Mountain Bike Hall of Fame announces 2013 inductees, moves to Marin

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame announced its 2013 inductees today, and said it is moving from its longtime home in Crested Butte, Colo., to Marin County, Calif., long-considered the "birthplace" of mountain biking. 

The 2013 inductees are: 

Advocacy

CORBA—The Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association was founded in 1987. This advocacy group was formed to represent the interests of mountain bikers in response to trail closures in the Santa Monica Mountains and Rim of the Valley Corridor near Los Angeles. CORBA formed and quickly became a prominent voice of reason in the chaos of newly emerging mountain biking advocacy. A year later, and with other like-minded advocates CORBA became one of the five founding clubs of IMBA.

Journalism

David Epperson—Epperson has been on the Mountain Bike scene for nearly three and a half decades, and almost always with a camera in tow. Dave could have been placed in the MBHOF as easily for a Pioneer as he could for Journalism. One thing is clear: David’s photography and presence throughout the history of mountain biking is an on-going contribution that has profiled and promoted the sport of mountain biking.

Pioneers

Robin and Bill Groff—The year was 1983; the location Moab. The golden days of Moab’s mining boom had long since passed, and although Arches and Canyonlands National Parks existed, tourism was not a major factor in the local economy. Jobs were few and Robin and Bill Groff (along with their father John) had recently been laid off from their mining-based employment. It seemed to make no real sense at the time, but the brothers were avid cyclists and they decided to open a bike and outdoor gear shop. The rest is history.

Racing

Marla Streb—If Marla Streb had not been born, mountain biking would have had to invent her. Marla has done it all: Racer, Advocate, Teacher, Explorer, Businesswoman and kick-ass rider. The amazing thing is that she didn’t start riding seriously until she was 28. As a competitive athlete, she went on to win the X Games Championship, a UCI World Cup in downhill, three U.S. National Downhill championships and, perhaps gnarliest of all, she has twice been Single-speed World Champion.

Nicolas Vouilloz—Nico won the Downhill Mountain Bike World Championships 10 times, starting as a junior in 1992 and finishing his career with the his 10th victory in 2002, only placing lower in 2000 finishing 8th. He also won sixteen World cup Downhill races. Nico then went on to racing Cars. After several years’ absence from the mountain biking scene, Vouilloz returned to race professionally in 2007 at the fourth round of the World Cup in Champery, Switzerland. He is currently tearing it up in the Enduro World Series.

Elected by a vote of past Hall of Fame Inductees and current Hall of Fame members, the Class of 2013 will be welcomed into the Hall on Wednesday, September 18. The Induction Ceremony will take place at 6:00 p.m. during the Interbike Show in Las Vegas. The event is held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center, in the Islander F Hall, immediately following the first day of the indoor show. All Interbike attendees as well as the public are welcome. 

Also announced today was that after 26 years of being located in Crested Butte, the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame will be moving to Marin County this fall. The MBHOF will be transferred to a group of Marin County Inductees including Joe Breeze, Otis Guy and Marc Vendetti. More to come on this exciting change.

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame & Museum was founded in 1988 in Crested Butte. Ten mountain biking pioneers were inducted that first year; between three to seven mountain bike legends have been selected annually since then. The 2013 selections bring the number of Hall of Fame inductees to 125 individuals plus nine groups.