Event | Fun times at Trail Days in Latsch
What makes mountain bikers happy? Last weekend more than 800 mountain biking addicts found the answer to this pressing question at Trail Days in the paradise of Latsch in South Tyrol.
What are they on about, you might be wondering. But if you follow certain Instagram accounts of certain festivalgoers then you might have noticed that there seemed to be a banana at the centre of the goings-on! Or, rather, more precisely, a hashtag-emblazoned banana: #DestinationTrail. And what was implied by this, might be your next question. This wasn’t a festival about chasing seconds, causing mayhem at the festival or sitting through nerve-racking tech talks. So what was it then?
If anything, bike festivals tend to be pretty stressful. The gangways are packed and you can’t get through the crowds. You wait an eternity for a test bike that you’re then only allowed for a short time, on some rubbish trails. Then you’re stuck in rush-hour traffic to get home. Usually that is…
This is why Trail Days just had to be something special. And not just in Austria either! Trail Days, as a festival actually happened in loads of places all at once – the USA, Australia, France, and the UK to name but a few. So when Specialized asked us earlier this year whether we like to act as the partner for this event, it didn’t take us long to decide. Basing our decision on the coolest trails in South Tyrol, tasty food, well-known musicians and bands, access to free chairlifts, camping and test bikes for those interested, this sounded like the perfect recipe for an incredible weekend. After 6 bands, greetings from 1,500 festival goers, 900 test rides and God only knows how many beers, one thing was for sure: those who weren’t at Trail Days in Latsch, definitely missed out on something pretty special – and not just from the festival, but from us too…
… I mean, come on, we held the very first ENDURO Trail Party! One of us launched a super last-minute surprise on all the festivalgoers on the middle of the mountain! With a live DJ, free beer (and alcohol free too we should add!), the hashtag banana and I Love Enduro sun loungers, it was a pretty special event.
Trail Days kicked off last Thursday, on a bank holiday that most of Europe had the pleasure of enjoying. This meant that most visitors could have the luxury of a four-day weekend and only one day taken as leave. As the sun beat down, the test bikes were up for grabs as early as 9am – and the brilliant and well-signposted trails were more than ready to be ridden.
The weather Gods were slightly less kind on Friday and their constant rain meant that the trails were more than a little slippery. But despite the dirty, wet conditions, the festival spirit was alive and kicking. And once the live acts took to the stage on Friday evening, the sun reared its head once more.
“Party until the cows come home!” was definitely Saturday’s motto! Right from the offset, the sun was up high in the Vinschgau and the trails were rightly thronged with riders.
As if you hadn’t got sunburned enough on Saturday (the proof is more than visible), the Sunday’s brilliantly dry and once again dusty trails were there for the taking. Over the course of the morning, almost every rider was out enjoying themselves – apart from those who’d had a little too much fun on the previous night. As the afternoon began and the final high-fives in the expo were bashed, it was time to bid goodbye to our mates, our new friends and this now legendary weekend. But no one went home empty-handed: the almost permanent grin, the memories to get you through this week at work and –if you were lucky – your own highly sought-after ENDURO cap. See you next time!
Wir möchten uns für die perfekte Stimmung und ein Hammer-Event bedanken. Ihr habt die Trail Days zu dem gemacht, wie es wir es uns vorher nur in unseren kühnsten Vorstellungen haben träumen lassen!DANKE!Euer Trail Days Team
Posted by Trail Days on Sunday, May 17, 2015
We’d love to use this opportunity to thanks to the event organisers, all the volunteers, staff and of course everyone who came to Trail Days. We loved the atmosphere, the riding and the sunshine. So thanks for an amazing few days in the Vinschgau. #youguysrock #Thisisenduro #TrailParty #DestinationTrail
Words: Christoph Bayer | Photos: Christoph Bayer, Sebastian Hermann, Ulf Beckmann