Words and Photos by Corey Anderson

While some events in the bike world come and go, some stick around and keep getting better year after year. Norco Performance Bikes has shifted the VPS Fest concept into the big ring, entering its third year bringing three pedal-to-the-metal events to riders across Canada. VPS Fest is a customer appreciation-based event where Norco staff and Factory Team riders pack up and bring the party to you.

Signing up for this free event gives you a great reason to head out with your riding buddies to some of Canada's best lift-accessed, gravity-fuelled trails. You can leave your tools at home, because Norco is going to treat you like one of their Team riders and take care of any unexpected mechanicals. You can rip with the Team riders, you can get pro advice from their first-class mechanics, or you can just kick it with your buddies and a few hundred other Norco riders.

As this event has grown, the prize purse has been drafting right behind it. For 2005, the value of gear you are entered in a draw to win tops $5,000, and the grand prize tops it all with a 2005 A-line frame-set. As a new twist, they have also introduced the 'Ride in Style' contest, a draw that every registered rider gets entered in, that puts the winner in full head-to-toe Axiom and Mace gear, aboard a brand new 2005 Team DH for the day, and riding with the pros for fun and tips all day.

So stealth it doesn't even get dirty

As if all this wasn't enough, for VPS Fest #1, Sun Peaks Resort in B.C. offered their bike park to Norco riders for free on the Saturday, and half price for the balance of the weekend. Sun Peaks also features a killer $99/night per-person deal for riders giving you plush accommodations in the middle of all the action. So you get a road trip, free tech support, prizes, amazing lift-accessed riding, tons of prizes, cheap accommodations, and riding with a ton of other people on your favourite bikes. Sign me up.

All of this happens three times this year, which adds up to big bucks being kicked back at Norco riders, and an easily accessible event for riders across Canada.

Young rippers stocking up on stickers

Roll Out… Nothing is more fitting than packing up for a bike trip on Canada Day. We loaded up the cars on Friday, pressed play on the stereo, and kicked back for a cruise to Kamloops, B.C. to one of the hottest places to ride in the province. If you have not had the chance to get to Sun Peaks, change your plans, load up your car and enjoy the short three-and-a-half hour drive from Vancouver to one of the most fun places you will ride your bike. Sun Peaks has been stepping it up at their park, and have some amazing new trails that cater to expert riders right on down to beginners. The relaxed vibe, killer trails, and great deals make Sun Peaks the ultimate destination for riders of all sorts.

We rolled in just in time for two quick runs down Steam Shovel, and then cruised over to the Norco trucks to see how things were looking. The evening before the event, the guys had all the trucks set up, tents up, and signs up telling everyone something big was going down this weekend.

Ringing Ears

Timing for this event could not have been better, it combined Canada Day, VPS Fest, Sun Peaks and BC/DC. For those who are unfamiliar, BC/DC has got to be the best AC/DC cover band on the planet. They sound exactly the same, they rock the stage exactly the same, and as soon as they crank out the first few seconds of their set, they may as well be the real thing. Masa's Bar & Grill at Sun Peaks was brave enough to host the event, and it didn't take long for the bar to transform from a sunny patio to a full blown rock concert packed with riders. A solid performance by

BC/DC does Canada Day

Who are the weather Gods anyway…
We woke up Saturday morning with ringing ears, and a faint head-ache (weird…). We could already hear the tunes pumping from the Norco pits, and after a quick breakfast we were down at Time to Ride getting our lift tickets and heading to the lift. Norco riders had infiltrated the mountain and were spreading out on the hill when it happened … the high clouds multiplied like wild rabbits and then opened up in a freakish hailstorm that may well have dented a few helmets. It didn't take long for the tents to be packed with riders trying to stay dry as the rain power-washed the bikes littered all over the bottom of the hill.

This is when the grit of die-hard riders shines. Despite the heavy rain, they kept coming off the hill, absolutely covered head-to-toe in mud, dripping as quickly as the rain was falling, and all you could see through the mud-covered faces was bright white teeth parting the muck with ear-to-ear smiles. Some of the staff riders set a fabulous hygiene example by standing under the tents as water was dumped out of the growing pools on them, rinsing off in a 50 gallon tidal wave, before heading back up for more!

"Ride In Style" winner Matt Haskins and Jay Hoots get ready to kick it old school.

Despite the moist weather, people kept coming to sign in and ride the lift. This was man vs. nature, and in the end, we won. The rain let up, opening up to blue sky and sun to cap off the remainder of the afternoon.

The Peaks
Sun Peaks rocks. I think I mentioned it before, but it's the kind of thing that has to be repeated. The terrain puts a lot of "mountain" in mountain biking. There are amazing singletrack trails through the forest like High Octane, Kaboom, and Cat Track that remind you just how much fun riding a bike is. There are steeps, like Smitty's Steeps, that will test your mind and your brakes, and give you an adrenaline rush like no other. And there are jumps that can help you send it.

There is a new one on the cusp of opening called Route 66 that resembles a bob-sled track on steroids. It's going to be the ultimate run for the rider who likes to pin it and rip corners. If you like stunts and skinnies, trails like Sugar and Sweet One will have some fun with you. The bottom line is that there's a trail for everyone, and the hospitality in the village ensures a table at a patio with the food and drink of your choice waiting for you at the bottom.

Karl Major becoming one with the drive train

The Pits VPS Fest gives every Norco rider Factory support. Skipping gears, flat tires, suspension questions, wheel issues, you name it, all you need to do is bring it to the truck and the Norco folks will get you sorted out and on your way free of charge. No dirty hands for you, no tools, no waiting around, and no cutting corners - you are set up and treated like your next run is for the podium. It's also interesting to get a feel for how it works behind the scenes. If you are a weekend warrior, most of your repairs probably take place in the parking lot with limited tools and parts, while the big guns sit in a lawn chair with access to buckets of

The Prizes Everyone loves free stuff. At the end of the day, everyone went back to Masa's to wait and see if their name got called in the prize draw. With over $5,000 in prizes going around, your odds are pretty good. A seemingly endless supply of grips, gloves, jerseys, hats, chairs, tires went out to the crowd, and as it got closer to the end, the prizes got even better. There was a complete SRAM drive train, an Alex wheelset, a Marzocchi fork and the grand prize, the '05 A-Line frame to a happy Norco rider who will be flipping his old ride to get into this new machine.

The Man we all wished we were.

VPS Fest coming to a park near you.
Big props to both Norco and Sun Peaks Resort for throwing a very successful VPS Fest #1, 2005. The bar has been raised by this unique event, which is the only one of its kind in the bike industry today.