Deep in Le Grand du Nord country. Photo Clint Austin
I do my best to pay attention to trends, gear and other nuances in the world of gravel riding. Cycling is a passion in this household and I do not use the word lightly. From our kitchen table headquarters, here are a few guiding principals for our upcoming season, and our events, in general. I want to share them with you so you have some idea where we fall in the spectrum of gravel cycling.
First, a little history. Not too many years ago, we got some (minor) push-back for making the decision to move from a “free” event design (The Heck of the North at that time) to one that would charge an entry fee. Long story short, The Heck has its roots deeply in the ground alongside other DIY gravel events like The Almanzo 100 and Ragnarok 105 (which predate our events by a few years.) I cut my gravel teeth at these races and was deeply inspired by them (Chapeau! to Chris Skogen and Jake and the Røk Crü.) At that time, these races were labeled as “free,” though I would argue they were never free for the organizers or even for those that participated in them. But yes, there was no formal fee other than the expenses of placing a stamp on a postcard entry, getting to the event and hopefully donating to the folks hosting.
As our Heck events continued to grow, we made a decision as a family that, to keep the races alive and thriving, we needed to consider them a business, not only a passion and hobby. That meant charging a fee to help offset our expenses with the event(s) as well as help cover my time producing them.
To summarize our Why: We believe that gravel cycling is rewarding enough: the physical and emotional payouts are greater than any cash prize. We believe that keeping Heck of the North Productions a family business is the best way to sustain our events for the future. We believe in constantly creating, always trying to keep the events as exciting as they were 15 years ago. We believe that all are welcome to ride and we work to bring new people into the sport. We believe in strong relationships with local businesses who bring great energy and product to our events. We believe that riding bicycles together, at least a few times a year, is a magical way to create connections and community. We believe the experience of riding gravel is transcendent.
You may ask why we do not pay cash prizes or have corporate sponsors in our event name. We think participating and hopefully finishing your gravel event is reward enough. It helps keep our events accessible to all and deemphasizes this latest craze of professionalization in the sport. We sincerely appreciate our business partnerships, and we value our family business autonomy, too. I think those who work with us get this.
Our goal at Heck of the North Productions on this backside of the pandemic is to ride as much as possible and share the beauty of cycling with others. Thank you for being part of the Heck experience.
Jeremy