Bell Helmets Announces this Year's 'Bell Built' Winners - Vows to Bring Back the Contest for 2014
After a successful first year, Bell Helmets and IMBA proudly announce they will be back again in 2014, providing trail assistance for mountain bike projects across the USA. The success in the first year was remarkable — 2013 Bell Built Grant winners all put in a tremendous effort to turn their visions into publicly accessible, legal trails for the entire mountain biking community to enjoy.
And, the 2013 Bell Built Winners Are:
2013 Bell Built Grants: Steamboat Springs, Colorado from IMBA on Vimeo.
2013 Bell Built Grants: Burke Bike Park, Vermont from IMBA on Vimeo.
2013 Bell Built Grants: Copper Harbor, Michigan from IMBA on Vimeo.
 | Being chosen out of hundreds of applicants, and to be given the opportunity to build a trail for the mountain bike community in my hometown is an unreal feeling, It's been especially rewarding to see the entire community go into a frenzy of excitement about this trail. Huge thanks to Bell Helmets and IMBA for providing us the chance to make a difference. - Aaron Rogers, President/Trails Coordinator of Copper Harbor Trails Club |
Bell's Plans for 2014
In 2014, the Bell Built program is looking to build upon its 2013 success, and hopes to receive even more interest from different mountain biking communities. Like last year, the 2014 program will consist of $100,000 in grants to fund three mountain bike trail projects that create places for a broad spectrum of mountain bikers — which includes any combination of bike park/pump track, flow trails and/or downhill/gravity trails.
| It's unbelievable to see how much impact a program like this has throughout a community, and, just as important, mountain biking as a whole. Being able to watch riders use these new trails, and to see the positive impacts they have had for local communities, is why we did this. It's awesome. - Azul Couzens, Bell Helmets Director of Marketing |
Bell Helmets and IMBA received over a hundred grant submissions last year from IMBA chapters, clubs and land management agencies, and it is expected that the number of applications will increase in 2014. IMBA Trail Solutions, the international leader in developing singletrack trails, was responsible for the building and designing of all three trail projects and will continue this in 2014 with help from local volunteers.
| The Bell Built program far exceeded our expectations and we're extremely proud of the initial success in 2013. This exciting and effective platform is delivering great riding experiences, and it was great to see the enthusiasm the communities had for their trails - the online videos the winners submitted of their respective trails we helped build really show the program's impact. - IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel |
Starting in January and running through the end of February, Bell Helmets and IMBA will begin taking applications for 2014 trails, with finalists named during the first week of March. Voting will then come in three regional phases, starting in April with the West coast, and ending in May with the East coast, with central voting in between. From there, all winners will be officially announced in May 2014, with trail design and construction beginning in June.
Bell Helmets
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Maybe RaceFace should start up a trail grant with IMBA to build something in Canada?
Copper Harbor rocks!
IMBA wasn't entirely to blame. The NY DEC called the shots. We just thought that IMBA would go to bat for us since we payed them half of our fundraising money. Instead the whole process just left us with no freeride trails or money.