It’s not everywhere in Canada that the local high school has a mountain biking team, but it’s no surprise that Howe Sound Secondary does – the community has some of the most talented young riders in the country.
But while the team had plenty of accomplished riders, coach Kathy Cormack noticed that what it didn’t have was a lot of young women.
“We have some really good talent, but what’s really under represented is we have tons of teenage boys that mountain bike and not nearly as many teenage girls. Just a handful. So I thought, how can we encourage the girls to get out there?” said Cormack.
Hoping to encourage newcomers, this year Cormack reached out to local businesses to try and secure bikes to use.
In response, Sea to Sky Adventure Company agreed to lend out a fleet of new 2018 rental bikes for a program that would help students try out the sport.
“There’s a lot of people in Squamish who grew up riding, they have really nice bikes, their parents have really nice bikes. But then there’s a lot of people that may not have really nice bikes. it’s great to able to give them the opportunity to try it out,” said owner Jeff Levine.
“I’m a big believer in mountain biking youth, so I said absolutely.”
The program will run for the season into mid-May, and students of both genders are welcome to borrow the bikes and get an introduction to the sport with the team.
Cormack hopes that if some of the new riders enjoy it, they’ll be able to source their own bikes and continue biking in the summer.
Riders in the group have big differences in skill, so the coaches have divided them into beginners, intermediate and advanced groups. Students head out once or twice a week with a coach to the trails and are divided up based on skill level.
“That way we can pick trails that are good for each rider. You want the beginners to have a totally safe, comfortable experience. It’s about building confidence,” said Cormack.
On Tuesday night the bikes – including the brand new bright green Norcos – are loaded up at Howe Sound after school and the group heads to the trails by Alice Lake. A group of around 20 students divides up at the trailhead.
Experienced girls are also welcome in the advanced group of course, but the beginner group heading out to Jack’s Trail on Tuesday night is composed almost entirely of female students, including some on an exchange.
“Our girls were the first people to ride those beautiful new bikes,” she said. “They get to learn on the newest bike, and that can really be something that holds you back in the sport, if you don’t have well-tuned bikes or good equipment.”
“The reaction has been super excited, super positive,” said Cormack. “For me, living in Squamish, one of the best things I think is our trails. They are world class, and I want to open that up to the local girls.”
