03/23/2009

Santa Cruz Syndicate rider and AllRide Tour pilot, Kirt Voreis is excited to support a group of young, passionate riders through his grass-roots program, the Santa Cruz AllRide Academy. Voreis invited eight talented riders to ride for the Academy and represent the future of mountain biking.

The Santa Cruz AllRide Academy is a program designed to help riders get a leg up in the bike industry. Voreis partnered with some of his loyal sponsors to provide products and clothing to help cut costs for these youngsters who want to race and enjoy the camaraderie of mountain biking.

The riders will race their chosen disciplines at events around the country. Evan Turpen(23), Cierra Smith(13), Richie Rude(14), Amado Stachenfeld(19), Troy Sladek(11), Graeme Pitts(18), Lainey Aldridge(18) and Austin Aldrich(15), will all be aboard shiny new Santa Cruz bikes, donning slick new Fox duds, protected by Bell helmets, looking through the lenses of Smith and smashing around on tried and true SRAM and Rockshox products.

Voreis is excited to mentor the young athletes and support them at select races to pre-ride courses and help with race strategies. “I have learned many lessons about riding and life from traveling the globe racing Downhill. I want to help young, aspiring racers achieve their goals and live a life filled with passions”, says Voreis. “I also want to make sure I teach them about the privileges and commitments involved with being a sponsored athlete”, he says.
Along with supporting Academy riders at events, The Santa Cruz AllRide Tour will also provide demo bikes for the public to rip around on! Travis Lucas, head mechanic and product manager for the AllRide Tour will provide race support and educate the riders about their products and maintenance. Cheer on the Academy during the 2009 season!

Tentative schedule:
April 11-12 DEMO with BackCountry.com – Grand Junction, Co.
April 15-19 Sea Otter Classic - Monterey, Ca. (demos at event)
DEMO - TBA
May 1-3 Fluidride Cup - Port Angeles, Wa.
May 23-24 US Open - Vernon, NJ.
DEMO - TBA
June 5-7 Teva Games - Vail, Co.
June 14-15 Ashland Super D - Ashland, Or. (demos at event)
July 11-12 Downieville Classic - Downieville, Ca. (demos at event)
DEMO - TBA
July 30-Aug 2 Crankworx Colorado (Decline Symposium)
August 8-16 Crankworx Whistler (No demos)
DEMO - TBA
August 21-23 MTB Oregon - Oakridge, Or. (demos)
• More events and Demos TBA
• Kirt will also be filming for the film New World Disorder 10