Norco VPS Fest - Blue Mountain
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
2008 Norco VPS Fest
Nested away in Collingwood, Ontario, Blue Mountain hosted the 2008 Norco VPS Fest that took place on July 12th. Started in 2003, VPS fest was created to give back to the Norco consumers and give everyone excuse to ride together. VPS has a lot to offer as they give away tons of prizes, free mechanics, as well as the opportunity to ride with the pro’s.
Inside we’ll tell you more about how the event went down and what you can expect if you attend a VPS fest event.
The Blue Mountain VPS Fest took place on Saturday, July 12th. The weather couldn’t have been much better even though there was a chance of thunderstorms they never transpired.
various tents for registration, mechanics, and displays (gallery)
Blue Mountain is ran by Intrawest and their facilities are top notch. The lift system they have in place is fast and their bike trays held the bikes safely without touching other bikes. The hill itself doesn’t have a ton of elevation but they do a nice job at utilizing their terrain effectively. More trails will be opened later as revisions are made but the current open trails proved to be more than enjoyable enough for a day’s riding.
The Norco crew set off early in the morning to begin setting up various tents, booths, and mechanics areas. There was a trials show setup for pro Norco trials rider, Dylan Korba, in the middle of the village for all the spectators to enjoy.
fleet of Norco demo bikes (gallery)
There was a plethora of demo bikes available for anyone to demo for free and get a better understanding of what they could expect if they bought a Norco. They even brought out a 2009 Norco Empire 5 to show off.
2009 Norco Empire 5 (gallery)
In addition to the demo bikes available to use for free, there was also free flat tire repairs, ongoing ride with the pro’s, and an assortment of challenges littered throughout the day to win prizes.
Norco mechanic setting up a demo for one of the riders (gallery)
Some of the challenges included a fastest flat tire repair where each contestant competed against the clock to change a flat tire. Additionally, a track standing contest, and bunny hop contest were also staged.
Dylan Korba provided two main shows in the village that essentially demonstrated what trials were to the public as well as the Norco VPS attendees. His skills this year seemed to have improved a good bit as he was pulling off some very impressive moves. After his show, he signed many posters and cards for the kids. He’s featured in the movie Crux with Ryan Leech if you want to check out more of what he can do.
Dylan hopping over some spectators (gallery)
The other main part of VPS is the ride with the pro’s. This essentially took place all day as Jay Hoots and Fionn Griffiths took the kids up the mountain and rode down the trail with them all day. The kids thoroughly enjoyed this as they got a chance to ride with some people they’d probably never get to ride with. The Norco riders didn’t take many breaks and never turned down a ride.
Norco riders waiting on the lift for another run (gallery)
The icing on the cake was the prize giveway at the end of the day. Norco gave away thousands of dollars in prizes to the registered attendees. Everything from forks, Mace gear, tires, and even an A-Line Park frame were given away!
lucky winner of the Norco A-Line Park frame (gallery)
If you’re interested in checking out VPS Fest, you have another chance this weekend (Aug 2nd) at Silverstar Mountain. Even if you don’t have a Norco it’s still a fun event to attend! You can register at www.vpsfest.com
Special thanks to Norco Bikes and Blue Mountain for their hospitality and an overall great time.
[2008 Norco VPS Fest - Blue Mountain Gallery] [Norco Website]
July 31st, 2008 at 7:53 am
I don’t think i can name one other company who does this? I may be wrong but top work to Norco for actually giving back to the riding community, they deserve a pat on the back!
September 16th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
VPS fest was a blast this year. I was riding behind Jay Hoots and for a whole run he was doing dirt bike noises. started at 2 stroke for the top half and went to 4 Stroke. Def a fun guy to ride with. Nearly every run I saw him do he was riding with a young ripper and giving him tips on the lift etc. All the Norco riders where awsome for help. The pit crew was doing service on even some none Norco bikes.