Who is actually interested in doing something? We will have a meeting who wants in? And a time we can all agree on. I can get a newspaper to show up and document our meeting. Is this an option?
I'm just going to say that all the lower skill level singletrack exists because it seems most people here would rather dig and ride a trail that will be a couple minutes long than a DH trail that only lasts a couple of seconds. That's just the unfortunate fact of not having much vertical to work with and it's understandable to an extent.
Again, there's no excuse why we couldn't have a killer set of DJs in the city. You don't need much vert at all to build a rad zone. I don't understand why city council is so damn worried about liability. As long as you've got warning signs plastered up and a good crew of workers/volunteers keeping lips and landings in good shape what the heck is the problem? They're worried about danger? The gravel paths are potentially dangerous, their man made ponds and shit are dangerous, I could trip and fall down the wooden stairs...
Lets get this meeting planned. Lets actually plan some stuff for real instead of this Bs internet talk.
I proposed all this 7 years ago....A freeride club called The Ninja Circus. I was a board member of the 118 ave community league and held the first ever city sanctioned wooden structures to be built on city property. This took a year to do. And hoops were the cause of the pump track (Eric Penel) being denied. They said no digging....I argued that it was above ground exactly like the bmx track...They still said no. The houses that were condemned as a result of the river valley erosion was their reasoning. I did pr with the Mayor I did pr with 3 local papers I did pr with 2 radio stations I had over 25 sponsors. We can do this its called team. We all wanna Shine as A city...that's of no doubt. Then let's meet FOR REALLY. Record the session and start getting TRULY organized.
Thats cool but don't do it just to facilitate monkey circus or whatever its called. Leave the goofy videos out of it to if you want to be taken seriously.
Pinkbike tends to have a larger percentage of riders that are more interested in gravity, freeride, DH etc. styles of riding. This a good thing, its good from them to have an online presence. I definitely appreciate that style of riding, its a great element of the sport. For some it is the only element which is also cool. In Edmonton I would argue that most of the riders that are logging the most hours on the trails (riding/maintaining) are trail riders, XC guys etc.
The city is always going to be resistant to having stunts built. There are lots of reasons for this. A major one is how do you control the safety of whats being built? One builder may know how to build the best DJs in the world and someone else might accidentally build a death trap.
@Oxburger raises a good point. [Quoten] I'm just going to say that all the lower skill level singletrack exists because it seems most people here would rather dig and ride a trail that will be a couple minutes long than a DH trail that only lasts a couple of seconds. That's just the unfortunate fact of not having much vertical to work with and it's understandable to an extent. [/Quoten]
With all this being said I think there are some great zones in the city that have some quality options for those looking for speed and to get their wheels off the ground. They are all short though which is the challenge of our terrain.
There is lots of potential in this city for gravity trails all it takes is a shovel and picking a spot that doesn't necessarily get a lot of non-bike traffic.
Freeriding is often under scrutiny/miss understood. Keep that in mind and maybe don't build a set of dirt jumps in the middle of a high use area. It seems to me that because people have access to the river valley out there back door they expect to freeride out there back door. They aren't willing to go build in some of the more remote/obscure areas of the city where there is less potential for things to get unwanted notice.
There is a lot of potential in this area: http://www.trailforks.com/trails/mustang/ The science park has a bunch of great lines but there is definitely room for expansion. There is lots of steep terrain in Patricia ravine with some of the area being quite secluded. There are some cool natural lines in this area: http://www.trailforks.com/poi/1898/ There is a cool zone over by Laurier Dr. And everybody knows this trail like the back of their hand: http://www.trailforks.com/trails/bobsled-12400/
The freeriders in Edmonton appear to be less dedicated/cohesive/organized than the trail riders hence the lack of freeride options in this city.
As for a meeting. I have been to lots of meetings for school, work etc. All of them had good intentions but, many of them have been as helpful as this forum. If there is going to be a meeting of those interested in the freeride scene it is going to take someone intelligent/organized enough to host a proper meeting in order for anything to come of it. (Ie a proper agenda, advertising so that enough/relevant people show up, a good venue and lots of other considerations.)
The trail riders have fought hard to have the access and permission that they currently have. If the freeriders want to have more recognition they are going to have to get organized and address the political aspect of things or continue to work in the shadows.
There is no reason Edmonton couldn't have a weekly group ride for freeriders. Someone just has to set it up. The only way things happen is when people set there minds to something and make it happen. and as all ways if you build it they will come.