Celebrating Sweden's Vibrant Riding Culture at the 2018 Åre Bike Festival
Check out all the entries in the 2018 Åre Video Challenge here.
The 8th edition of the annual Bike Festival in one of the best bike parks in the world, Sweden's Åre Bike Park, is in the books after yet another successful edition. The 5-day long festival hosted a few of its classic events, such as the celebrated Midnight Biking where the riders get the chance to ride from the top of the Mt. Åreskutan gondola to the valley floor in the midnight sun courtesy of northern Scandinavia.
Oscar Sodergren and Karin Blome riding at midnight. No, we're not kidding.
Who needs sleep, right?
Karin Blomé riding into the sun.
One of the most prestigious competitions of the festival is Klas Garage, celebrating the legendary local mechanic Klas Hägg. A contest where the best mechanic win a series of challenges, such as changing a rear derailleur or servicing a fork. All while drinking a beer. Just about anyone can tell how this has become an instant classic.
Chug beer...
...start wrenching
Vilse Jakobsson was the man of the day.
Parkvillan has the best brews, burgers and vibes in town.
Burning Logs, where the drag-race vibe is brought to the town center and anyone can sign up. Challenge your buddy, your mom or even your better half dragging, that’s right, a burning log behind you as you sprint for the finish line! It’s anyone’s game and the crowd gets up close to make you go as fast as that log possibly can.
Dusty trains in Shimano.
Jocke Olsson going in for landing.
Åre has trails for all tastes.
Emil Jonsson riding on the moon.
You gotta start 'em early.
Downhillbanan is an old-school, rugged DH-track. Sandra Persson enjoys every meter of it.
The crowd favorite Whip It Good saw its return for the 8th time around and all ages came to enjoy the show through a haze of chainsaws, rock n’ roll and smoke in all kinds of colors.
Whips for days.
The World Cup? Na, just another bike hooligan.
The crowds were as stoked as the riders.
Sometimes (always?) sideways is the only way.
Another newcomer event that cannot go unmentioned is the new BH/DH, a downhill race stretching through a variety of track styles throughout the Åre Bike Park which saw a record number of 35 participants in an all-girl competition in Sweden.
Sandra Persson entering one of the gnarilest sections of the BH/DH track.
Åre has a huge contingent of female rippers.
Long live Chainsaw!
Märta Olsson fighting for grip in the dust.
The stoke was high during the BH/DH race.
An event that got an upgrade from an already demanding XC race was the 900 Hillclimb race from the town square to the top of the gondola, s gruesome climb of 900 vertical meters. Fancy testing your legs against some of the toughest bikers in the business?
How would you feel after climbing 900 vertical meters?
Probably like you deserved a cold one.
The brutal climb began just out the start gate in town.
Easy Rider? Don't think so.
Among a blend of downhill clinics, guided trail tours of different levels and family-focused events, one stood out, with the grand opening of an XC trail-section of the Bike Park in Åre Björnen, a train of all ages and skills took to the trail and created a 90 riders strong mega train to celebrate the first official ride. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing more trails open in this area in the future.
Taking it easy.
The 90-people strong kids train.
And of course, perhaps the biggest staple of the week. It’s Saturday night, and that only means it’s The Åre Video Challenge. Where teams of bikers and filmers put their creative skills to test for one week, create a film all during the time of the festival to try and grab the grand prize in front of the nearly 900 people-strong audience. After the winner was crowned, the Red Bull party-train brought the crowd to the new edition of the after party with a live concert by the Trainspotters crew right at the foot of the Bike Park.
Lina Skoglund and Hanna Jonsson on the upper part of Easy Rider.
Lightning Thunder took how the grand prize of the night.
Teamworx trying to fight off a swarm of killer bugs. Or something.
The Wallner Bros, hard at work in the mist.
Robin Wallner crushing his home mountain.
Philip Lundman in Flinbanan, one of the classic trails in the bike park.
Picture perfect northern Sweden.
Sweden's got a vibrant riding culture, and Åre's the epicenter of it.
Zakarias Blom Johansen and Greg Callahan stopped by to ride with local hero Robin Wallner.
The Åre Bike Festival attracts riders of all ages and disciplines. Hands or no hands on the bars.
So, if this photo album isn’t enough to make you want to visit Åre and its famous Bike Park, we don’t know what is. But especially just for you, we’ve heard rumors the festival crew is already brewing a few new exciting ideas for the upcoming year, so you might as well start planning your trip already!
Erika Östlund clearing Anita's brant in Downhillbanan.
Check out a massive photo gallery from the 2018 Åre Bike Festival right here.
MENTIONS: @AreBikeFestival @EmrikJanssonPhotography
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BTW Vilse is always the man of the day, he is genuine male Alpha and Johanna the girl from the first pic is one of th best sellers, she can sell those boys “chasing” her all the best guards, shoes and helmets in her shop. Or maybe it’s just me