WINNER AND ROUTE ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2O12 MOUNTAIN BIKING BC 7 DAY GIVEAWAY CONTEST

VANCOUVER, BC July 25, 2012 – Although the start of summer in BC has been a bit on the cool and damp side it is about to heat up…at least it is for Leanne Neighbour, the winner of this year’s Mountain Biking BC 7 Day Giveaway Contest! Leanne and her guest will experience some of British Columbia’s best single track featuring legendary riding zones throughout the interior of the province. The trip involves 7 days or riding in more than 7 different BC destinations including; North Vancouver, Penticton, Rossland, Nelson, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kamloops and Whistler.

This year’s trip will be guided by Darren Butler and Kelli Sherbinin, two of the most qualified mountain bike guides on the planet and owners of Endless Biking. Our friends at BC Bike Race are also supporting the trip with transportation and logistics. “It has been a large collective effort on the part of our community and industry partners, says Martin Littlejohn, Executive Director for the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association, “we want this to be an amazing trip for the winner and their guest, but we also want this trip to showcase what BC has to offer so that other destination mountain bikers will come checkout the trails that these communities have in their backyards.”

Leanne Neighbour, is a BC raised “shredder mom” from Kamloops whose kids, Keira, 12 and Tyson, 16, think it is awesome that their mom has won a mountain bike trip! (Don’t worry kids we will make sure she comes home in one piece!) Leanne is a single parent, a teacher, and an avid outdoor enthusiast whose favourite things to do include mountain biking and skiing. She races in local mtb events and rides a Santa Cruz Blur. When Leanne found out that she had won the 7 Day Giveaway contest all she could say was “Holy Crap! Are you kidding me?!” Now that reality has set in, she can’t wait to get started.

The trip will begin on August 12th from North Vancouver, then head east to the South Okanagan and the West Kootenays before heading west through the Shuswap, North Okanagan and Thompson regions before finishing in Whistler on August 19th. Daily highlights will be posted on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MountainBikingBC. Freelance writer, Harlan Price and adventure photographer, Dave Silver will also be along for the ride to capture the experience in both words and images.

Mountain Biking BC would like to thank everyone who entered the contest. When planning your next mountain bike adventure in BC, be sure to check out www.MountainBikingBC.ca.

Media Resources
Please click this link for images from our riding communities, backgrounder and information about each region.
http://mountainbikingbc.ca/media

About Mountain Biking BC
The province of British Columbia is Canada’s most mountainous province and home to some of the world’s most spectacular and diverse biking terrain. Enthusiasts can experience downhill, freeride and cross-country biking from each corner of the province and everywhere in between.

The Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA) is a non-profit tourism sector marketing organization that works with government, industry, and stakeholders to increase awareness for British Columbia's mountain bike tourism opportunities. The website www.mountainbikingbc.ca was launched in February 2011 with the goal of having British Columbia recognized as the best and most diverse mountain bike destination in the world. The website contains information about riding destinations’ signature trails and riding opportunities, and is maintained by active, progressive and supportive riding communities located in British Columbia’s six tourism regions.

The website www.mountainbikingbc.ca makes riding experiences more accessible to visitors exploring British Columbia. Active and committed riding communities across the province have consolidated their information to share with the global mountain bike world and help build awareness for British Columbia as the most diverse biking destination in the world.

About Endless Biking
Endless Biking is Vancouver’s North Shore mountain bike outfitter, specializing in instruction, guiding and rentals for all ages and ability levels. As a leader and advocate for instructor and guide training, their industry standard-setting programs are offered through Endless Biking, Capilano University and the College of the Rockies. Endless Biking-trained instructors can be found globally across a broad range of adventure tourism companies, including the Whistler Bike Park, BC Bike Ride, the Dirt Series, Sacred Rides, Mount Washington and more. Owned and operated by professional mountain bikers Darren Butler and Kelli Sherbinin, they collectively have over 30 years of experience inside the cycling industry providing high level instruction, coaching, guiding and risk management. Endless Biking is committed to building a sustainable future for mountain biking, working hard to improve participation, access, awareness and performance in the sport.

About BC Bike Ride
BC Bike Ride is the Tours Division of BC Bike Race, the world-renowned international seven-day mountain bike stage race dubbed the “Ultimate Single Track Experience.” BC Bike Ride – like its “race” parent - specializes in covering as many diverse riding destinations in British Columbia over a week-long vacation as possible. By bike, floatplane, ferry, and helicopter – BC Bike Ride is the “Ultimate Road Trip Experience” and will show you the best trails connected with the best local guides in each small town explored with an exceptional full service approach. BCBR trips are cross-country, all-mountain focused and offer set scheduled itineraries as well as custom group trips.