2020 Festival Hosts JEN ZEUNER & ANNE KELLER
When Jen and Anne moved to the tiny, conservative high desert town of Fruita, Colorado almost twenty years ago, it was not on the map as far as mountain biking was concerned. It was a small and tight-knit community without much economic vitality. Jen and Anne have left a big imprint on Fruita. At the outset they were on the fringe and a bit ostracized, they’re now at the very heart and soul of the community. When they arrived, Fruita was still underground as far as a mountain bike destination, but now it’s as renowned to cyclists as Moab, UT. Unlike Moab, Fruita isn’t just known for it’s riding – you go there to eat hot pie. Jen and Anne weren’t shy about using their lesbian innuendos to sell pizza, even from the beginning. Slogans like ‘friends let friends eat hot pie’ and ‘we snatch kisses and vice versa’ were on free stickers by the cash register even when Fruita wasn’t quite ready for it. Jen is a former competitive BMX rider and World Cup downhill mountain biker and Anne is a contributing photographer for Bike magazine. When they’re not slinging pizza until they literally run out of dough, you’ll find them out riding their favorite loops with their dogs.
RUSS CHAPMAN With hopelessly optimistic characters fashioning wildly impractical solutions to completely imaginary problems, songwriter, storyteller and performer Russ Chapman follows the adage: write what you know. Winner of the Telluride Emerging Blues Artist award and a featured speaker at Bozeman Montana’s TEDx conference, Mr. Chapman has performed for a diverse array of audiences on stages both big and small: from captivating congregations of children at the Corning Museum of Glass, to giving the inmates at the Delta Colorado Correctional Facility a breath of fresh air. While off stage, his video series — The UnMappable Happy Chapman, follows the exploits of a hopelessly optimistic, wildly impractical, completely imaginary wilderness wordsmith. Follow along on Instagram at: @unmappablehappychapman.
PADDY O’CONNELL My name is Paddy O’Connell, but you can call me PaddyO. I work in the outdoor industry as a word nerd and a professional chit chatter -- which essentially means I am a freelance writer, creator, storyteller, voice over talent, and multimedia producer. I write for the top magazines and dot coms in the outdoors. I work in front of and behind the camera as talent and producer, and on stage as an event emcee. I voice outdoor stories and products. I consult with leading outdoor brands on messaging and audience capture. I believe in the power of storytelling. When I’m not practicing Footloose inspired dance moves, Patrick Swayze-esque hair flips, and grooming my mustache to resemble Tom Selleck’s lip caterpillar, I can be found in the mountains — mostly likely being a bit loud and doing something a lot weird. I am based out of Carbondale, Colorado. I am focused on creative storytelling in the outdoor adventure landscape. I want to tell stories, connect with and inspire people, and help those around me achieve their creative goals. I am an active participant in the outdoor community, attending annual conferences and events, developing and maintaining relationships, and staying upto-date with community happenings. I know the leaders, the athletes, the characters, and the stories that make up our world. I breathe the outdoor life and understand the essence of our community and lifestyle. And it is my mission to tell our stories. I make it happen.
WADE NEWSOM Wade Newsom is a man of mystery and wonder whose wonder is exceeded only by his mystery. He's traveled in many directions and now lays his head in Santa Barbara, California. The stories he's collected along the way run through his veins and out his pen.
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