BOULDER, CO (BRAIN)—Thanks to Kona Bicycle Company's generous support, 10 International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) clubs received $1,000 cash grants to help create new freeriding, downhilling and dirt jumping opportunities in 2007.
The Kona/IMBA grant program provides financial assistance in creating technically challenging riding facilities that are completed in partnership with progressive local land managers.
“Legal freeride opportunities that will be maintained as community amenities are at a premium,” said Scott Linnenburger, IMBA Field Programs Director. “Kona is leading the way in working with IMBA to take dirt jump, freeride, and downhill styles of riding from the back of the woods to the forefront, where community leaders can see the positive response from riders and the improvement in their recreation offerings.”
Funding for the program comes from Kona and the Kona/IMBA Bowling Party, an annual Las Vegas fundraiser held during Interbike, the bicycle industry trade show. The program's goal is to support the development of freeriding opportunities on public land.
Kona Advocacy Director Mark Peterson added, “It’s great to see the diversity of the winners for the 2007 grant program. We wanted the grants to continue to evolve and seeing the progression-skill building parks along with ones close to urban areas it shows the process is going in a good direction. We hope this will serve as a base model for other municipalities to create similar parks in their area. The Kona Bowl-Your-Own program also rolls out this year and will help grassroots organizations with fun raising and will further complete the model.”
2007 Winners:
Friends of Pathways
Jackson, WY
The Teton Pass Area Downhill-Specific Risk Management Plan
Friends of Pathways has been working with Bridger Teton National Forest to create purpose-built, one-way downhill trails for the last few years. Adding to the offerings of the Lithium and Crater Jump trails, the group is planning to open four new trails in the next two years, including Jimmy’s Mom and Road Kill. The grant will be used to finalize the risk management planning for this progressive project.
Dirt Corps
Snoqualmie, WA
The Snoqualmie Bike Skills Park
The Park will be a community mountain bike skills development area that provides an arena for instructional classes around mountain bike motor, safety, and behavioral skills, and a venue for family-focused recreation. The park will feature beginner-level features set up in a circuit and has plans for progression-oriented development of two additional intermediate and advanced skills phases.
Gateway Off-Road Cyclists
St. Charles, MO
Klondike Park Advanced Features Development
GORC has received approval to construct elevated trail sections, teeter totters, and a drop progression as alternate line, technical features alongside of existing, challenging trail in Klondike Park.
Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol
Fort Collins, CO
Spring Canyon Park Skills Area
Partnering with the City of Fort Collins, DPMBP is assisting in the construction and rider training at the Spring Canyon Parks Mountain Bike Skills Area. The Area will include progression-oriented ladder bridges, drops, and rock gardens and a continuous 250-foot log ride on top of huge cottonwood trees that were removed for park road construction.
Southwest Idaho Mountain Bike Association
Boise, ID
Idaho Velodrome and Cycling Park
SWIMBA is working with the developers of this full-service cycling facility to install freeride trails and trials features that will complement the plans for skills and jump parks, a bmx and mtb short track, 4X course, and velodrome.
Minneapolis Off-Road Cycling Advocates
Minneapolis, MN
Theodore Wirth Park Black Diamond Trail Redevelopment
The MOCA group in Minneapolis is planning to repair severely eroded sections of trail by making drainage enhancements and rebuilding two erosion gullies as long, downhill rock gardens. Connecting these two areas will be an advanced trail peppered with constructed technical trail features and a number of jumps.
Chicago Area Mountain Bikers- West
Plainfield, IL
Van Horn Woods East Bike Park
CAMBr- West has stepped up to create the relationships needed to develop opportunities in the wake of recent freeride facility (Challenge Park, Joliet and Scrap Skatepark, Hoffman Estates) closures in northern Illinois. The first phase of this four phase development will be dirt jump park lines, with rhythm lines, a pump track, and skills development area coming later.
Fat Tire Trail Riders Club
Spokane, WA
Camp Seikani Downhill Trail Improvements
FTTRC is working with the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department to rebuild and enhance features that have been used on an aging downhill trails in Camp Sekani. The group will bolster the Leap Of Faith, bring a long ladder bridge up to current standards, and build a large, angled-fulcrum (twisting) teeter-totter.
Fraser Valley Mountain Biking Association
Abbotsford, BC
McKee Peak Mountain Bike Park
FVMBA, in cooperation with the City of Abbotsford, has created a pilot project to manage the Son of Berminator and Le Bite Me trails. The group will focus on developing kiosk and trail signage as well as warning signs before challenging trail features.
Langley Mountain Bike Association
Langley, BC
Willoughby Mountain Bike Park
LMBA and the Township of Langley have forged plans for a substantial freeride park. With five dirt jump lines completed, the group is moving ahead with skinnies, ladders, drops, and a wall ride- each of which will have four levels of skill progression available in the facility.
2006 Winners:
Black Hills Mountain Bike Association, Rapid City, South Dakota
BHMBA has gained permission from Rapid City Parks and Recreation to construct a dirt jump park in an underutilized, heavily shaded cottonwood grove on city land. The club has cleaned huge amounts of trash and is assisting the city with a controlled burn to prep the area for the construction and control invasive plant species.
Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, Grand Junction, Colorado
COPMOBA will be designing and building the first purpose-built downhill trail in the Grand Junction area. The trail design provides for shuttle access and will include a number of freeride play areas.
Disco Velo, Hood River, Oregon
Disco Velo is leading the charge in developing the Hood River Bike Park, a gravity-fed jump trail within a small municipal park that will also meet specifications as an American Bicycle Association BMX track.
Hoosier Mountain Bike Association, Indiana
HMBA, working with the managers of Rangeline Nature Preserve near Anderson, IN, have built a great cross country trail system and are now ready to add some spice to the trails with the addition of optional freeride features within the existing trail corridor.
Kingdom Trails Association, East Burke, Vermont
Kingdom Trails Association is developing plans for a progressive skills area that will initiate youth and novice riders to berms, jumps, and narrow bridges in a controlled environment that minimizes risk of injury and allows for active instruction.
Pipeline Bike Club Council, Coquitlam, British Columbia
Pipeline Bike Club Council has partnered with the city of Coquitlam, British Columbia, to build a dirt jump park. The park consists of a pump track, several dirt jumps and a racing track. Construction in 2006 will include a new rhythm section for the racetrack and intermediate and beginner jump lines.
Surrey Off-Road Cycling Enthusiasts (SORCE), Surrey, British Columbia
SORCE is working with Surrey Parks Division to transform an unused open field into a high-skill, low-risk bike park within the city limits, accessible via the Surrey Transit system and local trails and bike lanes.
