SOURCE: ASILVERTOUCH
IMBA Announces 2007 Winners of the Kona/IMBA Dirt Jump Grant Program: 10 IMBA clubs receive $1,000 to improve conditions and access.
BOULDER, Colo — Thanks to Kona Bicycle Company’s generous support, 10 International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) clubs received $1,000 cash grants to help create new freeriding, downhilling and dirt jumping opportunities in 2007. The Kona/IMBA grant program provides financial assistance in creating technically challenging riding facilities that are completed in partnership with progressive local land managers.
“Legal freeride opportunities that will be maintained as community amenities are at a premium,†according to IMBA Field Programs Director, Scott Linnenburger. “Kona is leading the way in working with IMBA to take dirt jump, freeride, and downhill styles of riding from the back of the woods to the forefront, where community leaders can see the positive response from riders and the improvement in their recreation offerings.â€
Funding for the program comes from Kona and the Kona/IMBA Bowling Party, an annual Las Vegas fundraiser held during Interbike, the bicycle industry trade show. The program’s goal is to support the development of freeriding opportunities on public land.
Kona Advocacy Director Mark Peterson added, “It’s great to see the diversity of the winners for the 2007 grant program. We wanted the grants to continue to evolve and seeing the progression-skill building parks along with ones close to urban areas it shows the process is going in a good direction. We hope this will serve as a base model for other municipalities to create similar parks in their area. The Kona Bowl-Your-Own program also rolls out this year and will help grassroots organizations with fun raising and will further complete the model.â€
2007 Winners:
Fraser Valley Mountain Biking Association, Abbotsford, BC, McKee Peak Mountain Bike Park – FVMBA, in cooperation with the City of Abbotsford, has created a pilot project to manage the Son of Berminator and Le Bite Me trails. The group will focus on developing kiosk and trail signage as well as warning signs before challenging trail features.
Langley Mountain Bike Association, Langley, BC, Willoughby Mountain Bike Park – LMBA and the Township of Langley have forged plans for a substantial freeride park. With five dirt jump lines completed, the group is moving ahead with skinnies, ladders, drops, and a wall ride- each of which will have four levels of skill progression available in the facility.
Friends of Pathways, Jackson, WY, The Teton Pass Area Downhill-Specific Risk Management Plan – Friends of Pathways has been working with Bridger Teton National Forest to create purpose-built, one-way downhill trails for the last few years. Adding to the offerings of the Lithium and Crater Jump trails, the group is planning to open four new trails in the next two years, including Jimmy’s Mom and Road Kill. The grant will be used to finalize the risk management planning for this progressive project.
Dirt Corps, Snoqualmie, WA, The Snoqualmie Bike Skills Park – The Park will be a community mountain bike skills development area that provides an arena for instructional classes around mountain bike motor, safety, and behavioral skills, and a venue for family-focused recreation. The park will feature beginner-level features set up in a circuit and has plans for progression-oriented development of two additional intermediate and advanced skills phases.
Gateway Off-Road Cyclists, St. Charles, MO, Klondike Park Advanced Features Development – GORC has received approval to construct elevated trail sections, teeter totters, and a drop progression as alternate line, technical features alongside of existing, challenging trail in Klondike Park.
Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol, Fort Collins, CO, Spring Canyon Park Skills Area – Partnering with the City of Fort Collins, DPMBP is assisting in the construction and rider training at the Spring Canyon Parks Mountain Bike Skills Area. The Area will include progression-oriented ladder bridges, drops, and rock gardens and a continuous 250-foot log ride on top of huge cottonwood trees that were removed for park road construction.
Southwest Idaho Mountain Bike Association, Boise, ID, Idaho Velodrome and Cycling Park – SWIMBA is working with the developers of this full-service cycling facility to install freeride trails and trials features that will complement the plans for skills and jump parks, a bmx and mtb short track, 4X course, and velodrome.
Minneapolis Off-Road Cycling Advocates, Minneapolis, MN, Theodore Wirth Park Black Diamond Trail Redevelopment – The MOCA group in Minneapolis is planning to repair severely eroded sections of trail by making drainage enhancements and rebuilding two erosion gullies as long, downhill rock gardens. Connecting these two areas will be an advanced trail peppered with constructed technical trail features and a number of jumps.
Chicago Area Mountain Bikers West, Plainfield, IL, Van Horn Woods East Bike Park – CAMBr- West has stepped up to create the relationships needed to develop opportunities in the wake of recent freeride facility (Challenge Park, Joliet and Scrap Skatepark, Hoffman Estates) closures in northern Illinois. The first phase of this four phase development will be dirt jump park lines, with rhythm lines, a pump track, and skills development area coming later.
Fat Tire Trail Riders Club, Spokane, WA, Camp Seikani Downhill Trail Improvements – FTTRC is working with the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department to rebuild and enhance features that have been used on an aging downhill trails in Camp Sekani. The group will bolster the Leap Of Faith, bring a long ladder bridge up to current standards, and build a large, angled-fulcrum (twisting) teeter-totter.
