When the Pinkbike Academy first aired a few seasons ago we were immediately taken by Israel Carrillo. His positivity and drive were incredibly rare and had us all wanting to get to know him better. When Israel’s time on the show came to an end we reached out to ask if he’d like to ride our bikes and be a part of our ambassador program. Israel dedicates all of his time to bettering himself and helping other people. He’s that kind of guy. He exudes joy, he radiates positivity, and his happiness is infectious. We should all be so lucky to have someone like Israel in our circles.
We teamed up with our friends at WTB to bring Israel’s story to the masses. We think it’s a story worth hearing.
“The bustling city of Guanajuato, Mexico, is full of culture, colors, and an unexpectedly flourishing mountain bike scene. Although too humble to accept this title, Guanajuato local and Kona Bikes and WTB ambassador Israel Carrillo is one of the driving forces behind this unique mountain bike community. Israel wears many hats as a mountain bike athlete; he’s the local bike mechanic, trail builder, and community leader with a contagious stoke that encourages both kids and adults to get out and ride.“
“Israel started getting into mountain biking as a means of transportation and quickly learned that racing down the city’s intricate staircases was a lot more fun than simply pedaling to swim practice. Back then, mountain biking was very new to Mexico and there were few nearby trails for Israel to ride. Fortunately, the city of Guanajuato sits at the base of the mountains that reach over 10,000 ft, so it didn’t take long for Israel to figure out that his backyard provided the perfect terrain to build bike-specific trails. “I mainly started trail building because of the necessity of having trails to ride,” Israel explains as he shows us how his trail building has evolved with the growth of mountain biking in Mexico. Israel started trail building simply because of the need for trails and now digs to leave trails that will allow the next generation to ride and progress far beyond what he himself has accomplished.” -WTB
We are honored to work with Israel and share his story. His positivity has proven to be a guiding light among not only his community but the mountain bike community as a whole. Big thanks to our friends at WTB, Maxwell Frank, Ian Glass, and Israel Carrillo for making this project possible.
