The Mountain Bike Hall Of Fame held its 2017 inductions on September 23rd at the Hall’s Fairfax, California, location. This is the second year the inductions have been held at the Hall of Fame since moving from the Interbike Cycling Trade Show in Las Vegas. The festivities again included a Friday taco night meet-and-greet, Saturday morning guided mountain bike rides and Saturday night’s $125-a-plate induction dinner.
What the night lacked due to a drop-off in celebrity attendees compared to last year’s event, was made up for in a more concise and focused induction ceremony where introductions and acceptance speeches were kept to reasonable and entertaining lengths. Like inductee Wolfgang Renner said, “you can read all about me in the night’s program” and then proceeded to share his enthusiasm and love of mountain biking.
The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame has been criticized for cronyism and provincialism. This year’s inductees dispel such accusations. The inductees came from Europe and America and all four contributed to the sport of mountain biking in very different ways. It is proof that the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame is maturing and improving with each year.
There are many ways to become an active (voting) member in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Click here for ways to become involved. Be sure to add the Hall to your things-to-do list on your next visit to Marin County.
Saturday night’s 2017 induction inside the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame was a well-attended event that helped raise awareness (and money) for the Hall.Wolfgang Renner kept his acceptance speach short and very sweet. His love of mountain biking was evident.Former downhill world champ, Giovanna Bonazzi, revealed that she is more than a cycling champion. She won an Italian national championship for her gelato.I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Brent Foes (and his amazing work) for many years. I feel he is the true father of the long-travel, dual-suspension (and sometimes single-suspension) mountain bike. Brent had to fabricate his own shock for an early creation because nobody was making shocks for mountain bikes at the time. He is the epitome of a fabricator. The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame is full of treasured items. Plan to spend a good amount of time on your first (or next) visit.Gone are the old flip-board bios detailing the Hall of Fame inductees, replaced by a digital, interactive, touch-screen display. The Hall is being constantly upgraded by its dedicated, volunteer staff.A great way to support the Hall of Fame is to buy a brick (like Jim Hasenauer did) on the Mt. Tam Legacy Wall with your name or the name of someone special to you. Click here for more info.I didn’t know a lot about Mark Norstad because he is one of those guys who does his magic behind the scenes. His contribution to mountain biking qualifies him as an unsung hero of our sport.
