Among the pink Barbie bikes, run-bikes and shrunken versions of heavy-duty mountain bikes were Squamish’s future superstars.
“There were about 40 kids just riding around,” Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA) president Jeff Cooke said.
On Saturday (April 12), the association and the District of Squamish officially opened the community’s mountain bike skills park. Nestled in the forest beside Brennan Park Recreation Centre, the gravel track is designed to allow children and parents easy access to mountain biking. It’s an entry point where youth can develop their love of the sport, Cooke said.
“It is a real community hangout place,” he said.
The project was on SORCA’s horizon for some time. In 2011, Squamish trail builder Chris Hamilton pushed for a slice of the district’s $750,000 Squamish Sport Legacy Fund to create the mountain bike training ground, a motion that was not backed by the council of the day.
Over the past two years Hamilton and Cooke pieced together the new park, with Hamilton designing the track. Municipal officials granted the association a lease agreement and $20,000 to build the park. The facility, adjacent to the skatepark and parking lot, will be maintained by SORCA.
With the skills park up and running and an indoor mountain bike facility being proposed in the Squamish Business Park, the community is starting to realize the impact mountain biking has on the local economy, Cooke said. Last year, SORCA’s economic study on mountain biking reported the activity pumps close to $8 million into the community during the 26 weeks in spring, summer and fall.
“We are starting to see things materialize,” Cooke said, noting Squamish’s mountain biking trails are popping up in marketing.
The skills park wouldn’t have become a reality without the backing of community sponsors, he said. The facility will be incorporated into the rec centre’s programming, district spokesperson Christina Moore said.
