Thank You!

Thank you from our kitchen table Heck of the North Productions headquarters! To all of our dedicated and friendly volunteers…we could not do this without you (and to Avesa Rockwell for organizing this so well.) To all of you who traveled near and far to be part of the Heck experience, thank you! It has always been worth the blood, sweat and tears on our side, and again, in 2021, it is even more so.

I saw so many things going the right direction in gravel cycling this year. I saw new faces of all ages, colors and sizes. Awesome! I saw welcoming racers, both veteran and new. Thank you. And I saw the perseverance that marks gravel cyclists and especially Heck/Le Grand athletes. This never ceases to inspire.

Chris Pascone and family racing the 20 mile Heck! Photo Evan Frost Photography

True grit demonstrated by Joseph Kelsey age 72. And to Newt Colburn, age 72, who won his esteemed division in 8:48! Thank you for being part of the Heck of the North! Photo Jeremy Kershaw

We are already planning 2022. Here is a date to add to your calendar. Le Grand du Nord, Grand Marais, May 28, 2022. We are working on some new gravel goodness for 2022 and sorting out the date for The Heck of the North. Stay tuned for these.

Here is a special note to the Duluth Devo Mountain Bike Program. And especially Patrick Greehan and Brian Hayden and their group of dedicated coaches and volunteers. I was blown away by the great spirit and athleticism I witnessed at the event. Chapeau!

And thank you to Emily Richey and Kyle Cook for opening their beautiful farmstead, Agate Acres Farm, for our new Heck Basecamp.

Some of the amazing athletes from Duluth Devo Mountain Bike Program. Photo Jeremy Kershaw

And thank you to our incredible sponsors! They add support, flavor and great product to our events.

View the OtsoCycles Gallery of Heck images created by Evan Frost. Otso Cycles has generously made these photos available to download for free. Please give a shout out to Evan and Otso Cycles if used publicly. Use the Code: “Otso” to access.

Until next time, Ride the Good Line!

Jeremy Kershaw and Avesa Rockwell

P.S (And to Bone Saw Cycling Collective for being arguably the most supportive gravel club I have ever seen!)

Volunteer for The Heck of the North

Hello! 

Thank you for registering to ride the 2021 Heck of the North! 

This event could not happen without volunteers, and this year we will need lots of help to ensure physical distancing and safety for a record number of riders. Most shifts are under 2 hours, outdoors, and will require masks. 

Please use the Bike Reg link to register-- scroll to the bottom to find links to Friday and Saturday opportunities:

https://www.bikereg.com/heckofthenorth-2021

We compensate your time in-kind with the following:  

2 HOUR COMMITMENT: Official event tee shirt and free drink ticket at our sponsoring brewery 

4 HOUR COMMITMENT: plus a voucher for sandwich

6 HOUR COMMITMENT: plus comped entry into future 20 or 50 mile Heck event (transferrable to a family member)

8 HOUR COMMITMENT: or comped entry into future 100 mile Heck event (transferrable to a family member)

Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Avesa, at avesaisis@gmail.com if you have questions. 

Thank you! 

Jeremy and Avesa 

Tonight is the "Good Line" Premier!

I want to welcome you to the online premier of David Cowardin's "The Good Line" tonight at 6 PM. David at Blue Forest Films has created a beautiful film about gravel cycling, Heck of the North Productions and my journey through some of life's challenges. 

We are welcoming donations to Human Developement Center, a Duluth nonprofit bringing excellent mental health resources to the region. Our friends at Continental Ski & Bike have worked especially hard to bring this premier to life. Thank you! 

We hope to see you for an online discussion/Q&A afterward, too. Thanks for joining us as we help to support local artists and mental health providers on the North Shore. 

Jeremy Kershaw 

Link to Trailer

Link to Facebook Event 

Link to Youtube Premier site

The Fox is Canceled

Good Morning

We have made the difficult decision to cancel The Fox for this weekend, August 28-29, 2021. 

The Greenwood Lake Fire grew another 4000 acres last night and is actively burning a few miles to the Northwest of our start in Finland, MN. The smoke levels are our highest concern. While Saturday may be relatively clear, on Sunday morning the wind will abruptly shift west, potentially sending thick smoke directly from the Greenwood Lake Fire (and possibly other fires) onto the route. The air quality index may exceed 150, which creates “unhealthy” conditions. Furthermore, there are active fire crews working not only the fires, but also driving the roads between Finland and Grand Marais where we plan to be racing. We feel uncomfortable holding a recreational event on the same roads that are essential routes for wildfire suppression.  

Here is the latest information about conditions in the Superior National Forest.  

 We are offering an 80% refund. Some of our expenses are fixed including insurance, permits and labor. 

We have agonized over this decision for the last two days. We realize that it is not only a let down but also a logistical/vacation hit for some. This year continues to challenge us all as we wade through COVID 19 and now a severe drought in the Northland. 

We thank you for your patience and understanding. As always, we try to bring the highest quality events and compromising our health or safety resources in the area is not worth the risk. 

Please feel free to contact Jeremy Kershaw at jeremybkershaw@gmail.com with questions. 

Thank you, 

Jeremy Kershaw

The Good Line Premier

Please join us for a special premier showing of The Good Line, a David Cowardin/Blue Forest Films production. Discussions about mental health, cycling and the intersections of them both in life. Proceeds will go to the Human Development Center, a local Duluth mental health resource.

Please see trailer here: https://fb.me/e/2A3iBe3i7