SBT GRVL Cofounder Mark Satkiewicz Dies at Age 51
Mark Satkiewicz, cyclist and cofounder of the popular SBT GRVL bike race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, died on August 1 after suffering a cardiac incident while out on a ride with friends. He was 51.
According to friends and co-workers, Satkiewicz made people better. In biking, in business, and in life, his whole being centered around inclusion, and pushing those around him to improve themselves. The former president of the Merino wool clothing company, Smartwool, Satkiewicz had been a staple in the local and larger cycling community throughout his life. After returning to Steamboat Springs in 2019 after a brief move to Los Angeles, he, along with Amy Charity and Ken Benesh, created SBT GRVL, a multi-distance gravel bike event.
It could have been a small-scale, local event. Instead, as Charity recalls, Satkiewicz posed the bigger question: “Should we make it a local event for Colorado, a regional event for the western U.S., or should we make it the greatest event in the world and invite everyone?”
That really was Satkiewicz’s plan from the get-go; he wanted to create the greatest gravel bike event possible, to invite everyone, and to give cyclists an event they would remember forever. He also wanted to give something great back to the community and the people who had supported him—from individuals to local organizations and nonprofits.
“We started by making a list of values,” Charity told Bicycling. “Every decision we made was driven by creating an incredible experience for cyclists but also for everyone involved and everyone in the community.”
Brent Whittington, owner of Moots Cycles in Steamboat Springs, said that Satkiewicz’s experience and passion made the difference in making SBT GRVL more than just a race. Many races start small and grow organically, but not SBT GRVL. With Satkiewicz’s background in leadership, and the help of Charity and Benesh, Whittington says it had all the elements of something spectacular from the start.
“If you look at other events, it’s not very common for a high-powered executive with Mark’s talent to become so fully devoted,” Whittington said. “He put his heart and soul into it.”
One of Satkiewicz’s many talents was communication, Charity said. He not only had the ability to instill confidence and enthusiasm in everyone he met, he also had the crucial ability to listen. When he talked to locals about what they’d like to see in an event, he took what they said to heart.
“It was so important to Mark and to all of us to have the city, the local businesses, the ranchers, and the community service officers on board. Mark led the charge to meet with everyone regularly, to get their input, and work together.”
Satkiewicz was also dedicated to creating parity and ensuring that his event was inclusive to all. When registration opened up, only 22 percent of the field was women. Not wanting it to be another male-dominated cycling event, Charity said that they, Satkiewicz included, started reaching out to women to understand why they didn’t sign up and what the barriers were. Ultimately, the event opened up 200 more slots for just women, which brought them to their goal of 30 percent participation—and the event hopes to continue improving on that mark.
“We still have a ways to go,” Charity said. “Our ultimate goal is that we get to the point that we don’t have to do anything to ensure a 50/50 race, and that will be part of Mark’s legacy—absolute commitment to parity.”
Satkiewicz’s legacy will also remain with those who rode in his pack. Garett Mariano, the Marketing Director at Big Agnes and long-time friend and former Smartwool colleague, says that Satkiewicz was constantly ahead both in the office and in cycling, and “always interested in what his peers and colleagues had to say.”
“Mark was always pushing a little harder and a little faster,” Mariano said. “We would go out together, and it could be a 100-mile ride on an average weekend, and at the end of it he would always say, ‘Let’s do one more climb.’ There was always one more left in Mark, and that’s what made him a better cyclist and a better professional. He always wanted a little more.”
But even when he pushed in the office and on the bike, Satkiewicz adored his family, and made them his favorite priority. When his wife, Amy, was pursuing her professional career, Satkiewicz stepped away from his and spent time with his youngest daughter, Mia, while his older daughter, Olivia, was away at college.
“Mark had the confidence and the awareness to know that life is bigger than just you and your professional goals.” Whittington said.
Though the 2020 SBT GRVL race won’t go off in person due to the coronavirus pandemic, the race will happen virtually on August 16. The now-free event is still open for registration with four suggested distances, just like the in-person race.
For those interested, there is a donation option to five advocacy groups that SBT GRVL supports, but organizers are also encouraging people to donate to the Mark Satkiewicz Memorial Fund, which was set up by friends and family in partnership with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club to provide gear and resources to Steamboat Springs youth who may not otherwise be able to participate. The fund will continue Satkiewicz’s quest for inclusivity in the activities that he was passionate about.
“Mark wanted people to be better on and off the bike,” Mariano said. “I’ll remember the way that Mark took the time to be with people—to help them learn more. He would push us to go bigger and harder, but at the end, we were always smiling. We were always happy that he was there and that we had done those things.”
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