For 2024, the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame honors an international cast of luminaries, each of whom have left an indelible mark upon our sport in the arenas of trials & performance media, competition, race commentary & promotion, and bike design & manufacturing.
The Enduro Pioneers
Enduro mountain bike racing was shaped by three distinct figures, who pioneered the sport through events like the Tribe 10,000 in France, the Super Enduro in Italy, and the International Enduro World Series. Fred Glo, Enrico Guala and Chris Ball respectively and collectively founded, globalized and brought international media exposure to the discipline of mountain biking we all now know and love as Enduro.
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Sam Hill
Sam Hill, a trailblazer in mountain biking, rose to prominence from age 16, securing back-to-back Junior Downhill World Championship titles in 2002 and 2003. His innovative riding style, including unique line choices and technical skill, disrupted the French-dominated downhill scene. Hill’s influence extended to bike design and suspension technology. Transitioning to enduro, he won multiple titles, cementing his legacy as a versatile and impactful rider in gravity racing.
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Danny MacAskill
Danny MacAskill, a Scottish street and mountain bike trials cyclist, first gained fame with a viral 2009 video and has since performed globally, creating hit videos like “Way Back Home” and “Danny MacAskill’s Imaginate”. His work, including the “Epecuén” and “The Ridge” projects, has garnered millions of views, showcasing his extraordinary skills.
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Jeff Steber
INTENSE, founded by Jeff Steber in 1993, revolutionized mountain biking with innovative designs like the M1 and Spyder. From its first breakthrough full-suspension bike to industry-changing technologies and notable race victories, INTENSE has continually evolved. The brand has introduced iconic models, including carbon frames and eBikes, and achieved major successes in World Cup and Enduro competitions. Celebrating 30 years in 2023, INTENSE remains a leading force in mountain biking.
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Some Fundamental Changes…
Most mountain bikers are familiar with the Rachel Athertons (2021) and Julien Absalons (2020) of the world– they are accomplished, high-profile names. It’s a safe bet, however, that many of us know much less about our other esteemed inductees, like Dafydd Davis (2020) and Jason McRoy (2020), and might question how they and their fellow inductees came to be honored in lieu of more popular, higher-profile personalities who have also made contributions to our sport.
Good question. Addressing it underscores the mission of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, and speaks to some important changes we made to the selection process starting last year in order to ensure that we don’t overlook men and women whose contributions and influence far exceeded their notoriety.
Public voting is no longer used to determine which nominees will be inducted to the MBHOF. Instead, a selection committee reviews nominations and, after consulting with sources within the mountain bike industry and sport, selects the most eligible candidates for induction. This step is taken to prevent the induction process from selecting only the most famous people and to ensure that those among us who altered the course of our sport from behind the spotlight are not passed over.
Meet the Nominating and Selection Committee
Who makes those decisions? Our Hall of Fame all-volunteer Nomination and Selection Committee is assembled from journalists, industry insiders, and athletes, some of whom are HOF inductees. The committee has been in place for a number of years, working in the background as a review board and think tank. Nomination and Selection volunteers also reach out to influential people within the industry and sport to make informed decisions and further widen the selection process. In case you were wondering, members (in no particular order) are:
Otis Guy: Pioneer mountain bike builder, retired firefighter, paramedic and director of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Otis was inducted in 1993 and is driven to uphold and grow the MBHOF as an internationally relevant and honorable institution.
Otis was instrumental in moving the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame to the Marin Museum of Bicycling in Fairfax, California and was a founding board member.
Steve Blick: This HOF Inductee (2008) was born and raised in Northern California during the mountain bike boom of the ’80s. With an amazing career of racing bikes and working in the bike industry, Steve (a.k.a. Blick) brings 25 plus years of experience and passion for the sport to help people fall in love with Mountain Biking.
Zapata Espinoza: “Zap” was the first journo’ inducted into the MBHOF (although Charlie Kelly argues the point), biased towards Mexican food, racers, and all the old guys who laid the foundation of the sport with passion, humor, intelligence, and, who also have the best stories to tell.
Scott Hart: A mountain bike industry veteran—working in a bike shop as a teenager, followed by a professional racing career, competing in the first Red Bull Rampage, to 10+ years of journalism. Scott also co-founded several now-defunct publications: Flow Magazine, TwentySix Magazine and Decline Magazine—before moving on to marketing for industry-leading brands such as RockShox, SRAM and WD-40. He transitioned to digital media with Red Bull and now brand management for Canyon Bicycles, along with an active role serving on the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame nomination committee.
Glen Jacobs: Hailing from the rainforests of Northern Australia, Jacobs designs World Championship, World Cup, Olympic and EWS racing venues, and was the UCI’s first full-time track builder. His company, World Trail, has developed venues in 20 countries. Jacobs was inducted in 2015.
Fanie Kok: Stoke Activist, Founder and Director of Soil Searching, the global trail advocacy program at Specialized Bicycles. Hailing from South Africa, Fanie Kok (Fawnee Coke) fundamentally believes that mountain biking can address and even solve some of the deepest pressing social, cultural and environmental issues we’re facing in the world, protect some of earth’s critically endangered species and preserve some of our most vulnerable natural environments.”
Hans Rey: The Swiss/American was born in Germany and lives in Laguna Beach, California. Hans is a HOF inductee, freeride pioneer, trials champion, adventurer, founder of the Wheels 4 Life charity, the bike industry, and tourism consultant, and long time pro rider for companies like GT Bicycles, Adidas and others. Hans has starred in films, TV specials, and has been on over 450 magazine covers.
The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Story
The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame was founded in 1988 in Crested Butte, Colorado. Ten mountain biking pioneers were inducted in that first year. Since then, three to seven mountain bike legends have been selected annually. In 2015, the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame relocated to the Marin Museum of Bicycling in Fairfax, California, where its exhibits and reach continue to expand. At the museum in Fairfax, the rich history of the sport comes to life—guided by the people who made that history. The exhibits illustrate the evolution of the mountain bike with numerous incredible bikes that are key to the story, along with memorabilia, stories of Hall of Fame Inductees and a growing archive of photos, books and magazine collections.
Looking for an inductee, event or bike from years ago? Try scrolling through the list below, or clicking a year in the sidebar on the right or enter a name in the search box. There’s lots to see with some fascinating stories and great photos. Most of the older posts have been preserved as their original submissions. You may find some pretty “curious” old information– so keep that in mind while reading and enjoy a blast from the past (or the present)!
Are you a Hall of Fame member?
Memberships provide the support we need to continue operations—not just during the election season, but all year long. Your support allows us to keep the museum and Hall of Fame open. Join or renew your membership today and keep us rolling!
Apply for your Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Membership Online. ⇐ This link will take you to our online shop where you can choose a membership level and purchase online. Easy as pie!
MOUNTAIN BIKE HALL OF FAME
NOMINATING & INDUCTEE SELECTION PROCESS
So, how does someone get into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame? Great question. Each year, three to six individuals or groups have been inducted. There was one exception, 1988, our charter year, when ten people were inducted into the Hall. Click here for the full story…
MOUNTAIN BIKE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 1988-2021
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