Grateful for our Event Sponsors!

Here at Heck of the North Productions, we pride ourselves on working with businesses that are North Shore, Minnesota, Upper Midwest and USA “local” and dedicated to cycling and all that it brings to life. We are also proud of the fact that we choose who we partner and work with. We are and always will be a family run business. You will not see a cooperate name in front of any of our events. Just not our style.

Some of our partners have been with us from the very beginning (HED Cycling) and others for a very long time (Loll Designs, Epicurean USA, Castle Danger Brewery, Voyageur Brewing Company, Cedaero/Spokengear.) Others, are new and excited to be associated with the gravel and bikepacking experiences we help to create. Please take a look and consider buying from these businesses that help bring great energy and product to our events. Please see our Sponsor Page for go-to links.

This year, we have two county partners that offer many resources for visitors coming up to the North Shore and our events. Lovin’ Lake County and Visit Cook County are the places to go to when looking for information about accommodations, events, maps or general questions. We rely on them for all of our events and greatly appreciate their support.

We want to welcome Velocity USA who have generously donated two beautiful sets of wheels to our Fox and Wolf bikepacking races. The Blunt 35 and Cliffhanger wheelsets are complete with their KT Dynamo hubs. Velocity just happens to be the first set of wheels (Dyads) that I laced up and are still going strong. Thanks for being part of our events.

The North Shore Winery in Lutsen, MN is another new sponsor. North Shore Winery makes red and white wines from grapes grown in California and Minnesota. The Sawtooth Mountain Cider House uses Minnesota grown apples to offer tempting hard ciders. When you are up for Le Grand du Nord (or any other time up North) stop by and taste what they have to offer.

For 36 years, Granite Gear has brought cutting-edge products to the outdoor industry. Their award-winning backpacks, adventure travel gear, extensive variety of storage sacks, lifestyle accessories, and canoe gear offer excellence in design and construction. Granite Gear’s desire is for all outdoor enthusiasts and travelers to experience the incredible durability and comfort of their products. Located in Northern Minnesota, just minutes from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Superior Hiking Trail, they have a rugged and beautiful testing ground for their products. Learn more at granitegear.com and follow along on Instagram. They will be donating Air Zippdittys and Stuffsacks and Compression Sacks for The Heck of the North this September.

We will be highlighting more partners in the weeks before the events. Thanks to all of our gravel and bikepacking loving friends.