The 2021 Mini Olympics at Gatorback Cycle Park somehow surpassed the overall success the 2020 edition event in nearly every way both for the event as a whole and for us/EVS Sports. Pulling onto the grounds for the first time we had anticipated we would be on site 'early' to be prepared and ready to provide support to #TeamEVS riders but it was apparent as soon as we pulled in that we were not early. 'Vendor Row' and the grounds in general were already at or near capacity, much more so than 2020.
We quickly buckled down to get setup as quickly as possible which we didn't think would take more than 2-3 hours at most. Engagement from riders and families with us before we were even truly setup was through the roof almost immediately so it took us the better part of the entire first day to be truly ready for the week. The general theme of being busy on the first day continued through the better part of the week. Whether #TeamEVS riders were stopping by to hang out and catch up or fitting someone for knee braces for the first time there was always something happening at our booth.
The culture and vibe of the EVS booth throughout the week was an incredible experience to be a part of. Caden Dudney, a Team Green and #TeamEVS rider who is all of 11 years old, hung out with us by himself for the better part of an entire day just to hang out with the EVS guys. Talon Hawkins, Factory Husqvarna and another #TeamEVS rider, was comfortable enough to come over to the EVS booth and get fitted for knee braces by himself and hang with us for an hour or so after he was fitted. It was awesome to see that our booth had the culture of being inviting and accepting to not only #TeamEVS athletes and their families but really anyone who felt like to just stop by and hang out for any length of time. Walking through Vendor Row at Gatorback it was clear that we/EVS were really the only booth with that kind of inviting and accepting culture.
About halfway through our stay at Gatorback we held our first ever 'Sponsored Rider Workshop' and partnered with the facility to help promote our event. The goal of us hosting the workshop was to provide advice and helpful tips to parents and riders on how they could enhance and improve on their 'value' on and off the bike to be more appealing to sponsors and brands like EVS. After the short workshop concluded it was fantastic to see both riders and parents thank us as they were clearly very appreciative of the event we had hosted.
On the track #TeamEVS had a stellar week across the board. We had several riders win championships like Talon Hawkins in 250A Supercross and Cody Groves in Collegeboy Supercross. A plethora of riders improved in a big way compared to last year in terms of results like Benja Garib, Caden Dudney, Thor Powell and more. It was great to see #TeamEVS have a strong representation on the track both fighting for wins and improving in big ways from the year before.
Every major Amateur National EVS attends the growth of the brand is evident both on and off the track and the 2021 Mini Olympics was no different. The constant engagement from attendees throughout the week and the presence that #TeamEVS had on the track are clear indicators that EVS is trending the right direction. '21 Mini O's were a huge success for us and we can't wait for more!
#TeamEVS #WeAreProtection
Written by Jackson Halsmer
Photography Credit - David Lando
Video Credit - Chris 'Posty' Post
