BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The International Mountain Bicycling Association is working with the National Ski Patrol to promote mountain bike patrols and patrollers. The agreement is expected to lead to IMBA's volunteer mountain bike trail patrollers being offered membership in the NSP. The new partnership furthers the ski group's efforts to offer off-season patrol service to mountain resorts.
“We are very excited to be partnering with IMBA,” said NSP executive director Meegan Moszynski. “In 2017, the NSP accepted the first official bike patrol into the organization. The NSP recognizes that bike patrolling is an important part of our focus on serving our mountain resort partners, and IMBA's experience with the National Mountain Bike Patrol and bike patrolling will prove invaluable as we work to further incorporate this important group of patrollers into the NSP.”
IMBA's National Mountain Bike Patrol was officially founded in 1994 and now includes more than 50 volunteer bike patrol groups and 600-plus trained patrollers. These volunteers work with land managers, landowners and emergency personnel to assist at events, educate trail users and monitor trail conditions.
IMBA's NMBP Advisory Committee, led by Wade Hartmann, has been involved in the partnership since talks began in late 2016.
IMBA's executive director, Dave Wiens, said, "Working more closely with the National Ski Patrol is a great opportunity for IMBA, and vice versa. Broad, diverse partnerships like these strengthen opportunities for both sports and both organizations."
IMBA and the NSP will be working over the next few months to set up a framework to offer IMBA's NMBP Patrollers membership in the NSP as mountain bike patrollers.
