July 4, 2014: For weeks I’d been hearing about how ‘hard’ Sun Valley goes on the day of America’s independence. “Just wait for the Fourth”, people kept saying. So after experiencing the 4th of July madness firsthand, I’m here to tell the tale.
Ride Sun Valley: The Best Time on Two Wheels Anywhere!
The Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival brought some of the best racers and good timers out there to Sun Valley. Headlining the festival was the Scott Sports Enduro Cup presented by GoPro And yes, all the way down there, way below, where the cars look like little ants, yep that’s the finish. It began four years ago with a dream we had to put together a chemistry experiment of sorts. Why wouldn’t the perfect organism of mountain biking, Sun Valley, thrive with a concoction of one part fun, one part silliness, and one part competition mixed with good food and great beer injected into its vein just around the time it ripens into the ideal host? Mountain biking’s unknown paradise needed a festival and so we cooked one up. This summer, the Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival elevated the health of the creature to an all time high, putting together the perfect elixir encompassing four nights and three days of riding, racing, live music, beer drinking and, most importantly, just generally goofing off. The weekend began with the Sheeptown Drag Races, a time honored underground event in the valley which was cooked up …
DEATH TO DAY JOBS 3: A Preview and Not-So-Subtle Invitation to Come Out!
When some people think of Sun Valley, it’s any guess what comes to mind, but one image the might catch one unexpectedly by the scruff of the neck, is the very real and very rad young artist community which calls this place home. Forget the image of Golden Girls meets Lawrence Welk in the mountains, we’ve got it going on. Being an artist in Sun Valley sounds about like nirvana, except living here has its challenges, like getting by. Which is the theme of a now in its third installment art show, Death to Day Jobs which is about creating that escape from working the daily grind in paradise. It’s about getting elevated to a higher level of paradise which sounds like a fantasy role playing game… but whatever. The art and artists not to mention super fun group that comes out for this show each year makes it without a doubt the place to be. All cozied up at Ochi Gallery on Lewis Street you will catch a beer buzz and revel in the hum of creativity, ironic eyeglasses, body ink, and people who look like the belong in the city, living life in the rad lane right here in Sun Valley. So be there, tonight, July 3rd at OCHI Gallery on Lewis Street, 7:00 pm sharp!
Coyote Yurt: Singletrack, Shuttles, and Backwoods Amenities
Sore legs, epic views, and cold beer. Three thoughts that command my attention as I reflect on a glorious weekend spent acquainting myself with Coyote Yurt in the Smokey Mountains of Sun Valley, Idaho. This magical, remote place perched high above the valley is a dream come true for mountain bikers looking to ride endless single track from a base far away from it all, yet still fully supported. Think glam camping with all the beer you can fit in to a 4×4, comfy beds, and bottomless vistas. The Coyote Yurt should be on your Sun Valley bucket list.
Baldy Gets a Bike Park, Sun Valley Breaks Ground on a New Playground
It started like most great ideas. After a series of stiff beers from Europe served at a local house of ill repute, some local emissaries lit on the idea of providing an economic impact study on the business that surounds mountain biking, more specifically bike park mountain biking. The arms race for summertime recreation has been heating up over the past few years with bike parks popping up like opportunistic weeds all around the world. With changes in bike technology and the growing momentum of mountain biking we felt there was a case to be made. Only a couple of years after that study was delivered on the doorstep of Sun Valley Company a flurry of planning, applying for permits, and corralling contractors, precipitated. Cutting to the chase, Sun Valley broke ground this late summer on what will be one of the biggest bike parks in the country. Working on a five year build out plan Sun Valley has taken the bull (er rather shovel) by the horns and dived right in to building a facility that will further the area's reputation as a mountain bike mecca. And so we felt it only appropriate to take a day and …
Foodie Heaven: The Sun Valley Harvest Festival
As the annual harvest moon sat poised to rise over the Pioneer Mountains and shine down on the Wood River Valley, foodies from all walks gathered in the Ketchum Town Square eager to taste their way around the town for the fourth annual Harvest Fest Restaurant Walk. Four hundred and fifty fortunate attendees filtered into the square between 4:00 and 5:00 pm where taste buds were promptly greeted with delightful up-and-coming Idaho wine tastings. As guests primed their palettes, strategies and routes for navigating the 20+ restaurants were drawn. With only two hours to sample, a certain level of planning was necessary in order to enjoy this culinary festival the fullest.
Skatepark Destination: Ketchum, Idaho (and a little bit more)
Ketchum and Sun Valley may be known for many outdoor opportunities like biking, hiking, skiing, camping and so on, but what many people do not know is that it is also a well known Skateboard destination.
“This Must Be the Place”, with Baron Von Fancy
Sun Valley via NYC Gordon Stevenson aka “Baron Von Fancy” takes a few moments to talk about his local roots. From across the brightly lit room, an object of deep familiarity snags my eye. It’s as though I am a trout having an atavistic response to something in the water ahead. A connection to childhood synapse, I can almost hear the sound of canned audience applause, a beautiful yet overdone hostess turns a card as a Pat lets out a familiar, “Do we have an ‘S’ ?” and so I am introduced to the work of Gordon Stevenson, aka Baron Von Fancy. A throwback Wheel of Fortune photo evokes a sense of Americana, the phrase peeled back by Vanna revealing more about Stevenson’s work as you dive in and begin to get it. This installation spans mediums but the impression that is left behind is a tie to the past, making things old new again and slathering it with a cheeky sense of fun, romance and occasionally, irony. Life’s simple pleasures. Stevenson has that side dialed. Baron Von Fancy represents the side of Stevenson which commercializes his art, and the success of this work has landed him collaborations …
Ride Sun Valley: More Fun Than a Monkey on a Unicycle
Ride Sun Valley has become a major staple of both the Sun Valley’s summer event offering and the bike festival world as recognized by Outside Magazine. Spanning two weekends with events ranging from the Shimano Super Enduro to kids racing to pumptrack racing to free guided rides to the US National Championships and all parts in between this is a week which celebrates the area’s 400+ miles of mountain bike trails and the thriving local bike scene.
Wine Auction Weekend: Where the Wine Flows Like Beer
For four glorious days here in Sun Valley, the wine flowed like beer, the beautiful women instinctively flocked like the steelhead of Stanley, Idaho and some serious funding to foster future arts and humanities opportunities for the Wood River Valley was raised. The 32nd annual Wine Auction Weekend invited attendees to partake in copious amounts of world renown vino varietals, mouth watering bites from the valley’s finest culinary experts, and boot stomping live entertainment. While the long weekend showcased a wide variety of wine induced events, two major spectacles took center stage. Friday night played host to the Wine Auction Gala where, “high spirits, great wine, superb food, good company, and a little friendly competition” melded together for some serious fund raising.