Out of breath and sweating, Patrick Alcisto is standing at the summit of Killington Mountain in a light drizzle looking back down towards the K-1 base-lodge.
Alcisto just drove 14 hours through the night from Charlotte, North Carolina, to the Green Mountains. He arrived at 9 a.m. and immediately began hiking the two miles to the top of the mountain, ascending over 4,000 feet in just over two hours.
“Haven’t had breakfast, a little exhausted, probably a little ‘hangry,’ but the stoke on this track is keeping it down,” Alcisto said.
He is referring to is the brand new downhill mountain bike trail that comes zig zagging off the face of the mountain, allowing skilled mountain bikers to cruise at 40 mph down to the mountain’s base.
Alcisto is one of 250 pro and amateur mountain bike riders from across the country and the world converging on Killington Ski Resort this week for the the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking from Aug. 1 to 5, for an event that is equal parts mountain bike race and festival.
Since 2003, the event has been held on a semi-regular basis in New Jersey, but its moving to Vermont this year and staying here as a staple of the summer calendar, said Kristen Fillmore, communications manager for Killington.
“The event was growing and we were just excited that we had the opportunity to host,” Fillmore said. “We had been working a lot on our bike park for the last four years and we are starting to really get recognized in the mountain bike scene.”
In addition to the the 250 riders, the resort and event organizers are expecting some 3,000 spectators to attend the different races, film screenings, and concerts scheduled over the five day event — all for no admittance fee.
Killington’s ability to bring the event to Vermont comes as more ski areas in the state are trying to think up strategies to stay open and turn a profit during the summer months, especially as winters becoming less predictable.
The Agency of Commerce and Community Development estimates that people already spend roughly $50 million annually on mountain biking in Vermont.
Killington is looking to cash in. The resort is currently in the fourth year of a five year improvement plan that has pumped $6 million into summer recreation projects, and $3 million into mountain biking operations alone.
Since Killington began its plan to orient its summers activity around mountain biking, the resort has seen a 91 percent growth in ticket sales, from 2,000 in 2013 to 23,000 last summer.
Similar efforts are being made at resorts around the state, some that have had popular trails for years and others that are just getting started. Mountain bikers can find trails at Okemo Mountain Resort, Mount Snow, Sugarbush Resort, Burke Mountain, and most recently Suicide Six.
And while the US open showcases some of the world’s best riders — and their $10,000 bikes — ski resorts can also act as a family-friendly gateway to the sport, said Hans Rey, a retired mountain biker and diplomat for the sport, who has with three world titles and 15 national titles.
“Biking is just like skiing,” Rey said, “if you want to make money with it and create tourism you have to make it beginner and family friendly.”
Looking over the terrain in the Green Mountains, Rey said it was all about seizing the opportunity — and spending the money — to create fun, challenging trails.
“Bikers in general, they love it when you build, when they have good riding and with this summer business, bike business, it’s really all about the quality of the trails,” Rey said, “If you have good trails, people will come and they come back and they get hooked.”
Fillmore said she is proud of the trail Killington has prepared for the competition, but she’s not expecting to get hooked anytime soon. “I have to tell you that I wouldn’t even want to walk down this course, let alone ride down it,” she said.
Alcisto is planning to wheel down the mountain in the coming days, but was still scoping things out on Wednesday — talking over the gradient with other riders and suggesting they steer clear of a rock outcropping half-way down.
“Probably one of the best downhill tracks in America right now,” he said. “It’s steep, loose. It’s literally got everything.”
The Fox US Open of Mountain Biking continues Friday through Sunday at Killington Ski Resort. A full schedule can be found here.
