Epic ride draws a crowd

PALMER — Super heroes and laymen alike were spotted Saturday traversing the Mat-Su Valley on bicycles. Thankfully, it wasn’t because anyone needed saving.

For the second year in a row, Backcountry Bike and Ski sponsored “THE” Hatcher Pass Epic to promote casual riding — in costume — throughout Alaska. While the full course is 90 miles of mountainous terrain and narrow highways, cyclists were encouraged to ride just part of the course or complete the ride with a relay team if they found the full length too intimidating to go solo.

At the end of the day, almost 100 bikers young and old, experienced or not, from near and not-so-near (Anchorage, for example) completed some part of the ride.

“We don’t have any rules, we just want them to start,” said Backcountry Bike and Ski co-owner Tony Berberich. “We’re all riders and we want people to ride with us.”

That community aspect, it seems, is what the Epic is truly about.

“This event specifically is mostly (about) appreciation,” Berberich said. “It’s good advertising (for the shop) but it’s also our way to give back to the biking community.”

Riders were permitted to start earlier than the official 10 a.m. start time, Berberich said, because it’s not really a race.

“I raced for a long time and sometimes I’m still super intimidated by (timed) races,” he said.

So instead of formally timing the riders, the Backcountry staff make some educated guesses based on the participants’ perception of their times to determine who would be named the King and Queen of Epicness.

But a fast time is still the least important requirement for the awards.

“It’s all about the costumes,” said Backcountry employee Erin Kessler, who was dressed as Wonder Woman for the event.

Jessie Donahue of Palmer was crowned Queen of Epicness, Adam Ferguson King of Epicness and Heather Campfield was awarded a decorated cowbell for Best Costume and “All-around Badass.” Ferguson and Campfield “accidentally” both dressed as “Super Grover” for the event.

“We’re just a bunch of kooky bikers that want to have fun,” Kessler said.

Most of that fun, it seemed, was in gathering at the shop after the ride to eat, drink and be merry to the music of local bands Alaska Gypsies and Joey Fenders and the 55’s. Arkose Brewery and Samurai Cereal also joined the festivities as sponsors who provided food and beer for those of age.

In addition to the costume contests, there was even a bike toss, in which participants chucked a bike spray-painted gold and silver across the shop’s parking lot.

Still, actually riding the bikes remains important to the ideas behind the event.

“It’s just a fun, healthy activity and you can do it anywhere,” said Backcountry team rider Kristin Wolf.

Whether one adheres to the shop’s philosophy “ride, eat, sleep, ride” or not, being Epic by Backcountry Bike and Ski standards starts with getting on the bike.

A post on the event’s Facebook page says it all.

“Yesterday’s ride was most definitely EPIC!” wrote Christy Hronkin-Swift. “It was my first time doing the whole route, and while at times I questioned my judgment (regarding all major life decisions), I am glad I persevered! Around Wasilla, I was wondering if I would ever again find joy in riding my bike (cramps/exhaustion), and here I am today, already thinking about next year’s HP Epic! Thanks for the great ride!”

Hronkin-Swift’s enthusiasm was echoed by many other users on the page — some regretting that they could not attend — and even after the event Epic participants who hadn’t known each other before continued to connect.

“It really makes you appreciate your backyard in a way that casual road riding can’t do,” said two-time Epic participant Jennifer Bostick.

Bostick said that these mountain bikers don’t think of themselves as “serious athletes” but they’re “a fun group.”

Fun, and also Epic.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.