C'mon, take a freeride

By Cindy Hirschfeld
Rocky Mountain News
August 26, 2006

Grueling sport is in high demand - and resorts oblige

In the mid-1990s, when Canadian mountain bikers were building stealth trails with steep drops, elevated log bridges and teeter-totters in Vancouver's North Shore area, they likely had little idea they'd be setting off a craze - freeriding - that would eventually cross borders and revolutionize mountain biking.

With the creation of freeride parks and trails, often at ski resorts, freeriding and its close cousin, downhill biking, have become what skiing and snowboarding are to terrain parks.

"It's nuts how much it's growing. I can't keep up with it," said Kelly Steelman, Kona's official Bike Park Guy, who oversees the manufacturer's growing free- ride-park partnership program with ski resorts worldwide.

Kona also works with Gravity Logic, a division of Whistler Blackcomb launched this spring that will design, build and manage bike parks at other resorts to satisfy what it sees as rapidly growing demand.

This summer, Keystone Resort unveiled its Drop Zone, which consists of four "alleys" that can be accessed from the double-black-diamond, on- mountain trail Paid-N-Full. They contain features such as wood ramps with drop-offs up to 14 feet, a natural rock garden, an elevated ladder bridge less than 2 feet wide and a roller coaster- type bridge that twists from side to side.

Keystone started adding free- ride components to some of its lift-served biking trails four or five years ago, according to Bike Park supervisor Greg Rood, but recently has stepped up the number and difficulty level, as rider skills and bike technology have progressed.

Seven new trails were approved this year, and the first, scheduled to open this month, will have more than a dozen features.

Most of the riders who tackle Keystone's gnarliest trails are on downhill-specific - or freeride - dual-suspension bikes (which have beefier frames, fatter tires and 7 to 8 inches of travel in the front shock) and wear body padding and full-face helmets.

To deter the unprepared (or the unsuspecting who somehow missed the warning signs), the bike crew tries to put at least one challenging feature near the top of a trail, Rood said.

Elsewhere in Colorado, the Breckenridge Freeride Trail, a joint venture between the town and volunteer trail builders, opened two summers ago, and Silverton Mountain offers lift-accessed downhill biking (pure downhill trails don't usually have artificial features, but they contain plenty of natural obstacles and favor an aggressive, fall-line riding style).

Snowmass Resort, which recently hosted several downhill races, added freeride features to several of its on-mountain trails this year.

At Winter Park, which partners with Kona to promote its freeride terrain, the Downhill Trail received a face-lift for this summer that added dirt jumps, banked turns and some rerouting. At the midmountain Five Points intersection, an elevated wooden platform offers several options for bikers to ride on and off.

Though full-on freeriding certainly attracts daredevil riders, it's not only X Games wannabes showing interest in the sport.

"We thought it was just going to be teenagers to (guys in) their mid-20s, but we've had people who are older, and a pretty big interest from women, too," Akira Yasuda said of the riders who have attended the freeride clinics his company, Ripstoke, offers at Winter Park and elsewhere.

"A big goal at Winter Park is to have features that people can safely progress on," added Yasuda, who, with Ripstoke partner David Nash, also consults on trail design for the resort.

Learner-friendly

Echoing the trend in winter sports of progressive terrain parks, which let skiers and boarders learn and practice tricks on smaller features, bike skills parks let riders get comfortable on learner-friendly jumps and bridges.

In 2005, Winter Park built the Sorensen Freeride Park at the base of the mountain. It includes a series of dirt tabletop jumps with wooden on-ramps and small, arched bridges.

The ASX Skills Park at Keystone's base, which contains tuned-down gap jumps, teeter- totters and bridges, "gives you a feel for what's up on the mountain," Rood said.

"With good trail design and construction, there's no reason why a less aggressive rider couldn't enjoy the technical aspects of freeriding," said Mark Eller, communications manager for the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

As for the specialized gear, he notes, it's something you can build up to as your skill level increases.

"You can invest progressively and find the level of equipment that's right for you. A lot of people emphasize the technical aspects of the bike, but it's more the rider than the bike they're on."

Trickle-down effect

In fact, as freeride-specific bikes become even sturdier and more shock absorbing, upping the ante of what riders can perform on them, original design features have trickled down to more standard trail bikes.

"Suspension technology has come a long way because of the influence of the downhill/freeride movement," Yasuda said. "And people are realizing that even if they have no desire to drop a 10- foot feature, a bike that has longer travel and lets you sit more upright is more comfortable."

It also means if you do want to sample freeriding, you probably can go to a skills park or try trail features on your regular ride.

Though freeride's roots are in those first illegally constructed trails in British Columbia, the emphasis nowadays is on sanctioned trail building.

"We're working with land managers at public and private facilities to develop sustainable free-ride trail systems," IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel said.

IMBA publishes an annual freeride guide that includes resources for groups interested in developing trails. It also administers a grant program, with Kona, for the creation of new freeride and downhill venues.

One of these grants recently was awarded to the all-volunteer Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association to design and build the first downhill-specific trail in the Lunch Loop area near Grand Junction. Phase one of the trail, about a half-mile in length, should open next spring, if final approvals are given this fall.

Plans also call for construction of a skills park near the trailhead that would let riders go as little or as big as they dare.

Chris Herman, COPMOBA president, said by building the trail, the group aims to satisfy demand among local riders as well as deter the spread of bandit trails in the area.

"If we can create a legitimate opportunity, hopefully, it will decrease some of the illegal route building," Herrman said. "We want to make it as state of the art as possible so we have the flow and challenge that the riders want while keeping sustainability principles in mind."

The trail will include parallel lines of varying difficulty in some places, so riders can choose their descent, and Little Park Road will enable shuttle access.

Despite the avid interest in creating freeriding opportunities, mountain bikers might have to wait a few more years for a noticeable increase in riding venues. Said Kona's Steelman: "It's a time-intensive and money-intensive effort. You can't just jump right in - the right trails have to be built. It's going to be about three years before we see critical mass, with enough parks to supply the demands of riders out there."

Where to ride

Keystone's Bike Park has lift access daily through Sept. 10, then again for the weekend of Sept. 16-17. A full-day ticket is $29; a one-ride ticket is $15. Downhill and freeride bikes, as well as protective padding, are available for rent at Mountain Bike Headquarters in the River Run base area; 800-354-4386; www.KeystoneResort.com.

Winter Park runs lift access for its on-mountain bike trails through Sept. 4. A full-day ticket is $22; a one-ride ticket is $16. The Skills Park at the ski area base will stay open through late September, weather permitting. Kona freeride bikes and protective padding can be rented at the Winter Park base area. On Sept. 4, the resort will host a slopestyle jam in Sorensen Park for freeriders and BMX bikers. Registration is $5; 303-316-1564; www.SkiWinterPark.com.

For details on the Breckenridge Freeride Trail, click on the link to open space and trails, in the Leisure drop-down menu, at www.TownofBreckenridge.com. Then go to Town Trail Descriptions.

Snowmass Resort provides lift access for its on-mountain trails daily through Sept. 4, then on weekends through Sept. 24. Each ride is $6; 800-525-6200; www.AspenSnowmass.com.

Silverton Mountain has stopped its lift-served mountain biking access for this summer; www.SilvertonMountain.com.

For more information on the International Mountain Bicycling Association, go to www.imba.com. For information on the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, go to www.copmoba.org.

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	C'mon, take a freeride By Cindy Hirschfeld Rocky Mountain News August 26, 2006 Grueling sport is in high demand - and resorts oblige In the mid-1990s, when Canadian mountain bikers were building stealth trails with steep drops, elevated log bridges and teeter-totters in Vancouver's North Shore area, they likely had little idea they'd be setting off a craze - freeriding - that would eventually cross borders and revolutionize mountain biking. With the creation of freeride parks and trails, often at ski resorts, freeriding and its close cousin, downhill biking, have become what skiing and snowboarding are to terrain parks. "It's nuts how much it's growing. I can't keep up with it," said Kelly Steelman, Kona's official Bike Park Guy, who oversees the manufacturer's growing free- ride-park partnership program with ski resorts worldwide. Kona also works with Gravity Logic, a division of Whistler Blackcomb launched this spring that will design, build and manage bike parks at other resorts to satisfy what it sees as rapidly growing demand. This summer, Keystone Resort unveiled its Drop Zone, which consists of four "alleys" that can be accessed from the double-black-diamond, on- mountain trail Paid-N-Full. They contain features such as wood ramps with drop-offs up to 14 feet, a natural rock garden, an elevated ladder bridge less than 2 feet wide and a roller coaster- type bridge that twists from side to side. Keystone started adding free- ride components to some of its lift-served biking trails four or five years ago, according to Bike Park supervisor Greg Rood, but recently has stepped up the number and difficulty level, as rider skills and bike technology have progressed. Seven new trails were approved this year, and the first, scheduled to open this month, will have more than a dozen features. Most of the riders who tackle Keystone's gnarliest trails are on downhill-specific - or freeride - dual-suspension bikes (which have beefier frames, fatter tires and 7 to 8 inches of travel in the front shock) and wear body padding and full-face helmets. To deter the unprepared (or the unsuspecting who somehow missed the warning signs), the bike crew tries to put at least one challenging feature near the top of a trail, Rood said. Elsewhere in Colorado, the Breckenridge Freeride Trail, a joint venture between the town and volunteer trail builders, opened two summers ago, and Silverton Mountain offers lift-accessed downhill biking (pure downhill trails don't usually have artificial features, but they contain plenty of natural obstacles and favor an aggressive, fall-line riding style). Snowmass Resort, which recently hosted several downhill races, added freeride features to several of its on-mountain trails this year. At Winter Park, which partners with Kona to promote its freeride terrain, the Downhill Trail received a face-lift for this summer that added dirt jumps, banked turns and some rerouting. At the midmountain Five Points intersection, an elevated wooden platform offers several options for bikers to ride on and off. Though full-on freeriding certainly attracts daredevil riders, it's not only X Games wannabes showing interest in the sport. "We thought it was just going to be teenagers to (guys in) their mid-20s, but we've had people who are older, and a pretty big interest from women, too," Akira Yasuda said of the riders who have attended the freeride clinics his company, Ripstoke, offers at Winter Park and elsewhere. "A big goal at Winter Park is to have features that people can safely progress on," added Yasuda, who, with Ripstoke partner David Nash, also consults on trail design for the resort. Learner-friendly Echoing the trend in winter sports of progressive terrain parks, which let skiers and boarders learn and practice tricks on smaller features, bike skills parks let riders get comfortable on learner-friendly jumps and bridges. In 2005, Winter Park built the Sorensen Freeride Park at the base of the mountain. It includes a series of dirt tabletop jumps with wooden on-ramps and small, arched bridges. The ASX Skills Park at Keystone's base, which contains tuned-down gap jumps, teeter- totters and bridges, "gives you a feel for what's up on the mountain," Rood said. "With good trail design and construction, there's no reason why a less aggressive rider couldn't enjoy the technical aspects of freeriding," said Mark Eller, communications manager for the International Mountain Bicycling Association. As for the specialized gear, he notes, it's something you can build up to as your skill level increases. "You can invest progressively and find the level of equipment that's right for you. A lot of people emphasize the technical aspects of the bike, but it's more the rider than the bike they're on." Trickle-down effect In fact, as freeride-specific bikes become even sturdier and more shock absorbing, upping the ante of what riders can perform on them, original design features have trickled down to more standard trail bikes. "Suspension technology has come a long way because of the influence of the downhill/freeride movement," Yasuda said. "And people are realizing that even if they have no desire to drop a 10- foot feature, a bike that has longer travel and lets you sit more upright is more comfortable." It also means if you do want to sample freeriding, you probably can go to a skills park or try trail features on your regular ride. Though freeride's roots are in those first illegally constructed trails in British Columbia, the emphasis nowadays is on sanctioned trail building. "We're working with land managers at public and private facilities to develop sustainable free-ride trail systems," IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel said. IMBA publishes an annual freeride guide that includes resources for groups interested in developing trails. It also administers a grant program, with Kona, for the creation of new freeride and downhill venues. One of these grants recently was awarded to the all-volunteer Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association to design and build the first downhill-specific trail in the Lunch Loop area near Grand Junction. Phase one of the trail, about a half-mile in length, should open next spring, if final approvals are given this fall. Plans also call for construction of a skills park near the trailhead that would let riders go as little or as big as they dare. Chris Herman, COPMOBA president, said by building the trail, the group aims to satisfy demand among local riders as well as deter the spread of bandit trails in the area. "If we can create a legitimate opportunity, hopefully, it will decrease some of the illegal route building," Herrman said. "We want to make it as state of the art as possible so we have the flow and challenge that the riders want while keeping sustainability principles in mind." The trail will include parallel lines of varying difficulty in some places, so riders can choose their descent, and Little Park Road will enable shuttle access. Despite the avid interest in creating freeriding opportunities, mountain bikers might have to wait a few more years for a noticeable increase in riding venues. Said Kona's Steelman: "It's a time-intensive and money-intensive effort. You can't just jump right in - the right trails have to be built. It's going to be about three years before we see critical mass, with enough parks to supply the demands of riders out there." Where to ride Keystone's Bike Park has lift access daily through Sept. 10, then again for the weekend of Sept. 16-17. A full-day ticket is $29; a one-ride ticket is $15. Downhill and freeride bikes, as well as protective padding, are available for rent at Mountain Bike Headquarters in the River Run base area; 800-354-4386; www.KeystoneResort.com. Winter Park runs lift access for its on-mountain bike trails through Sept. 4. A full-day ticket is $22; a one-ride ticket is $16. The Skills Park at the ski area base will stay open through late September, weather permitting. Kona freeride bikes and protective padding can be rented at the Winter Park base area. On Sept. 4, the resort will host a slopestyle jam in Sorensen Park for freeriders and BMX bikers. Registration is $5; 303-316-1564; www.SkiWinterPark.com. For details on the Breckenridge Freeride Trail, click on the link to open space and trails, in the Leisure drop-down menu, at www.TownofBreckenridge.com. Then go to Town Trail Descriptions. Snowmass Resort provides lift access for its on-mountain trails daily through Sept. 4, then on weekends through Sept. 24. Each ride is $6; 800-525-6200; www.AspenSnowmass.com. Silverton Mountain has stopped its lift-served mountain biking access for this summer; www.SilvertonMountain.com. For more information on the International Mountain Bicycling Association, go to www.imba.com. For information on the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association, go to www.copmoba.org.


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