Kali Kamp 2016

During the first week of August, Kali hosted the 4th annual Kali Kamp, a two-day Central California dealer event held around Big Bear Lake, filled with chilling, grilling, and riding.

Organized in conjunction with Kali sales rep, Jon Sacks, 25 riders from 14 Central California shops and industry made the trek to Big Bear with the goal of getting out of the office and out of the shop to enjoy the fruits of our industry. According to Jon, "I do this in the effort to get these dealers out of their shops and on trail to try our products in real world conditions."

The trip started with everyone meeting up at the cabin in Big Bear, where gear and supplies (mostly beer) were unloaded and introductions made. We all connected as a group, which isn't hard to believe since we all had just ditched our day jobs to ride bikes in the mountains east of Los Angeles. As more people arrived, we reviewed the Kamp schedule, discussed best practices, prepped our gear, and began some product review sessions. As beverages began to open, Kelly Steelman gave the crew a nice overview of the latest from Küat Racks, while other riders were set up on demo bikes provided by KHS Bicycles.



Day 1 of riding kicked off with a quick breakfast and loading of bikes for a short drive to the trailhead on the north shore of the lake. Starting with fire road climb, we made our way to Hanna Flat trail and began the climb to Grey's Peak. There, we had a trail lunch while enjoying our overlook of Big Bear Lake. The group had some talent, and it didn't take long for a train to form on the loose and dusty descent back down the mountain.




While some called it a day and headed back to the cabin, others geared up for a second lap of Hanna Flat, this time skipping the final pitch to Grey's Peak. With about 20 miles and 2,500ft of climbing in the legs, the second group called it a day.




Enjoying the afternoon sun outside the cabin with some hop-infused recovery drinks, the group settled in for some product seminars from the various companies that supported the Kamp before heading into the village for a well-deserved dinner. "We don't get our customers to drink Koolaid, we drink IPA," Jon Sacks. Kali owner and lead engineer, Brad Waldron was on hand to talk about the latest projects in the works and answered many questions about the research going on in helmet protection. "I really enjoy this event for its chill vibe, one-on-one discussions, and great riding with good people," said Waldron. "It's hard, if not impossible, to replicate this quality time in the day-to-day chaos of a shop. So, we really appreciate everyone coming out to join us for a few days riding."


In addition to enjoying the local trails, the Kamp proudly raised over $500 to adopt-a-trail for the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation. The funds are going to the construction and maintenance of the Champion Lodgepole Pine and Bluff Mesa Trails, biking and hiking trails that are also used for the Kenda Cup Cross Country Race Series.

Day 2, and reluctantly the final day, started at the base of Snow Summit Ski & MTB Resort. Riders got to choose to either ride the bike park or the surrounding trails. The Kali Road Warrior, Cedar Kyes, was also on hand just in case any riders got a little too rowdy.





Luckily there were no major crashes or mechanicals, but one park rider with a particularly badly busted helmet was noticed by the KRW. The rider was able to trade in his old lid for a brand new Kali Maya enduro helmet.



We would like to thank all those who were able to attend this event and all the sponsors who supported it. We look forward to seeing you all again at Kali Kamp 2017.


Event Sponsors:
- Kali Protectives / @KaliProtectives
- KHS Bicycles
- Ryders Eyewear / @RydersEyewear
- Kuat Racks
- Lizard Skins / @LizardSkins
- Honey Stinger
- Krytonite
- Timber MTB Bells
- Rocket Pure
- Maxima USA / @MaximaBIKE
- Kramp Krushers
- Maxxis Tires / @Maxxis

Photos provided by Nathan Cannon, Cedar Kyes, and Jon Sacks.