The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Fat Tire rolls on
The 2010 Fat Tire Bike Week is scheduled for June 22-27, and the organizers are getting both the entertainment and logistics dialed for the event. Up on the mountain, on Tuesday, April 20, the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council approved the Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce’s request for $10,000 in the form of an Admissions Tax Marketing Fund Grant.
The funds will be used to put on a free FTBW concert at the base area on June 26, and the Chamber is currently pursuing Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe as the feature act.
“Let’s take what we have and take it to the moon, and add a musical component,” Chamber Special Events Coordinator Scott Still said during his presentation to the council. “It would be a great way to kick-start the summer, and I believe getting more events like this in the valley is key. It should be a really good show, highly anticipated, and should fit the bill in appealing to both the cycling crowd and other visitors.”
“The investment seems to be in our best interest,” said councilperson Danny D’Aquila. “As long as the acoustics make everyone warm and fuzzy, I’m okay with it.”
To alleviate D’Aquila’s concerns, Still busted out his iPod and speakers and played Denson’s “Shake It Out” for all the council to hear. D’Aquila approved, as did the rest of the council. Still said they’d be looking to speak with the band’s agent in the coming days.
“Fat Tire Bike Week used to be the signature event in the bike industry… I think there’s a great opportunity to get it back in the limelight,” Still concluded. “The concert would be the frosting on the cake, or, even a whole slice of the cake.”
Down at the county on Tuesday, the commissioners were willing to shut down Kebler Pass Road for “an hour or an hour and a half” to accommodate the Chainless Bike Race, an FTBW event Still says is likely to pull in as many as 150 riders.
Still and attorney Aaron Huckstep, who is working for the race on the Chamber’s behalf, made a case for the race, pointing out that this formerly unofficial event has gone on for several years without anyone’s permission.
“It’s been gaining in popularity and last year the Forest Service raised some concerns,” said Huckstep, who formed a steering committee “to build a framework for keeping this race going.”
“It’s a lot of fun and a great event,” he said.
After talking to the Crested Butte Marshals, Mt. Crested Butte Police and Forest Service, Huckstep and Still were deferred to the county and have been working with Public Works Director Marlene Crosby and Assistant Director Allen Moores on finding the best way to close the road for the duration of the race on Friday, June 25.
And a short description of scenes from past races was enough to convince the commissioners that the race would be safer with a little organization. Huckstep told them that the plan was to have a series of manned stations on the road that could stay in contact throughout the race.
There will also be Port-a-Potty at the top of the pass, at the start of the race.
“The whole effort is to organize this race better than it’s been organized in the past,” Huckstep said. “We want to deal with some of the concerns that have been expressed by the towns, police and the Forest Service. It adds to the legitimacy of the race.”
Fat Tire Bike Week will be held the last week of June with the Wildflower Rush bike races on the mountain, a Fat Tire 40 cross country race and other clinics, camps and rides.
