Mountain Bike Hall of Fame to Honor French DH Racer, Pioneer Innovator, Colorado Trail Activists & Seminal Cycling Group | News | mountain bike, mtb, mountain bike racing, freeride, Downhill MTB, bike tests, MBA, Mountain Bike Action, Ask RC, XC mountain bike, trek, specialized, giant bikes, mantis, ellsworth, foes, pump tracks,

Anne-Caroline Chausson (born October 8, 1977 in Dijon, France) is a French Olympic gold medalist in BMX, and downhill time trial and cross-country mass start, dual, and four-cross mountain bicycle racer, best known for having won fifteen Union Cycliste Internationale senior world championship rainbow jerseys, fourteen continental championships, and seven Mountain Bike World Cup championships, and, in part in view of which, for having been a nominee for the 2003 Laureus World Sports Awards Alternative Sportsperson of the Year.

Chausson capitalized on her previously successful BMX racing career that ended in 1993 and enjoyed quick success early in her mountain bike racing career, winning the 1993, 1994, and 1995 downhill junior world championship gold medals before matriculating to the senior circuit, at which she would win titles in eight consecutive years. Chausson has also been regarded to be the worlds greatest downhiller of all time. In 1996, when she finished second behind American Missy Giove for the overall World Cup title, Chausson captured the world title, defeating silver medallist American Leigh Donovan and Giove, who would claim the bronze. Chausson would once more finish second to Giove in the 1997 World Cup overall standings but easily claimed that year's world championship, defeating Swiss Marielle Saner and Finn Katja Repo.

In 1998, Chausson finally overcame Giove, with whom she would battle for nearly a decade, to win the World Cup title and subsequently won the world championship over World Cup bronze medallist Nolvenn LeCaer; she would repeat her double in 1999 and 2000, each time topping Giove for the World Cup title and Repo for the world championship.

In 2000, Chausson expanded her competitive repertoire, participating in the duals event, in which riders compete on parallel courses, composed of identical obstacles—primarily jumps and berms—in a single-elimination tournament, during the third season in which it was contested at the World Cup level, after which the 2000 iteration of the world championships featured the event for the first time; Chausson captured each crown, ahead each time of American Tara Llanes. Chausson once more participated in the duals event in 2001, failing to win a medal in the World Cup, won by Donovan, but winning the world championship once more, garnering the second and last duals title, this over Australian Katrina Miller, the World Cup silver medallist.

The four-cross BMX racing-inspired event, in which four cyclists ride on the same course betwixt gates, such that only the top finisher advances to a subsequent round, was chosen in 2001 by the National Off-Road Bicycle Association, the sports authority governing mountain biking for USA Cycling, to replace the duals and duals-slalom events and replaced the duals event in 2002 in both the World Cup and world championships competitions; Chausson nevertheless won the four-cross and downhill titles in each, ahead of countrymate Sabrina Jonnier in each, save for in the four-cross event at the world championships, where she topped Miller.

In 2007 she resumed BMX racing in pursuit of an Olympic medal in BMX racing which was making its debut in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. This effort was successful when she won the Gold Medal in Women's BMX. Since the Women's Final Event, the Medal Round, was staged before the Men's, she became the very first person to win a Gold medal-and of course a medal of any kind-in that sport.

COPMOBA, Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association

"20 years of building’em, so we can ride’em" will be the slogan to bring attention to the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association’s (COPMOBA) 20th anniversary celebration in 2009. In 1989 western Colorado mountain bikers and local land managers from the Bureau of Land Management decided to work together to "reach through the bureaucratic barbwire to make things happen". The result of that initial effort was the development of the 144-mile Kokopelli's Trail, connecting Loma, CO and Moab, UT and the formation of the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA).

COPMOBA was formed to coordinate the development of additional long distance trails, bolster community support, work with federal land managers and represent mountain bike interests. In 1990 COPMOBA used the same formula to open the 142-mile Tabeguache Trail, connecting Grand Junction, CO and Montrose, CO. The Kokopelli's and Tabeguache projects were so successful that the BLM used the lessons learned from the COPMOBA experience to develop a national recreation and trail policy that ultimately lead to a National Mountain Bike Strategy.

In 1995 a third long distance trail, the Paradox Trail, was added to the COPMOBA system creating a 345-mile "Grand Loop" of mountain biking. COPMOBA has developed hundreds of miles of mountain bike routes and built dozens of miles of trails. Loop systems along the Kokopelli's and Tabeguache trails have been recognized as some of the best-stacked loops trail systems in the country. COPMOBA has touched over 75 trails in the region through its trail advocacy and trail development program.

COPMOBA has been a leader in the development of innovative mountain bike trails. The technically challenging Moore Fun Trail, and Rustlers Loop, the first interpretive mountain bike trail, were developed in the early 2000’s. In 2007 the first BLM sanctioned "freeride" trail was built in the Lunch Loop area near Grand Junction. In 2008 COPMOBA, Hilltop House and the BLM completed Kids Meal trail, a kid-specific interpretive mountain bike trail.

COPMOBA has received numerous grants from IMBA, REI, and Colorado State Trails Program to fund trail projects. COPMOBA has organized over 150 mountain bike trail events partnering with other groups, businesses, and land agencies to provide more and better trails. Ongoing trail projects include new trails in the Lunch Loop and Bangs Canyon area, Palisade Rim, Gateway, CO, Grand Mesa and Ridgway, CO.

COPMOBA's effectiveness can be attributed to a collaborative, common sense approach towards trail development. Maintaining a respectful, professional relationship with land managers paved the way for trail projects. Construction of sustainable trails followed up by maintaining those trails demonstrated public land stewardship. Support for mountain bike ethics and responsible riding built trust and respect. COPMOBA's approach has been emulated and expanded upon by advocacy groups throughout the country. COPMOBA is a true pioneer in the realm of mountain bike trail development and advocacy, and has earned a place in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

Dave Garoutte

Dave Garoutte grew up in Marin County and being a lifelong two-wheeled fanatic found himself bombing the trails of Marin side by side with most if not all of those Marin based personalities commonly credited with being founders of the sport, most of whom are current Hall of Fame inductees.

Along with Dave’s love of two-wheeled speed (he’s also had long involvement in motorcycle racing) his passion for mechanical design, metal fabrication and machining found Dave spending plenty of his time repairing and modifying the bikes he rode as well as designing and making doo-dads and gadgetry to facilitate a bike that worked and held up better.

Amongst those Marin pioneers it became common knowledge that Dave was the go-to guy for getting things made and made right. In 1978 Dave opened DKG, a metal fabrication and machine shop. One of his first customers was the Koski Brothers who had a dream of producing a production Mtn. Bike frame. The result of that paring is the now famous Koski Trailmaster, one of the very first production Mtn. Bike frames. This frame included features such as tig-welding (very rare on high end bikes back then) and a hooded style drop-out (these were horizontal dropout, but were the progenitor of the widely recognized "Breezer" dropout which is essentially a vertical version of this original DKG design). Both of these features became widely accepted industry standards as time went on.

Dave’s never ending quest for better quality, function and design coupled with his "early adopter" attitude towards technology made him the go-to guy for many of the industry folk when they wanted designs produced accurately and properly. When Charlie Cunningham needed the best welding possible for his famous aluminum frames, Dave was the guy he trusted. When Mert Lawill wanted help refining his innovative bicycle suspension designs….who’d he call…it wasn’t Ghostbusters…When Dave made the big jump into the (then) new world of CNC machining his dance card got very full and his customer list quickly resembled a who’s who of the mountain biking world. Because of his involvement in and love of cycling Dave afforded many much earlier access to CNC machining than otherwise would have been possible. Most of the machine shops back then with CNC technology were barely willing to even talk to the bike nerds unless they needed huge quantities of parts.

There have been many designs attributed to other big names that would never have seen the light of day without one or all of the following: Dave’s involvement, Dave’s refinement, Dave’s full on design work. Dave has an uncanny knack to figure out ways to make even the best designs better. Well known names like: Cunningham, Koski, Lawill, Fisher, WTB, Salsa, Fat City, Serotta, Moots, Calfee, Kent Ericksen and many, many others have counted/count on Dave for the best of the best when it comes to refining and producing high quality machined goods.

Another of Dave’s "early adopter" innovations was the use of true monocoque construction in the beautiful bicycle trials frames he made in 1987 and ‘88. These made quite the splash when they were rolled out for Mtn. Bike events. He made very few of these frames but they drew a lot of attention and without a doubt inspired lots of young gear heads and engineers who later brought this technology to the mainstream

bike market. Dave’s engineering and design talents have been a major inspiration to the many who’ve come to know him over the years. Even the most talented engineers and designers stand to benefit from Dave’s involvement in their projects. He’s that good! Ross Shafer states, "As a former industry insider…I considered myself very lucky to work with him on numerous occasions. As a current industry outsider, I consider myself very lucky to call him my friend. The inspiration continues!"

Lastly…early on Dave recognized the need for some sort of local organization aimed at protecting cyclists off-road riding rights. With that in mind, he founded (1987, we believe) and became the first president (and secretary…and treasurer, etc.) of the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin….one of the very first off road cycling advocacy organizations in the world.

Shafer adds, "Dave has been such an important asset, so hugely helpful, inspirational to so many of us pioneers and non-pioneers, in the industry for so long that I feel he richly deserves a place in the annals of our sport."

Dave has been active in Mtn. biking and the Mtn. Bike industry from the mid ‘70s to present. He continues to produce and innovate for numerous bicycle industry customers.

Larkspur Canyon Gang

In Joe Breeze's words... Sometimes the obvious just stares you right in the face. Viewing "Klunkerz" on the big screen one night, there it was, plain as day: ‘Twas time to honor the Larkspur Canyon Gang.

As early as 1970, while riding my road racer through Larkspur, I saw these guys with their clunky old bikes. They seemed to be having a good time, but what was with the bikes?

The answer presented itself in 1973 when Marc Vendetti, a fellow racer from our road club, Velo Club Tamalpais, got me to plunk down $5 for an old clunker of a bike we found. Vendetti told me of his earlier forays on Mt. Tamalpais and of the Larkspur "Canyonites." Soon I had my old Schwinn similarly suited and rode it to a VCT meeting. Other VCT members including Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly and Otis Guy, joined in the fun and, well, the rest is history.

Less known is the Larkspur Canyon Gang, a large, loose-knit group of friends who in 1968, while still in middle school, started pushing bikes up Eldridge Grade to race back down. Self-described adrenalin junkies, they became obsessed with riding down the slopes of Tam. They chose cast-off balloon-tire bikes from prior decades, for their plentitude and stoutness. Through trial and error, they figured out what worked best and pieced together solid, soulful machines that inspired others to join on. Their passion popularized biking among their peers at a time when bikes were otherwise not a part of the landscape.

After the Larkspur Canyon guys had the mountain to themselves for four or five years, things started to change. Marc Vendetti became a mechanic at a bike shop in San Rafael along with Kenny Fuetsch, and both, Canyon Gang-fortified, soon joined Velo Club Tamalpais in 1973. Their connection to the bicycling crucible that was VCT took the fledgling sport to the next level and ultimately spun the new bike beyond Marin to the rest of the world.

By the time VCT members were on clunkers, the original Canyon Gang members had started to focus on other interests. Still, a second generation of Canyon Gang younger brothers and friends continued to ride Mt Tam refining their machines. In 1976, when the first timed mountain bike races were held by Charlie Kelly on the Repack downhill, Canyon Ganger George Newman was on hand to win Repack race #5. In half of the 24 Repack races, riders from Larkspur Canyon placed in the top five.

Would the mountain bike have evolved without the Larkspur Canyon Gang? We will never know, but their passion for riding Tam was without a doubt highly influential in the evolution of mountain biking.

Among the Canyon Gang were Robert Kraft, Kim Kraft, Tom Slivka, Anthony Durbin, John York, Vic Favre, Harry Harris, the Cookson brothers, Keith Rodgers, Tom Tully, Robert Heierle, Kraig Smith, Dave Richards (see Dirt Rag magazine no. 45, July 1995), Ian & Rob Stewart, George Newman, Harvey LaFlamme, Lyle Slocom, Todd Beason, Kenny Fuetsch,

and lastly Marc Vendetti. Marc wasn’t actually of the Canyon Gang but was influenced by them. All are worthy of inclusion in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame as the Larkspur Canyon Gang, critical players in the development of what we all now know as mountain biking.

Canyon Gang Memories...from Tom Slivka

Larkspur, Ca. was a fun town to grow up in. The steep wooded Baltimore Canyon stretches from town west to the toe of Mt. Tamalpais. In the late 1960's the last half of the canyon was remote without paved roads and far from the watchful eyes of authorities. Trails beginning there took you to the summit of the mountain or surrounding towns throughout Marin County. It was the perfect playground for kids. The kids who gathered here were known locally as the Canyon Gang. This was long before the term 'gang ' meant anything sinister.

Bicycles were our main source of transportation and entertainment. Pushing our bikes up the mountain and experiencing the adrenaline rush of flying down crooked steep dirt roads at breakneck speed became almost an obsession with us. Old bikes where abundant. The local dump was kid friendly, allowing us to scrounge old bikes and frames, taking whatever we wanted free of charge. Second-hand stores were loaded with old bikes and components.

The common bikes of the day were American-made middleweights, English three-speeds and the extremely popular Schwinn Stingrays. The dump provided us with the old balloon tire heavyweights of past decades. These heavy strong bikes were perfect for the rigors of the mountain. Nearly any model balloon-tired bike stripped of unneeded sheetmetal (fenders, chainguards, etc.) beefed up with Morrow kick back coaster brakes (Sure, Sturdy was the ad slogan) and reinforced with fork braces, became a Clunker.

By 1970 nearly every kid in Larkspur living around the canyon who knew shit from shinola rode a clunker . When we reached the age to drive, throwing the bikes in the back of a pickup, driving to the top of the mountain and racing down became very popular. Early bikes were somewhat expendable. I remember a technique of laying the bike over and running away from it on sharp curves. Usually you would end up with bent rims and a broken crank but unhurt.

Our story is accurately retold in the documentary 'Klunkerz'. Dave Richards' article in Dirt Rag recounts the big race in 1971. It's a fun piece, although not to be taken literally. Looking back our accomplishments are modest. We never claimed to have done anything first (riding a bike down the mountain was uncommon but not unheard of). We never claimed to invent or create any mechanical innovations. In my opinion what we did in our somewhat flamboyant style was to popularize the return of balloon tire bikes and ride them on dirt roads and trails most people at that time considered not rideable. We helped push the envelope, expanding the limits where bikes could be ridden. Our times riding on Mt. Tam surely would have been long forgotten had not the guys in Fairfax and Mill Valley bumped it up to the next level and actually created the Mountain Bike. You might say that the Larkspur Canyon Gang helped provide the necessary spark, the inspiration, for the invention of the Mountain Bike.