Film Night a Fitting Tribute to a Beloved ‘Ritual’

May 7 | Mill Valley, CA - On a Tuesday evening under clear, warm skies in Mill Valley, 175 mountain biking enthusiasts ascended on Hook Fish Co. at Proof Lab Beer Garden. It was a celebration of camaraderie, advocacy, and adrenaline all wrapped up in a film night dedicated to the passion of mountain biking.

Organized by A4B in partnership with Hook Fish Co., the event harnessed the latest in mountain biking short films from around the country, via Ritual Film Tour, to raise money for trail building and advocacy in Marin.

Attendees were welcomed into the Beer Garden and purchased drinks and food from Hook Fish’s outdoor counter. Attendees also purchased drawing tickets to try their luck at winning rad prizes.

The A4B team was excited to include Marin Municipal Water District Directors and fellow mountain bikers Jed Smith and Matt Samson in the festivities. Following an introduction from A4B Executive Director, Vernon Huffman, Jed took to the stage to express his appreciation of A4B’s advocacy efforts and dedication to supporting the upcoming pilot projects.

Also among the crowd was Joby Tapia, a familiar face and resilient shredder who sported his Marinduro 2023 shirt which (literally) tells the story of his broken tibia on Broken Dam trail. Glad you’re healed up and back at it, Joby!

As the sky darkened, attendees finished their meals, grabbed one more beverage and found their seats. The films rolled with an action-packed series including a film about the origins of mountain biking in Crested Butte, Colorado, and another on heli-biking in Alaska along with world downhill pros. The series sparked memories of past rides with friends and plenty of ideas for future adventures.

We want to make a heartfelt shoutout to Will at Hook Fish, whose idea of hosting Ritual and shared love of mountain biking brought us all this rad event. We are deeply grateful for the funds raised from pre and same-day ticket sales, drawing proceeds, and a generous beer share donation from Will. Thanks also goes out to the companies and individuals who provided prizes for our drawing. Congrats, winners! We hope you enjoy your sweet swag, tools, and parts. Finally, we want to thank all the volunteers who hustled to make the event a success.

We hope you had a great time, and we’ll see you again soon!