2022-23 Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Sponsors. Please support those who support us!

  • 2022/19 Sierra Nevada
  • 2022 Bear National
  • 2022 Violich Farms
  • 2022 Waterfield
  • 2022 IMBA
  • 2022 Soil Searching

 

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame’s 2023 Inductees

For 2023, the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame honors an international cast of 4 luminaries, each of whom have left an indelible mark upon our sport in the arenas of competition, race commentary, and bike park design and construction.

 

Shaun Palmer

“One of the forefathers of extreme sports,” Shaun Palmer, burst into mountain biking in the mid-1990’s, at a burgeoning time for the sport. Without a traditional cycling background, Palmer’s approach to the sport was inherently different—he dressed different, he acted different… More…

Diddie Schneider

Diddie Schneider is a true mountain biking pioneer and visionary, especially when it come to purpose-built trails and bike parks. Born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany in 1966, he has built hundreds of trails, pump tracks, race courses and jump lines worldwide, including in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and… More…

Rob Warner

In 1996, Rob Warner was the first British mountain biker to win a downhill world cup. Still, you may know him by his other talent, namely as ‘the voice of mountain bike commentary’ – an accolade that he… More…

Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå

Passion for the sport and hard work; the key factors in the fantastic journey and career of Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå. Her achievements include 10 x World Champion, 9 x European Champion and Olympic Gold in Athens 2004. She was a 2021 Inductee but could not attend 2022’s multi-year celebration, so we are making it official this year… More…

Live and Livestreamed Induction Ceremony

Those who have attended an induction in Fairfax would agree that the backdrop of the Fairfax scene and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame’s facility makes for an ideal setting– where fans and families meet, mingle and ride with our new inductees, along with a number of the sport’s elders who also have been honored by the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. The 2023 festivities will take place at the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Fairfax on October 21, 2023 (note new date due to World Cup Finals!) and will be a day-long event featuring our ever popular “Ride and Lunch with the Legends” and a complete sit-down dinner with fine wines and great local beers and of course the Induction Ceremony itself. The Hall of Fame will be open all day long prior to prepping for dinner for your viewing pleasure. This year for the evening’s festivities we are bringing back our delicious Spanish Paella feast cooked fresh on site that evening!
Be sure to join us for a very special celebration in Fairfax! Subscribe to our mailing list or become a member to receive all our emails and newsletters and get ready to party! Tickets for the in-person event are on sale NOW! Livestream will be free.

*** New Date *** New Date *** New Date ***

2023 Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Inductions

in-person Saturday, October 21 in Fairfax, California

and livestreamed at youtube.com/@marinmuseumofbicycling


For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Marc Vendetti at sponsorship@mmbhof.org

 

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 will no longer be used to determine which nominees will be inducted to the MBHOF. Instead, a selection committee will review nominations and, after consulting with sources within the mountain bike industry and sport, select the most eligible candidates for induction. This step was 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.

Richard Cunningham: Pioneer mountain bike builder, designer, editor, and journalist from the USA, who has been an advocate for the sport, almost from its inception. Cunningham was inducted to the MBHOF in 1995.

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.

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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 (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.”

Anka Martin: Originally from South Africa, now living in New Zealand and Europe, Martin is a Juliana Bicycles racer and ambassador, “spreading passion and love of bicycles around the world.” The owner of Soul Trails, Martin hosts culturally immersive bike and yoga adventures and is co-owner of NZ Enduro Race. Her passion involves uplifting people in Africa through initiatives like World Bicycle Relief and Velosolutions’ Pump for Peace projects.

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!

Become a Member

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

2 comments

  • Aidan Bradney June 3, 2023   Reply →

    Flying in for the induction, are we 100% sure on the date? When we were there a while ago the date was still up in the air.

    • Marc Vendetti June 5, 2023   Reply →

      Unfortunately we have had to reschedule the induction event this year from October 7th to the 21st due to a conflict with the World Cup Finals. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and hope you can make it on the new date. Look for the link to purchase tickets elsewhere on this page. Thank you for your support of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

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