestone for Highland Mountain Bike Park. For the first time they will be opening up for fat biking!

Like all things Highland Mountain, the downhill park intends to come out swinging with a daylong event encompassing the best the fat bike world has to offer. Working in conjunction with neighboring fat bike party starters MTBVT (you may know them from events such as Winterbike and Überwintern), the Highland event will be based largely on the MTBVT format with organized group rides, a demo loop but with an H-land twist… DH laps and a DH fat bike race!

Yes folks, you heard it right, A DH FAT BIKE RACE! Making history twice in one day, Highland has planned a long descent connecting several of their iconic trails. The Highland trail crew will be sculpting snow on top of their dirt masterpieces to provide one of the most epic fat bike races to date.

Not a race type of rider? Multiple other trails will be groomed top to bottom for those looking for more leisurely descents as well as plenty of XC miles.

Fat Bike laps down Highland Mountain

“We’ve been following the fat bike scene for a while now and thought it would be cool to run the lifts in the winter.” says event co-founder Dave Smutok. “I’m looking forward to extending our operations at Highland into the winter, it will be a great chance to get the #highlandfamily back together with many new faces”.

Winter Woolly - Lift Access Fat Bike Event at Highland

The event will include an onsite demo garden, rentals through the bike shop, cafe, mid-mountain “CLIF Haus” sponsored by CLIF, campfire and apres entertainment at the lodge.

The DH Fat Bike Race is free with registration. The race will be one open class and based on single run timing. Prizes and glory await the fastest riders in this inaugural event.

Winter Woolly - Lift Access Fat Bike Event at Highland

Schedule:
7:00am Demo area setup
8:00am Registration/Lodge Open
9:00am Lifts start swinging
9:00am Vendor Garden opens
9:00am Race practice
12:00pm Race start
4:00pm Lifts close
4:30pm Awards
5:00pm Apre' Party

Event registration

$43 pre-registration online
$49 day of registration
$22 junior registration (12 and under)
$27 junior day of registration (12 and under)

See highlandmountain.com/winterwoolly for more info.

Register here.

Winter Woolly - Lift Access Fat Bike Event at Highland


MENTIONS: @Highland-Mountain-Bike-Park



Author Info:
Highland-Mountain-Bike-Park avatar

Member since Apr 22, 2009
69 articles

57 Comments
  • 49 0
 the fatbike industry just increased by 50%
  • 26 5
 I can't stand fat bikes on regular trails. I live in Colorado, let me on the lift with one at any ski resort and I would totally buy one.
  • 3 1
 HOOORRRREEEYYY... but
  • 9 1
 @bman33: just ski if you're going to a ski hill. I'm about this winter bike park thing though
  • 3 0
 @captaintyingknots: Yes, snow makes falling more comfortable, if thats make any sense...
  • 9 0
 @bman33: why? Fatbikers are getting out there and having fun on their bike, just like you are.
  • 6 0
 @captaintyingknots: Bikes are old man knee friendly...Ski's not so much..which is why a Fatty has allowed some like me year round fun!
  • 3 0
 @bman33: I brought a fatty specifically for Snow..and they rock..however I go back to skinny as soon as conditions allow!
  • 3 1
 Fat bikes are great in the snow, all about them there. Maybe it's more annoying the dweebs running around summer times DH trails on them that annoy me. He....I am just a humble a-hole with an opinion. Haha.
  • 2 0
 @bman33: I agree. This sounds fun on groomed runs
  • 3 0
 @RipShitzUps: plus ski boots are the most uncomfortable invention ever created!
  • 1 0
 @Beez177: Yes indeed
  • 1 0
 @captaintyingknots: Fatbiking on ski hills when conditions are crappy for skiing usually means the fat biking will be incredible.
  • 17 0
 Great open minded thinking by Highland. There are so many places where the snow coverage is marginal and / or on the shoulder seasons where letting a bike on the lifts makes perfect sense.
Seems fun as hell to me.
  • 5 0
 I agree, this may save some ski areas with the new modern "winters" in the northeast...ie...20 degrees for 2 days..followed by 50 degrees and then back to 20 all winter long!
  • 1 0
 Spirit Mountain in Duluth, MN has lift accessed fat biking every Sunday.
  • 13 3
 Fat Bike haters I find hilarious...basically they're saying...."how dare you use the right tool for the job". I was on a snow covered trail the other day, and we caught a tool, who was on a trail bike with studded 27.5's, who left 5 minutes before us, within 2 minutes, We passed him and never looked back! He shook his head and smirked at us in the parking area prior to heading out? Ummn..ok..we smoked ya!

Now don't get me wrong...I'm not one of those "I'll never go back guys"..as soon as the trails are hard and fast I shelf the fatty and out comes the 29er!
  • 3 0
 Watch out. 29er haters will bag on you now Seriously though, I don't think I'll ever buy one but I might rent one. I kind of like to buck the norm. Annoy people with too strong an opinion.
  • 1 0
 @RussellTinka: LOL...yeah, I was thinking the 29er haters may come out! I'm 6'2"..when 29ers came out I felt instantly at home on one...get those big wheels up to speed and lookout!
  • 10 0
 I ride one only cause can't ride anything else on snow. Just can't stay home
  • 9 0
 I'm getting a Fatty just thinking about this!!
  • 1 0
 ^^"fatty" I see what you did there.
  • 6 0
 I'm smoking a different kinda fatty while reading this!
  • 6 0
 i hope some ski resorts do something like this. you can create some sick stuff w snow and its easier to work w
  • 6 0
 Races in weekend in Lake Placid for the Empire State Winter Games the weekend prior as well.
  • 3 0
 UtahBikeMike nailed it on the head! Listen up all you resorts that already have the equipment to get bikes up the hill. We will buy passes on the non-powder days, and the skiers/boarders can have the lifts when its fresh & fluffy. Everybody wins.
  • 3 0
 I did a DH fatbike race last year and it was one of the funnest experiences of my life!

I ended up getting 2nd overall which was sweet. I am on a blue Surly iCT with a red jacket. I make my appearance about half way through the vid as I pass on the inside Smile

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jhmFzV1Rqc
  • 4 0
 Sounds awesome! 7 Springs should just reopen their bike park considering the only snow we have is machine blown on the main groomers.. : /
  • 6 0
 Yep, I'm sold
  • 5 0
 Got my Farley all set and ready for this, can't wait!
  • 5 0
 I want to ride that so bad. Frown
  • 7 5
 Fatbike and race does not compute, but hey you are outside playing so enjoy.
  • 8 1
 As long as something has wheels people will race them. Barbie jeep races for example.
  • 17 0
 Some of my fastest times downhill are on my fatbike. The trails get packed with edges like a bobsled run so you always have a berm. The trails are smooth and empty when it's 10 degrees outside. It's a different kind of fun, but fun nonetheless. The just go skiing argument fails because good snow skiing happens on opposite days to good fat bike days. When one is primo, you do that activity.
  • 5 7
 My prediction... on groomed slopes a regular DH bike will win...
  • 1 1
 @loganjo:

Depends on the snow
  • 4 1
 @loganjo: no regular bikes allowed, minimum of a 4 inch tire
  • 4 0
 @loganjo: I was one of the guys who got to test out the trails and even see if the idea was feasible. There's not a snowball's chance in hell (ha) that a DH bike would get enough traction to go fast around the corners, and by the time you pick up enough speed to catch back up, you've hit another corner.

Oof course, this depends on which trail the race is on, which I actually don't know.
  • 2 0
 As someone that has raced fatbikes in the northeast going on 3 seasons... Its alot of fun and it keeps you in amazing shape throughout the winter turning 7lbs of tires... I look forward to the season changes even more now, even more than when I was snowboarding
  • 3 0
 @loganjo: Who cares? The goal is to have fun! Smile
  • 3 0
 This is awesome! Way to go highland tup
  • 2 1
 Highland is small and tight enough to make night time riding on a few trails in the warmer shorter days of Fall - that would be cool.
  • 2 0
 praying for year round operation tbh
  • 2 0
 Spirit Mountain in Minnesota does this as well for any midwesterners!
  • 2 1
 Fat bikes, fat chicks, not much of a difference.... They're both so much fun to ride!
  • 1 0
 I hope we get a video report/race coverage... I'm pretty curious to see what this circus will look like!
  • 2 0
 I wished I lived where it snows, I would def buy one.
  • 2 4
 Fuck fat bikes, still
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