What does it mean to be truly inclusive? This is demonstrated by Ash and his wife Andi Zolton, founders of the Roam Fest who in 2017 in Arizona created a space to welcome groups of women, marginalized bikers and genderqueers, thus proclaiming the bicycle as an instrument of inclusion and fun.
The event presents more than 100 bike tours including bike-test, bike school, projections of adventure films, round tables and moments of conviviality; The main sponsors are Specialized, Sram, Pivot, Mac-Off, Rocky Mountain and Liv.
"The first Roam Fest was simply amazing because they were one of the only spaces dedicated to women on mountain bikes to have fun, but it still felt like a more traditional mountain bike party," said Paz Chinchilla, a longtime industry veteran. date. “But in 2021 they took it to the next level. The community has become much larger, more inclusive and diverse. "
With the first editions, the founders concentrated on collecting feedback and then moving to invest proactively and internationally by making systemic changes to the functioning of the festival. They created a BIPOC scholarship (to support blacks, indigenous, black people) with a commitment to reserve 20% of registrations for women of color while also helping to fund the cost of registration and camping for people in need.
“This choice was not foreseen, we put the cart before the horse, we hadn't set aside funds for it, it was too simple,” says Andi Zolton, Ash's partner in life and in business. "It was like having a baby, you are never ready but you start doing it, it just had to happen."
From there there was another change: hiring more diversified staff, people with no particular experience with mountain biking but with the necessary skills to put on a world-class event. "The staff plays a central role in creating the welcoming atmosphere and that makes the difference."
"Let's tell our staff: if you see someone on the bench, alone or not having fun, go to that person, invite them to do something and make them feel at home."
"The three rules for organizing a good event, and I hope people steal it, are: don't let people go hungry, don't let people get thirsty, and never let the music stop." If you've attended Roam, you know the music never stops from the first morning yoga session until the dance party stops. "Atmosphere is an incredibly important part of an event."
