Esker Ambassadors
Karla Robles
Sonora, Mexico
I’m Karla Robles, an adventure cyclist woman from northwest México who loves to travel and living adventures in her bicycle, mostly on dirt and remotes desert roads, and also to hang out with friends, build and be part of a cycling community that shares the values of equity, inclusion and social consciousness. As a sociologist and passionate about photography I like to tell stories by visuals that show the contemplation and respect of nature and at the same time the complexity of life in all of its context.
Jon yazzie
Coalmine Canyon, AZ
Dine Nation
Jon is a full-blooded Dine, (Navajo) adventure cyclist and outdoor enthusiast. He manages Dzil Ta’ah Adventures on the Dine Nation, an organization providing backcountry cultural experiences through bike-packing, packrafting , and overland camping.
Jon identifies himself through his Dine clans, translated in English are:
I am Near the Mountain People
Born for Zuni-Edgewater
Maternal grandfather - Red running into the water clan
Paternal grandfather - Black-streaked wood people
TJ Kearns
Brevard, North Carolina
TJ Kearns is a trailbuilder, adventure sports photographer/good times facilitator based out of Brevard, NC. When he's not building trail or shooting photos you can try to find him exploring the depths of Pisgah National Forest, Nantahala National Forest, or the Cohutta Wildlife Management Area. A purveyor of bad ideas on two wheels, TJ like long rides in the forest and enjoys hiking/scrambling steep blue lines in search of Native Brooke trout.
Takashi Minamiura
Hakuba, Japan
Riding a bicycle in nature is the delight of the body and soul. Freedom of mind. Encounters of People and terrain. Infinite possibility. Mountain biking is a gift of happiness. I can move with human power, and can feel the place slowly with five senses. Being in nature makes your mind and body healthy. Experiencing the mountains through mountain biking and snowboarding is pure joy for my soul.
Daniel Zaid
Sonora, Mexico
My name is Daniel, and I live in the state of Sonora, México. I’m part of the ones that call the desert a home, and for the last 19 years I have ridden my bike to get wherever I need to in the city, and sometimes out of it; I’ve traveled to several parts of México and the USA either by bike or with the excuse of riding bikes. I like documenting landscapes, roads, and the people I ride with or come across during my rides, and some of that documenting can be found on a couple of websites and printed books. Bicycles are my most effective way to be part of the change I want to see in the world, and I’m gonna ride till I’m physically capable of doing it.
Samantha Sais
McCall, Idaho
Samantha Sais is an Idaho-based photographer whose riding centers around bikepacking and backcountry exploration. She often rides alongside her husband Tyler, documenting his endurance racing pursuits while carving out space for shared, slower adventures on two wheels. Through photography and community involvement, Sam highlights how bikes can connect people to wild places and to each other. Her work focuses on big miles and quiet moments off the beaten path.
Niina Baum
Wisconsin
Niina is an avid outdoor adventurer, business owner, and dual U.S.–Finnish citizen with a love for Type 2 fun. After 26 years as a professional dog musher—including multiple World Championship appearances and earning bronze and silver medals for Team USA—she’s shifting from sled runners to singletrack. What began as a way to bikejor with her dogs evolved into a passion for mountain biking. Now retiring from competitive mushing, Niina is embracing a new chapter of bikepacking, trail riding, and global exploration—sharing the journey through her personal brand @NiinaTheAdventuress.
Donivan Berube
Tucson, Arizona
Donivan Berube is an international adventure cyclist, travel writer and award-winning music maker. His work has been featured in NPR, Paste, The Travel Almanac, LOST Magazine, American Trails, Men's Fitness, Wayfaring Strangers and elsewhere. In addition to solo cycling trips across the United States, France, Iceland, Ireland and New Zealand, he most recently completed the 20,000-mile bikepacking marathon from Alaska to Argentina.
Forrest Radarian
The Grand Canyon
Forrest lives at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon where he works as a high school science teacher at the only pre-K-12 public school located in a National Park. He is passionate about teaching, education, and taking his students into the backcountry. He’s published several bikepacking routes with Bikepacking Roots including the Capes of the Canyon (South and North Rims), El Lobo Lupus, Gold to Grand Loop, and House Rock Wrap. He’s also working on building a biking network around the Canyon through Bright Angel Bikepacking, and he’s working on the Grand Rimlands Project - an effort to document and advocate for protection of land around the Canyon.