Jumpship 2014: Bear Mountain Goes Big Mountain
Jumpship finally has a new home, right where a Slopestyle course should be - in the Mountains! Bear Mountain Resort has come on board to revitalize the Jumpship contest, and usher in a new evolution for the event.
This year the Jordie Lunn designed course is bigger than ever. We've got more elevation to work with than we could have fathomed before, and we're making the most of it- you'll see a lot of fest-series influence in the course this year, and with a bunch of big-air riders involved, it should be a pretty spectacular event.
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2. Now, the Bear Mountain developers didn't quite destroy all of the Skirt Mtn. trails, But after they aquired the property that Western Forest Products (WFP) had received from the province in a land swap, Bear Mountain approximately doubled the density of the original WFP proposal for the land. That, combined with the conveniently timed elimination of the Provincial Capital Commission meant that Bear Mountain didn't even have to plan for the multi-use "greenways" that would have traversed the development. Thus, the old riding area was almost completely non-viable.
The developers did pay lip service to the old users, but never followed up the commitment, and in the plans for the property, "trails" as an amenity for the community, were really bike paths.
Don't get too excited about this if you're a rider from Greater Victoria. Enduring trails will only come from this venture if there's a profit attached to their development, or in a similar vein, if the trails could be considered a community amenity that accompanies the destruction and development of the remaining 200 hectares of forested land north of the Langford/Highlands municipal boundary. A permanent and viable trail network will not happen on the mountain without a lot of hard work. Many of us will be willing to help, but I'm sure skeptical of the whole announcement given the past history of the development.
3. Yes, I have golfed at Bear Mountain. Once. I spent the whole round looking at the edges of the course trying to find old trails. It was heartbreaking. Never again.
4. To builld bridges, how about an ongoing, yearly cyclcross series that combines the golf courses' cart paths and trails on the mountain? That would build some respect, and repair Bear Mountain's relationship with the cycling community.
i hope it will go back to the harbour maybe next year!
It is a shame to lose Jumpship at the Harbour, it was beautiful and unique but the views from Skirt Mtn are also very beautifull and unique as well so it will be a great location for it now.
Guess its time for a new name. ?
Cant see the current one staying at mt wash for much longer.