The Transition Characters series is about storytelling, whether it's a sponsored rider, trail builder, employee, or community member, the aim is to highlight the influence this person has on the mountain bike community we know and love.
The second video in our TR Characters series brings us to East Burke, VT, where Ella and Alex have built their life around mtb.
Ella and Alex, the proud owners of Vermont Mountain Bike Tours. When you are booking a session with them, you are not getting your average guide or coach, you are hiring two of the nicest people you will meet, that have more skills and experience behind them than they would ever let on.
Alex lofts into some leafy goodness behind Ella. New England riding in the fall is incredible, Ella’s smile says it all.
The Kingdom trails of East Burke bring in riders from all around the east coast.
With a large trail network, Ella and Alex will make sure you ride all the best trails, and even shuttle you in their school bus.
The Village Sport Shop Darling Hill location provides the perfect place to host skills training. Here Ella has her students working on flat turns.
When the guiding and coaching sessions are over, it’s back to shredding for these two.
The grom squad in East Burke is mind blowing. Snapping corners and hitting the biggest jumps, all with style.
Ella is a role model for the many young female riders. Her attitude towards approaching riding has translated into the youth here, creating a space where young girls grow up with the same courage and progression as the boys.
Don’t let the nice fall colors fool you, it was brutally cold for this shoot. Not that a little cold weather would phase someone from Vermont. These shredders did lap after lap with frozen fingers and stiff suspension.
When the cameras are out, you go big.
Does it get anymore Vermont than this?
The Kingdom Trails are an incredible network that span through hundreds of different private landowners property, all with great flow.
Alex is fast, but on his local trails, he is mind-melting fast. Even when the frosty ground is covered with frozen leaves.
This was a first send for Ella and we shot this two days before she was going in for shoulder surgery to repair her labrum. Luckily she landed it perfect, and her shoulder stayed in place.
Alex and Ella live only a few miles from the trails, but they plan to have a pump track and dual slalom in the yard soon...with rumors of a rope tow shuttle system from an old ski hill on the property.
You won’t find any Aunt Jemima’s around here.
Alex and Ella, engaged during this shoot, and married on June 2nd, 2019. Congrats you two!
A massive thank you to Alex and Ella for hosting us at their home for this project!
I'll second that, I was fortunate enough to meet them a few years back when they were out here in So Cal riding. They are proof that there are some of the nicest people in our sport. Cheers to you Ella & Alex!
My family did a tour of the Kingdom trails with Ella a year ago. She was a great guide and showed us a great time. Go see her and get a ride on that bus!
Totally awesome video, VT is truly beautiful, and glad these two are helping to forge the awesome culture in VT and New England. Helps that Transition is a totally rad company that's also deeply woven into the local culture on the other corner of the country, it seems fitting in that way. Anyone else think Alex reminds you of Kazimer a bit?
Awesome, love KT the area. If I didn't already know the area, i'd book a tour. Met Andrew on an EWS Qualifier transfer between Burke and the backside of the mountain stages, one of the nicest dudes around.
Alex and Ella are great riders and even better people. They have a real passion for what they do, infectious spirits that will give you the stoke, and the knowledge to always bring you to the right trail or improve your technique. If you want the real-deal KT experience, you owe it to yourself to book a trip with them.
Watch this video to learn about the heart and soul of Morrisville mountain biking, Hank Glowiak of Chuck's Bikes where Alex used to work! www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YwJcvmri5Y
So RAD to see this published. I bumped into the crew out there last fall while filming the river sequence over on Black Bear. I have met Ella a few times racing and riding and she was always a class act. So happy for them and a little jealous ;-)
Alex was working at Chucks Bikes when I bought my Transition Scout! Good people up there in VT. Best of luck to you. Can’t wait to get back to Kingdom Trails.
Late 70's early 80's E250 - THE mandatory low budget workhorse: left pedal stop, right pedal go, steering wheel, and enough heat to keep the windows clear if you're lucky. Everything else irrelevant.
Heaven’s Bench! I rode that trail last summer! Beauty of a place to ride and as always it’s WAY better than it looks on screen. Awesome trails! Awesome town! Awesome ice cream shop in the awesome town!
Reading about VT makes me wanna go back. All those colors in fall!! Lucky enough to try out some other smaller trail centers around the state, some amazing stuff..