Spokatopia biking event celebrates 10 years this weekend by getting back to basics

Spokatopia has a new organizer, but the mountain-bike festival will still launch its annual celebration along the Spokane River for its 10th anniversary on Saturday at Camp Sekani Park.

The event that once included paddleboarding and kayaking has gone back to its biking roots, said Benjamin Deakins, owner of Solnix, the bike shop at 4505 N. Division St. that until last year had been named Shred Sports.

“It has been a moving target with the last 10 years, but really what it came down to is, if it’s good for water sports, it’s not good for mountain biking. And if it’s good for mountain biking, it’s not good for water sports,” Deakins said.

The previous organizers and founders of Spokatopia are Derrick and Shallan Knowles, who publish Out There Outdoors magazine.

“We decided to take it over and have been advertising with Derrick and Shallan,” Deakins said.

Most visitors will not see much difference, although the festival has been reduced to a single day, Saturday, instead of a two-day event as it has been held in the past at the park, located at 6722 E. Upriver Dr.

Deakins also followed the Knowles’ lead in moving the date of Spokatopia into June rather than July, as it had been for most of its history.

“We decided that June is the best option,” Deakins said. “The weather is generally good, but not blazing hot. First and foremost, it’s a mountain biking festival. In the third week of June, you can’t throw a stone without hitting an event. But we thought that would be the best for us.

“It’s the end of school, and kids are getting out of graduation, and it’s before the July 4 holiday where everybody is getting out of town.”

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will include free bike demonstrations, an outdoor movie and a beer garden.

All proceeds from the beer sales will go to Evergreen East, a biking group that helps maintain area mountain bike trails.

“This year is really unique. We decided to make admission free of charge,” Deakins said.

The signature event is a shuttle where bikes are loaded onto a specially designed trailer and riders are ferried in two vans to the top of Beacon Hill for a downhill ride back to the festival.

“All the exhibits, all food and the movie screen will be in the camp,” Deakins said of Sekani.

As for parking, he noted that the bike lane along Upriver Drive will be closed for bike travel, which is being moved to the Centennial Trail for the event.

That will allow patrons to park along Upriver Drive and walk to Camp Sekani between John H. Shields Park and Pasadena Park Elementary School, at 8508 E. Upriver Dr.

“The speed limit will also be reduced to 20 mph because a lot of pedestrians will be crossing that road,” Deakins said.

More information is available at spokatopia.com.