ADVENTURES
2011 JAMAICA
FAT TYRE FESTIVAL
WORDS/PHOTOS Ian Hylands
I've been to a plethora of places in my life, and been on many adventures, traveling a lot of miles to go on great rides, wait, I already said that. I feel like I'm starting to repeat myself, must be all the rum...
Andy Giles is a big part of the Jamaica Fat Tyre Festival. He and his partner in the Saint Mary's Off Road Bicycle Association, Jonathon Gosse, put in a lot of hours making the event happen, and while Jon takes care of a lot of logistics Andy always ends up riding with us. This years festival was a little smaller than in the past, that can be better or worse, depends on how you look at it. If nothing else it was definitely a more intimate experience. I had ridden with almost all of the participants in the past, and was stoked to hang out with all of them in Jamaica. Mike, Jamie, Marty, Marshall, Katie, Seb, Norval and Martin.
Blue Mountain has always been a great part of the tour, and this year was not going to be any different. Except this year we had a reason to go besides just riding. A year and a half ago our friend
Ken Klowak was killed in Mexico, and Ken had played a big part in the building of the trails near Blue Mountain. This was going to be his memorial...
It was a day to remember, many miles of trails were ridden, and ridden hard. Food was consumed, purely for sustenance, but enjoyed immensely as well, and then we rode again, and again. At the end of it all we were treated to the first Ken Klowak Memorial concert, featuring Jamaican stars Macka Diamond, Black Queen and others. It was truly a time to remember, or not, depending entirely on the amount of rum you drank...
This story could have a lot more words about roots and rocks and reggae, and rum. And the endless adventures that await in tropical Jamaica while the northern hemisphere is buried in snow, but really there isn't that much that I need to say. if you've been there you understand, if you haven't you probably don't, it's a state of mind. If you missed the first part of this story you can find it
here.
This years festival looks like it's already booked up, but feel free to contact
SMORBA for more info anyway.
A huge thanks to the events sponsors, without them it wouldn't be possible, or at least it wouldn't be the same.
Member since Jun 23, 2008
Katie Holden poses with Macka Diamond
can't expect you guys to recognize rockstars you've never heard of...
i've been lucky to see some amazing places around the world on a bike but Hagleys was my favourite. Bambaclaat
Ken Klowak worked in Ontario at.....oddly.....Blue Mtn. Resort building/designing trails for over 6 years and went to Jamaica to build world class trails that rivals Whistler. Ken was murdered in Mexico 2 years ago while on a site inspection tour/vacation. He left behind a vast number of friends and family. In Hagley Gap he left behind a legacy. It is in the form of 20plus miles of the most exotic singletrack I have ever seen. It is DEEP in the John Crow Blue Mountains and his local crew have stepped up the building and they do it like Ken taught them how to. Riding his trails on his memorial days were very moving. Sometimes I stopped and just cried.
i spent years searching the island for trails and found them in mi yard. I have had the honor of riding with the likes of everyone in those pics.
Of all the dirtbags I have ridden/met with in Jamaica not everyone gets it.You def got it.
Jamaicans are amazing people and the country is a gold mine of beauty. Riding with SMORBA gives you a connection to all of that and.....more
Memories that last a lifetime.
Cam and Birdman in 2008 www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4ADdzHwSeo
I mean don't get me wrong, but Jamaica sure is a nice country with people that know how to have fun, but it also faces obvious challenges that we could all help improve. And I see people get over there with multi-thousand $$$ bikes just riding their trails, eating their food, and getting drunk with them, something feels wrong. Yet you don't seem (I say *seem*) to realize how much visibility you could be giving for a good cause on this website and how much these people could benefit from the bicycle ; Its utility, its industry, its people.
Here, Pinkbike and Ian Hylands (seeing as though you've been answering lots of comments), here's some challenges for the 2012 Jamaica Fat Tyre Festival:
Mass used (but usable) bicycle donation to benefit the locals. Local's participation in races and events, why not? Donations of hygiene products, (legal) medication, hell, why not maple syrup?
These are just a few clues... Let me know what you think!
Take a look at my past stories on the event...
Lastly, yes, the Fat Tyre Festival is geared mainly to tourists. Remember, tourism is Jamaica's largest foreign exchange earner. Surely you are not suggesting it is more harmful for people to actually get out and mingle with Jamaicans than it is to lay on the beach at an all-inclusive. THat said, we would very much like to eventually have the Festival turn into a small tour operation OWNED and RUN by local Jamaican youth. But how do we make that happen unless we show people that there is legit riding here?
Of course this festival can't be worse than an all-inclusive as you suggested, but I was mainly referring to the ideal (again, I specify *ideal*) that Jamaica would simply NOT NEED or more realistically NEED LESS tourism to guarantee sustainable and healthy growth. This, I hope, we can all agree on as a preferable outcome shared by all warrants of international development.
Last words: Great photos, Ian.
I'd also agree that from a long term perspective a country wouldn't want to put all its eggs in the tourism basket. However, in the meantime people have to eat and we do the best we can distributing the Festival fee to local community suppliers who can benefit from the small boost. I appreciate your very valid concerns. It is only through conscious action that we can begin to make a dent in some of the large structural issues affecting us all. One Love.
Awsome pic there Ian