Every fall, ElliptiGO riders gather in Solana Beach, California, the home of ElliptiGO Headquarters, for the annual Rally and World Championship Weekend. The 2025 event, held October 3–5, 2025, brought together riders from near and far for a weekend filled with rides, friendship, and celebration. A highlight of the festivities was the Awards Ceremony and Dinner, hosted by the Global ElliptiGO Riders Club (GERC), where two outstanding community members were honored with the 2025 John Pilkington Spirit Award and the ElliptiGO Rider of the Year award.
The John Pilkington Spirit Award was created to honor the memory of longtime rider and beloved community member John “JP” Pilkington, who passed away from ALS in December 2023. One of ElliptiGO’s earliest customers, JP was known for his enthusiasm, generosity, and genuine love of the ride. This award recognizes a rider who reflects those same qualities — someone who embodies kindness, positivity, and a welcoming spirit while inspiring others to discover and enjoy the ElliptiGO lifestyle.The inaugural recipient was Ron Critchley in 2024.
2025 John Pilkington Spirit Award Winner: Britt Brewer
When ElliptiGO CEO Bryce Whiting presented the award, he described this year’s honoree, Britt Brewer, as someone who “embodies an others-focused, generous, and loving spirit — very similar to JP.”
Though Britt only joined the ElliptiGO community in January 2023, he went all in immediately. In his first year, Britt logged more than 6,000 miles and earned GERC’s Rookie of the Year honor. The following year, he completed 295 miles at the Bike Sebring 24-hour ride. He rode a total of more than 8,043 miles in 2024. But, as Bryce noted during the award presentation, the Spirit Award is not about Britt’s impressive riding — it’s about his heart.
Britt has generously given his energy, creativity, and warmth to the ElliptiGO community. Alongside Malinda Walker, he co-created an Ice Breaker BINGO game for the 2024 Rally, personally researching and writing trivia questions about attendees to help spark new connections. He also joined the GERC Board in 2025, and he’s helping to develop a new Midwest event for ElliptiGO riders.
Not only is Britt enthusiastic and helpful in person, his online presence is just as uplifting. “If you look at his Strava account, he likely gives more kudos to other riders than anyone I know,” Bryce says.
Even after a serious accident in August, Britt continues to show up every day on Strava — sending encouragement, commenting on others’ rides, and staying connected to the community while completing recovery rides on his ElliptiGO Fluid 365 Stationary Trainer. “It has been a joy to interact with so many members of the community both in person and on Strava,” shares Britt.
When asked how it felt to receive the award, Britt says, “I was completely and utterly surprised to have been selected. I feel tremendously honored to receive an award named for John Pilkington, a person whose spirit deeply touched so many in the ElliptiGO community.”
Britt has always said that ElliptiGO’s “secret sauce” is its unique network of stand-up and elliptical bike riders across the country and around the world. He explains, “I have been continually impressed with how welcoming and supportive the ElliptiGO community is for riders of all ages, abilities, and interests.”
Looking ahead, Britt’s main goal is simple: to heal and get back to doing what he loves — riding. “Aside from aspiring not to repeat this unfortunate incident,” he jokes, “my only aim is to return to a more normal riding regimen in the months ahead.”
It’s clear that Britt’s kindness, positivity, and perseverance embody the true nature of the award’s namesake, John “JP” Pilkington. Congratulations, Britt!
2025 Rider of the Year: Eric Korevaar
When it comes to consistency, endurance, and community spirit, few riders embrace the ElliptiGO lifestyle quite like Eric Korevaar. That’s why he’s the 2025 ElliptiGO Rider of the Year.
When presenting the award, ElliptiGO CEO Bryce Whiting noted that, “Although Eric is getting ‘Rider of the Year,’ he’s really been a huge rider and ElliptiGO supporter for years.” The numbers tell the story.
Eric is second all-time in total climbing, with an astounding 4,057,074 feet of elevation gain — the equivalent of climbing the Empire State Building nearly 2,800 times. He’s also fifth all-time in distance, having logged 63,753 miles — enough to circle the Earth two and a half times.
But as impressive as those numbers are, Eric’s achievements extend beyond statistics. He is the only rider ever to earn gold in all nine years of GERC’s annual Get Out and GO (GOGO) riding program — a streak that speaks to his enthusiasm and dedication to the community. Additionally, Eric has brought riders together by hosting multiple ElliptiGO Day events and generously sponsoring several Rally receptions.
Originally a lifelong runner, Eric turned to ElliptiGO after tendinitis in his knees threatened to slow him down. “Switching to ElliptiGO has allowed me to keep exercising every day,” he notes.
Joining GERC opened new doors to adventure and community. Eric says, “I love participating in ElliptiGO rallies, ElliptiGO Days, and monthly GERC rides.”
After the GOGO Challenge added an opportunity to gain points by riding in different states, Eric made it his mission to ride 50 kilometers in all 50 U.S. states this year. Mapping out 50 rides in unfamiliar locations could be daunting, but Eric was inspired by the America the Beautiful quarter series, which were issued between 2010 and 2021. The quarters feature a national park site in every state — which gave Eric 50 beautiful places to ride. He mapped out a plan to visit each location, then grouped his routes into nine regional trips, which allowed Eric to fly into one location and then drive to nearby states for his ElliptiGO rides.
Eric achieved his incredible goal in September 2025, riding in a national park in every state. Reflecting on the experience, he says, “It was great to pick a challenging but achievable quest, plan it out, and then complete it exactly according to plan. Most days and rides were very pleasant; only a few were hard. I am really glad I did it! And now it is totally out of my system!”
Among the many beautiful rides he completed, one stands out: Vermont. “I rode through the town of Woodstock, past the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park,” Eric recalls. He ended up on a quiet dirt road, and rode up a hill, through a beautiful forest with views of the farmland below. He even stopped at a small stand to buy maple syrup on the honor system.
Eric continues, “Later I met the owner of the farm, and we had a pleasant chat. It was a very enjoyable day!”
When asked how it felt to receive the Rider of the Year award, Eric responds, “It is the most prestigious Award I have ever received in my life, and I am incredibly honored. The ElliptiGO community is awesome!”
Though his 50-state journey is complete, Eric has no plans to slow down. “I expect to be doing a lot of traveling around the next few years,” he says. While he doesn’t have a new ElliptiGO challenge planned, he is getting ready to complete big hikes in places like Morocco, Nepal, and the Tour du Mont Blanc. And just maybe, climbing Mauna Kea with Bill Pinnell!
From climbing millions of feet on his ElliptiGO bike to completing his 50-state challenge, Eric’s rides are nothing short of inspiring. But his impact extends beyond the miles. Eric’s dedication, enthusiasm, and generosity truly elevate the ElliptiGO community. Congratulations on being the 2025 Rider of the Year, Eric!
You can contact ElliptiGO with nominations to Rider of the Month or share your own story. It may just be the next feature!
One Response
Amazing achievements! Well earned Eric!!