I’ve been lucky enough to actually see Shaun Palmer race back in the NORBA days.  When I was in college I had aspirations of becoming a professional photographer and would get press passes to all the pro mountain bike races within driving distance of New Hampshire.  I remember one race at Mount Snow I got to ride the chair lift with him and he actually talked to me.  I felt like a pimply teenager asking out my first prom date when I was trying to engage in a conversation with him, but at the same time acting all “no big deal” and trying to keep my cool.

Shaun is a rad dude, good at nearly EVERYTHING he’s ever done.  Amazing on a mountain bike, good on a dirt bike, a legend on a snowboard, can ride a snowmobile OK too and holy shit, you should see him ski.  I’ve been fortunate enough to see him do most all of these things in person through the NORBA and UCI races in the northeast and when the ESPN X Games where also hosted there.

Now he goes back to mountain biking as a coach with Intense (who, back in the day, used to supply a LOT of pro DH riders with frames that were branded with their sponsors logos) and has some incredible young rippers to mold into his former self.  I’m excited for the sport and excited for him, arguably the greatest alternative sports athlete we have ever seen.

Enjoy this short intro to his new team and be all jelly at their new schwag too: