For MTBco 2009 is going to be a big challenge. Lots planned, new faces on the club executive, big new hairy expectations, and a busy year ahead. Whether you're a local or a visitor planning a trip out here, read on for the low down on races, movies, trail days, skill camps and much more. We have a veritable shedload of mountain biking mayhem planned for 2009.Last year was an explosion of activity for MTBco, a newly formed mountain bike club just into our first full year of business. Official status in July 2008 set the stage for a rapid boost of official activity - trail days, rider events, a crazy fall program of activity called "Biketoberfest", and setting up a complete club infrastructure from scratch ready for 2009.
What do we have planned? More than you can shake a big long stick at.
Go big, or go home. Kelowna Mountain Bike Skills ParkIn January Rob Cochrane came on board to head up the project as MTBco Bike Park Director. It's going to be no mean feat pulling everything together. Design schedule by May 2009 and build complete by Labour Day. We're looking for volunteers, donations of materials & equipment, and ramping up the can-do attitude. Local mover and shaker in the DJ scene Casey Groves adds his skill and knowledge to the mix ensuring you'll be riding something rad and challenging by the end of the season. Want to help ? Contact
Rob@MTBco.ca. And watch out for Casey at slopestyle events in 2009, he'll be killing it.
MoviesApril 21st at the Kelowna Community Theatre, DH Productions "Latitudes" plus "Over the Bars". An MTBco Two-Fer, it is. Two fer the price of one. Tickets on sale soon at all local bike shops. More info to follow on the MTBco website. All profits from this event go back to the trails so roll up, bring a friend, and let's get the season going.
MTBco/Bush Pilot Biking Skills Camps In conjunction with those good folks at
Bush Pilot Biking 2nd & 3rd May launches our first skills camp of the year. Focused on the needs of the female rider, then there'll be subsequent events aimed at the youth scene. Working with Bush Pilot Biking ensures that a percentage of the profit goes right back to trails. More details
here.
Girls...join the MTBco revolution
2009 Trail DaysOur first trail day of the year is sponsored by those good folks at Venture Gear. The snow will barely have left the Addiction trail over at
Postil and we'll be up and running, giving love to the trails. Sunday 26th April with a post-event inaugural
Postil Pig Roast BBQ, good times, and chill out. Work, ride, then feast long into the night. Everyone's welcome to kick the season off with a bang.
Sunday May 24th is at
Powers Creek, sponsored by Outbound Cycle and Bush Pilot Biking. Time to give the fast and epic Builders Only trail some love. Maybe the Diddler, coming out of hibernation like a big hairy bear, will have something else cool planned for us too?
Sunday June 7th is at
Gillard freeride area, sponsored by Fresh Air Experience, who are opening a new concept store on April 15th. Check out some amazing high-end interior design work
here. Gillard has been basking in the warm glow of renewal after the devastating windstorm of 2007. Lots of trails, and lots of local trail love to share.
June 19-21st is an
IMBA certified trail building course held at
Knox Mountain Park. Consisting of classroom theory and hands on dirt work. Contact
MKittmer@MTBco.ca for more info.
All MTBco trail days come with a customary post-event social and BBQ. Good times are guaranteed. You can't fail to have a laugh with the characters involved in the club and our sponsors and riding community. Don't be shy, drop in, whether you're experienced at trail work or not. All help is appreciated, and no volunteer is turned away. This is the best way to meet new riders and make friends, because hey, if you'll show up for a trail day, you're probably too legit to quit. Thanks to the main man Mr. Tomas Szumylo, MTBco's official "chef de bush party", guru of all things hot and tasty, and collector of odd bicycle parts. Also the only person I've ever met who could explode a chicken.
And if this little lot isn't enough there's another three trail days planned later in the year.
Typical trail day, Okanagan style. There's always a dog.
Earth Day 2009 Check us out as we go all tree hugger style, at Mission Recreation Park on 25th April to learn about the club’s work in the community, opportunities to become a member or volunteer, and how to ensure your bike is ready for a great season of riding. Tight nuts, and all that jazz. We'll be on site from 10.00am to 1.00pm and will hold free
Pre Season Bike Check and Minor Service clinics at 10.30am and 12.00pm. More info about Earth Day
here.
Venture Gear "Exodus 2009" Whistler RoadtripAdvance warning to all Whistler residents: June 12-15th will see 27 random K-Town dirtbags descend on the resort for the finest ripping ever seen by man or beast. Last year we took 14 riders, this time it's double the trouble! Thanks to Venture Gear for stepping up to support this event and showing that they're all about the riding and the riders. And thanks to all the intrepid K-Town rippers who laid down the cash months ahead of the trip. Also our thanks to Bruce at Fanatyk in Whistler Village for offering local support during the visit. You'll also see MTBco riding at Silver Star and Sun Peaks all summer as well as select race events in Western Canada, so look out for MTBco decals, stickers, T-shirts and hoodies. "Say hello to a bro".
Exodus 2009 - a somewhat epic road trip
Race SeriesKicking off the year is the
Outbound Cycle Sasquatch Hunt. Whadderheck sorta nonsense, you ask ? A real life darnaggerty samsquanch hunt! We bagged a rare "prairie hairy" species from Saskatchewan, and we're going to let it loose in unfamiliar Okanagan terrain. Sunday 10th May, making use of the AM/freeride epic 3.5km Big Money trail at Powers Creek. Ride it mellow, ride it hard. But the focus is on the fun, good times and laughs. Good for all the family or a few bros looking for some kooky fun. Great prizes, hunt the real life Sasquatch roaming the bush - tag the hairy brute or get extra points for finding Sasquatch fur. More info instore at Outbound Cycle (Rutland and Westbank) or check the club website for latest info. Uplifts and retrievals courtesy of those nice Bush Pilot Biking people, Johnny Smoke and Barb Haley.
Event approved by the Bureau of Sasquatch Affairs Prizes:
#1 Banshee Scratch frame
#2 Axo full face helmet
#3 Fox hoody
And the chance to win some cool free stuff from MTBco
Entry fees:
• $30 per person – includes MTBco membership (only $10 if already a club member)
• $50 per family (two people) ‐ includes MTBco membership (only $20 if already a club member)
Great prizes from Outbound Cycle
Have you seen it? Diddler wakes from hibernation
On Sunday 28th June we have the
K-Town Kamikaze Super-D Race. Sponsored by Kelowna Cycle and Venture Gear. With a focus on fun and good times, prizes, post-event BBQ and social in the Crawford parking lot area.
Location:
• Myra‐Bellvue Provincial Park (Crawford)
Course:
• Start at KVR drop‐in to Vapour trail, traverse on Pink Highway to Connector trail & finish at bottom parking lot area.
• This course is an awesome AM rip. Dry, dusty, with typical Okanagan rock gnar for good measure.
Kamikaze - you know it makes sense
Website Updates and Club News You can check the latest
events on our website. We also added more online
trailmaps for your convenience. If you're heading out here to ride check out our rambling
rider forum for news, trail directions or to hook up a ride with friendly locals.
"Say hello to a bro"...our range of
MTBco gear is available in select local stores.
You could be (almost) as handsome as these guys
Thanks to Randy Caruso at
RocknRoad for stepping up to support MTBco as a club sponsor.
Rock'n Road
And a small but very important thing: $25 annual membership really does support everything we're trying to achieve to make the Central Okanagan a bigger, radder, and badder place to ride, so please sign up
here. Got no membership ? Too bad. The gnarly trailside trolls might tax you.
You can
donate to the cause. A few spare bucks goes straight to the trails. Guaranteed. Paypal or credit card payment options are set up for your convenience.
Sounds rad? Read some more guff
here for more about our big plans for 2009.
Not really very busy, are we? Thanks for reading, and have a great season of riding.
Rich Deakin
MTBco Director of Mentalism Rich@MTBco.ca
Thanks to all our sponsors:
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