CANMORE – Hype heightens as the third annual Plaid Goat Mountain Bike Fest returns this week (June 21-23) and organizers have big news about big names attending.
The full three-day event celebrating mountain bike culture features a high-flying jump jam, bike rodeo, coaching clinics, tons of group rides, live music, and 40 vendors at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
“It’s an exciting year for us because some of the people coming are pretty big deals in the mountain biking world,” said Plaid Goat founder Wanda Bogdane.
The charm of the bike fest surrounds its strong-personality based events and coming to festivities are Canadian mountain bike icons and Kamloops natives Graham Agassiz and Brett Tippie.
Tippie will commentate Saturday’s Jump Jam, while Agassiz, or Aggy as he’s known, will compete alongside his 16-year-old teammate Soren Farenholtz.
“I’ve watched Soren grow into himself over the past few years and look forward to competing with him at the Jump Jam,” said Agassiz, in a press release. “He’s a dirt jump and slopestyle specialist, and nothing’s better than sessioning with your teammates.
“We’re both stoked to join the regional riders who will be shredding and spectating on Saturday (June 22).”
Bogdane added that having Tippie visit Alberta is a “big deal in the mountain bike world,” and “all indications are it’s going to be another banner year” for Plaid Goat.
“The program is really packed nicely,” she said. “Anyone can find what they want and it’s an individual buffet of mountain bike activities.
“This year is such a special year, having such a huge program, and we received a [$62,500] grant from Alberta allowing us to do all this stuff. There’s no way an event of this nature could have happened without grants.”
Once again, Plaid Goat is partnering with the seventh annual TransRockies Rundle’s Revenge, which includes mountain biking on Saturday and trail running on Sunday at the Nordic Centre.
The two events are separate, but Bogdane said they’re “wicked friends.”
“The beautiful thing about having such an agile program and so many partners, things will always change in there and there will be new landscapes and opportunities,” Bogdane said. “The program is always dynamic.”
Volunteers are being sought for the event and for those interested or to find a schedule of events, visit plaidgoat.ca.
