Feature on the club by WoolRich. Produced by Andrea Westerlind.
“Sam Arthur moved to Eden, Utah four years ago from Costa Mesa, Califronia to be the design director of Summit Powder Mountain. His work touches on branding and architectural design as well as interior design. His brother Michael Arthur also moved to Eden, Utah about a year ago to work as a small engine mechanic specializing in vintage dirt bikes.”
Sam was running a design and build company in Los Angeles when some of his friends told him about Summit's plans to purchase Powder Mountain and their need for a team to make it all a reality. "We got together, had lunch and it was exactly what I wanted to be doing, a good exercise for me," he said. "I decided to pack up my life in California, move out here and start something new.'' The task of taking a quaint detached place and transforming it into an innovative global community has its challenges. The beauty of the area is an essential element, but for Sam, it's as much about the people as it is the place, "We're building a town that's going to exist in perpetuity," he said. "We distinguish ourselves by being acreative community, pulling from all kinds of disciplines and letting this be the gathering place, the melting pot for that." The Summit Powder Mountain project is about both conservation and development, "You have an incredible sense of perspective up there, but the development is intentionally clustered," he said. "Keep it very small and tight, so that everything else is wide open.'' They are approaching the project with lots of care, making sure not to be too intrusive on the land, "It's nice to have a quiet place to relax and settle in," he said.
Together the brothers operate the Hideout Riders Club, a two man operation that teaches people to ride vintage dirt bikes in the valley and the surrounding mountains.
Michael runs the shop that houses a fleet of vintage Hodakas, a Japanese and American company that manufactured motorcycles from 1964 through 1978, "The general purpose of the club is to help people get past their fears and break down their barriers," said Sam. ''A dirt bike is joy distilled down into two wheels."
The brothers take full advantage of their surroundings in Eden. The summer is all about riding dirt bikes, "We try to get up in the hills and ride the trails as often as possible," said Michael. "We take satellite trips as well, to the desert or down to Southern Utah. There is great riding everywhere around here." In the winter they trade the dirt bikes for snowboards and hit Powder Mountain, "There is so much to do, so much access," said Sam. "It's the best backyard in the world."
