John Gaston

I grew up riding mountain bikes, dirt bikes, and skiing with my dad and brother. Like most kids, I was initially drawn to the more gravity-focused sides of those sports, but that slowly began to shift during my college years out in Colorado. Soon enough, I stopped dreading the climb to the top and began looking forward to it. After graduating I started racing mountain bikes in the Summer and skimo in the Winter, but it took me years working my way up the endurance food chain before reaching a top level. A decade later I've racked up 17 national titles and been a member of the US National Team since 2013. I split my time between the domestic and international race scenes during the Winter, and show up at the occasional MTB race during the Summer. I also founded Strafe with my brother Pete back in 2010, and have three little kids with my beautiful and endlessly patient wife Katherine that we raise in Aspen. It all makes for a busy program, but I wouldn't have it any other way.