One look at what Blackburn Design is offering to serious backcountry adventurers and you will delete any and all epic mountain bike trips you’ve been scheming since the snow fell. As of January 1, the mountain bike accessory company, whose attention to quality, I might add, is absolutely on point, is accepting applications for their 2016 Ranger Program. From the lot, six candidates will be accepted, trained, polished, and dubbed Blackburn brand ambassadors, ultimate product testers, and of course, biker badasses! So, what does a Blackburn Ranger have to do, exactly? Well, are you sitting down?
Blackburn Rangers will ride their mountain bikes from Alberta, Canada to Mexico along the Great Divide. That’s all. The route is a continuous stretch of remote trails and dirt roads covering more than 2,500 miles, 200,000 feet of climbing through two Canadian provinces and five Rocky Mountain states. Aside from navigating through vast mountain wilderness, remote historic sights, and natural beauty as far as the eye can see, Blackburn Rangers will get to test new and prototype Blackburn gear aboard a fully-equipped Niner while sporting a slew of other swag from associate sponsors like Bell, Giro, and Big Agnes, among others. In addition, Rangers will receive a travel stipend to assist in completing the trip and will also be invited to attend Blackburn’s Ranger Camp in Santa Cruz, CA in April to bone up for the epic, soul-crushing journey.
Along the way, Rangers are expected to deliver not only a great ride, but trip photos, videos, and blog submissions. As mentioned, Rangers will test new and prototype gear and provide feedback to the Blackburn team about said gear. As always, social media skills across various platforms are a must.
The Ranger Program ain’t no lottery. Blackburn will be carefully considering candidates based on some select criteria for which you should prepare prior to applying:
- Describe your best experience on a bike and why you want to ride The Divide
- Upload a YouTube video capturing who you are and what sets you apart
- Get your friends to support you via social media during the selection process
If you need some inspiration, check out the three previous years of Blackburn Rangers and their stories at the Blackburn website.
Get all of the details on becoming a Blackburn Ranger here and get that application in!
Good Luck!
