Our 2024 STP Ambassadors Ride to Inspire
- Kevin Frias is an Afro-Latino bicycling influencer who wants to make the face of the outdoors a shade darker.
- Neil Parkinson-Dow flies a rainbow maple leaf flag to represent and encourage our Canadian friends to pedal south.
Paul Tolmé
For the second straight year, Cascade has created an STP Ambassador program to inspire more people to participate in the Kaiser Permanente Seattle to Portland presented by Alaska Airlines.
Our 2024 STP Ambassadors represent a diverse group of 41 individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds who pledge to share their unique stories of training for and riding STP. The goal is to spread the message that STP is for everyone–regardless of race, gender identity, zip code, sexual orientation, body type, or ethnicity.
Our 2024 STP Ambassadors include bicycling social butterfly Wenmei Hill, Best Side Cycling founder Hanoch Yeung, electric bike evangelist Anita Elder, and campus mail woman Jessica Moskowitz. Today we introduce you to Kevin Frias, a bicycling social media influencer who is training for his first STP, and our Canadian friend Neil Parkinson-Dow who is returning for his fourth STP.
KevDoes STP
We met Kevin Frias, aka KevDoes, last year during our Priority Bicycles and Woodinville Wine Ride weekend. His enthusiasm was so contagious that we invited the Minneapolis-based social media influencer and YouTuber to join us on STP.
Frias, who is of Dominican heritage and identifies as Afro-Latino, launched KevDoes to “give someone who looks like me the inspiration to think, ‘I can do that.’”
Frias grew up in New Jersey “surrounded by cement and streets and cars.” His relationship with the outdoors completely changed after moving to Iowa, where he was recruited to play baseball at a small college. He fell in love with the quietness and wide open spaces of the countryside.
After college he moved to Minneapolis to work in engineering and sales, but he spent his free time biking, hiking, backpacking, hunting, and exploring the great outdoors. Typically, “I was always the only person of color,” he says.
As KevDoes, Frias films exuberant and enthusiastic videos of his bikepacking and bicycling adventures, as well as his efforts to learn how to do a wheelie and to ride his bike for as many consecutive days as possible. “The deeper purpose of KevDoes is to make the face of the outdoors a few shades darker,” he says.
Kev’s STP Training
As someone who rides or spins regularly, Frias’s training goal is to prepare his body for two consecutive 100-mile rides. That means spending long days in the saddle while participating in adventure rides and multi-day bikepacking trips in the months before STP weekend, July 13-14.
In April, he participated in the 75-mile Fuego XL cross-country mountain bike race at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, Calif. Frias has also signed up for multiple races in the Iowa Gravel Series including the Kalona Horseshoe and the Waukon 100.
Frias rides a Specialized Diverge gravel bike that he will run with road tires during STP. At six-foot-six, Frias has difficulty finding bikes that fit. His Diverge is a double-XL size. “A lot of brands make XL bikes but there are a lot fewer 2XLs.”
Frias loves living in Minneapolis. “There are bike lanes everywhere, and specifically protected bike lanes. We also have a lot of rail trails, and there are 35 great mountain biking trails within an hour of the city.”
Frias is excited to visit Seattle with his wife, Jasmine, and he plans to spend a few days in Portland and Seattle after STP to explore the region and film some videos. Check out KevDoes channels on Youtube and Instagram.
Oh, Canadaaaaa
Neil Parkinson-Dow rode his first STP in 2019 on a beater Sekine 1973 SHC 270 that he bought off Craigslist for $250 CAD. Before riding STP, he had never worn a jersey or bike shorts.
Now he’s back for his fourth STP and second as an Ambassador.
“I’ve had such a positive experience as an STP Ambassador. Last year, I rode the STP with a mini-Canadian flag on the back of my bike. At least a handful of people stopped me to say ‘Hey, you’re the Canadian ambassador!’ I’m so glad to have been invited back again this year.”
Parkinson-Dow rides year-round for utility and recreation in his hometown of Victoria, B.C., pedaling the same road touring bike that he uses to train for and ride STP. Parkinson-Dow works as a staff officer in the Canadian Coast Guard, and when not working he volunteers for community causes that support active transportation and public transit.
One of four Canadian STP Ambassadors, Parkinson-Dow says he is proud to represent the hundreds of Canadians who participate in STP–and also RSVP–the Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party. “The joy of cycling transcends international borders.” Check out Neil on Instagram @neilpdow. Don't be surprised if you find a few thirst traps. Neil and his boyfriend are proud physique athletes.
Stay tuned for more STP Ambassador posts in the coming weeks. Meantime, join the conversation by sharing your STP training photos, videos, and stories on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok with the hashtags #STP2024 and #SeattleToPortland.
Click here to Register for STP 2024!
Share this post
