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Kyle Ebbett, dear friend and mountain biker, passed away Monday, October 15th after drowning in Lake Iroquois, southeast of Burlington, Vermont, when his fishing boat apparently capsized in windy conditions, according to local authorities. Reports are that this was a freak and tragic accident and nothing suspicious in nature was determined. Kyle was 45.

Affectionately know as E-bot, Ebostrich or any other handful of fun nicknames regarding his long, lanky stature, Kyle was a force for mountain biking on the East Coast of the United States and throughout the world in the late 90's and early 2000's. He, along with long-time friend and rider, Aaron Chase, and filmmaker, Don Hampton, showed the world just how accessible mountain biking could be through the Chain Reaction video series. The videos showcased the talents, terrain and hijinx of riders like Ebbett and other locals as they took to streets, trails and races, all while blurring the lines between mountain biking and BMX.

Kyle eventually moved on to event announcing and trail building as his professional riding career wound down. In late 2010, Ebbett was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had a successful surgery to remove it.

Vital MTB sends Kyle's family and friends our deepest condolences.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Kyle in 2003 as we spent some time together traveling to National races in Colorado and Idaho. Interestingly enough, prior to that trip, it was a photo of Kyle I somehow sold to Iron Horse in 2002 that made me wonder if I could make a living at this MTB media thing and the rest is history. A visit to his Vermont home in 2005 for some photos was a trip I'll never forget, as I got to witness the elusive Ebostrich in his native habitat as we went to trails he dug, avoided security guards to ride on statues and finally snagged a backflip manual on an abandoned trailer he'd found. Kyle was always a character and it is with a heavy heart to report his passing. You'll be missed, Kyle. Thank you for all the good times, the hard work, the influence on the sport and the memories you've left us with. Rest in peace.

In 2010, I put together this slideshow before Ebbett went in for brain surgery. It's old and runs on Flash, so you may not be able to watch it, but if you can, dig into some more Ebbett radness. I'm trying to get it updated - https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/Good-Times-with-Kyle-Ebbett,1831/Slideshow,13625/sspomer,2

A tear-jerker from Aaron Chase on Instagram, but it's so rad to see Kyle still shredding.

Share your memories of Kyle Ebbett in the comments