Tales from the Trails: Raging River Contest

Tales from the Trails: Raging River Contest

Congrats to our winner, Xuân Mai Võ! Read her winning tale, Raging Against the Machine: Down in the Dirt

A contest to tell the craziest story from the riding zone we specify, this time for Raging River. Your tale must be based on an actual experience, but we encourage creativity. Entries will be posted here and shared on social media. Finalists (as decided, in an utterly biased manner, by Dan & Justin) will judged by a panel of five esteemed dirtbags to select our winner.

Our Tiger Tales contest was a huge success. For inspiration, check out the stories, including the winning tale; Against the Odds, Against the Beast, by José Ramírez!

The final contest for the year, Tokul Tales, will be held this coming November.

The Raging River Prizes

Prize pack for Tales from the Trails: Raging River. PNW Components, Dirtco, Abit Gear.

The winner of Tales from the Trails: Raging River receives this great prize package.

Dirtco: Raging River tees in men's and women's, Raging River cap, Raging River decals.

PNW Components:

  • Range handlebar. 31.8mm handlebar that plays nicely with modern geos. With 10° back sweep and 5° upsweep, the Range: KW Edition helps put your shoulder blades in a more neutral position while reducing wrist fatigue and discomfort.
  • Loam grips  with an ultra tacky compound and ergonomic pattern to support your palms and help relieve any fatigue caused by trail chatter and long days in the saddle. Available in 9 great colors!

Abit Gear: Enduro Mountain bike shorts. Premium quality shorts in either Slim Fit or Athletic Fit, featuring cam-lock waist adjusters, 3 zip pockets and nylon 4-way stretch fabric with DWR finish.

Contest Details and Rules

  • Be creative! Have fun! Your tale must be based in the riding area specified, and be based on a real experience.
  • Give your tale a title.
  • Submit at least one image with your story, up to five total. 
  • Include your name and contact info
  • We will screen entries for appropriate content. Tales of  doing stupid things, being weird, getting wild, building trails, crashing, partying, being a hero are all fine, but we'll reject anything that isn't good-natured. This is 100% at our discretion.
  • Exit 27 and unsanctioned trails: edit out names of any trail not "on the map". Be creative and a bit cagey, maybe use fake names. We'll edit out or redact any trail names or descriptions that we feel bring too much attention to any unsanctioned trail.
  • Privacy waiver: As a condition of entry, entrants grant Abit Gear LLC, Dirtbag Supply Co, and PNW Components (the “Sponsors”) the irrevocable right and permission to use photographs and/or video recordings and/or writings submitted on Sponsors and other websites and in publications, promotional flyers, advertising materials, derivative works, or for any other similar purpose without compensation to entrant. 

    Entrants hereby release, acquit and forever discharge the Sponsors, its current and former members, owners, agents, officers and employees of the above-named entities from any and all claims, demands, rights, promises, damages and liabilities arising out of or in connection with the use or distribution of said photographs and/or video recordings, including but not limited to any claims for invasion of privacy, appropriation of likeness or defamation.
  • We will pick a limited number of finalists to be judged by a panel of 5 dirtbags, who will select the contest winner.
  • Submission Deadline: Tiger Mountain entrants must submit their story by October 1, 2020.
  • Email your entry to info@abitgear.com with the subject line Raging Tales.
  • Entered stories will be posted to https://abitgear.com/blogs/tales-from-the-trails and shared to social media.

Meet Your Esteemed Panel of Dirtbag Judges

Ady Bee Lane, director of the Sturdy Bitch Racing team that puts on the Sturdy Dirty Enduro, board member with Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, volunteer trail builder and mom in her spare time.

Aaron Edwards, Washington State ambassador at Trailforks, cheerleader at PNW Mountain Bikers community group and sharer of MTB stoke to all.
.. and stump ghost hunter with friend, Dan Saimo!

Emily Kerson, co-owner and founder of PNW Components, veteran of the MTB industry, and the creative eye behind PNW's branding. 

Dan Saimo, owner and design genius behind Dirt Bag Supply Co, long time builder / rider and co-founder of the Dirt Corps with Matt Patterson.  

Justin Vander Pol, founder of Abit Gear, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance's first Executive Director, and long time trail builder with the Highlife Crew. 

Tale #1: Weirdo on the Road by Dave Hutton

Raging River Tale #1: Weirdo on the Road by Dave Hutton

...it was one of those situations where you want to look back and confirm everything you saw...but I also felt awkward about the interaction and so kept pedaling with that feeling of someone watching my back. It was such a weird encounter that I kept thinking about all the likely... Read the tale!

Tale #2: High and Low by Paul Andrews

Tales from the Trails: High and Low by Paul Andrews

...new trails — an entire new trail system! — had been opened just half an hour from Seattle. Raging River, the emerging crown jewel of Pacific Northwest mountain biking.

And then, the whispers began. I can’t remember exactly where I was... Read the Tale!

Our Winner! Tale #3: Raging Against the Machine: Down in the Dirt by Xuân Mai Võ

Tales from the Trails: Raging Against the Machine: Down in the Dirt by Xuân Mai Võ

...through jarring bar-meet-tree incidents, and provided the painful awareness that flat pedals stick to shins as well as they do Stealth Rubber. Exhausted, muddied and bloodied, I was smitten. Happy as a pig in mud... Read the Tale!

Tale #4: Somebody’s Watching Me by Dan Saimo

Tale #4: Somebody’s Watching Me by Dan Saimo

... I turned around to look at the moon and up on the ridgeline I could see the spooky outline of what appeared to be a monolithic head. It reminded me of an Easter Island statue somehow transported to Cascadia. But this one looked scary as it’s crazy strands of hair shooting up from it’s head and thin furrowed eyes... Read the Tale!

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