Roam Fest has spent the past three years in Fruita, showcasing every facet of mountain biking and emphasizing that bikes aren’t just for the boys.
FRUITA, Colo. — Colorado’s largest women’s mountain biking festival, Roam Fest, drew hundreds of participants to the Western Slope this fall, offering more than just rides down dusty trails.
The festival, which organizers said was held for the final time this year, provided women photographers with a unique opportunity to learn, network and document action sports in a space designed for empowerment and mentorship.
Roam Fest has spent the past three years in Fruita, showcasing every facet of mountain biking and emphasizing that bikes aren’t just for the boys.
“It’s still a very male-dominated sport, so doing events like this, you know, hopefully one day we won’t have to, but this just creates more of a safe place for people,” said Danielle Nolan, a vendor and attendee of the festival.
In addition to a festival filled with a variety of rides and vendors, the event hosts the Roam Media Corps. It’s a mentorship program for women interested in action sports photography. Anne Keller, program coordinator for Media Corps, explained that the initiative gives emerging photographers the chance to work alongside experienced mentors.
“Any of those sports that are traditionally dominated by male photographers, the ratio is pretty skewed,” Keller said. “It’s about 10 to 15% women who shoot action sports, compared to male photographers.”
The program pairs mentors and mentees for pre-event preparation and weekend-long shoots with brands partnered with Roam Fest.
“We wanted a broad pool of applicants,” Keller said. “About 150 people applied this year. We wanted to pick people who maybe were successful in a different part of their career but wanted to transition into sports.”
She added that the program aims to foster a sense of belonging and confidence in spaces that can feel intimidating.
For participants like Sabrina Claros, the program provided both professional growth and personal reassurance.
“Predominantly, the more extreme you go in terms of adventure and sport, it becomes more white cis male,” she said. “Being in spaces like this … that’s just one less thing to worry about.”
Claros, who has pursued adventure and environmental storytelling for several years, said finding mentors in this space can be difficult.
Linette Messina, another participant, emphasized the festival’s impact on both her career and personal life. She said cycling helped her through a challenging period and brought her into a community of supportive women.
“I’ve definitely learned there’s strength in numbers,” Messina said. “When a bunch of women can get together, it’s pretty powerful. There’s a lot of love here.”
She added that photography allows her to tell stories that reflect relationships, emotion and connection with the environment and participants.
Beyond photography, Roam Fest created programs for BIPOC and adaptive mountain bikers, highlighting the festival’s commitment to inclusivity. Organizers confirmed this was the festival’s final year but did not specify a reason, leaving riders hopeful that another organization might continue the event in the future.
