2004 Annual Report
IMBA Trail News
Volume 18, Number 1
Spring 2005
IMBA in 2004: Progress and Change
- A few words from IMBA president Hill Abell...
2004 was a year of great accomplishments for IMBA and mountain bikers. From trailbuilding to politics, IMBA gained ground.
It started with the IMBA Summit in Washington, D.C., where mountain bikers from across the country lobbied Congress for improved mountain bike access. Later in the year, an IMBA board member formally testified about trail access before Congress for the first time in our history.
Throughout 2004, IMBA continued to enhance its partnerships with public land management agencies, building trails with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Park Service's Rivers and Trails program.
The Subaru/ IMBA Trail Care Crew worked in more locations and trained more people at IMBA Trailbuilding Schools than ever before. The Crews helped with nearly 100 trail projects.
IMBA published our first book, "Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack." The book sold more than 3,000 copies in '04. Meanwhile, the fee-based IMBA Trail Solutions program continued to blossom, offering land managers, clubs, and other clients comprehensive trail services.
IMBA accomplished a number of "firsts" in '04. We opened a professionally staffed office in Canada. The first-ever "Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day" took place in October. We raised more money than ever. IMBA also launched a new logo and marketing campaign.
2004 was also a year of change. Tim Blumenthal, IMBA's executive director since 1994, left to head the Bikes Belong Coalition. IMBA is very grateful for Tim's effective leadership that helped establish a firm foundation for the organization. We're pleased to welcome Mike Van Abel as our new executive director.
But there is much more to do. Access to trails continues to be threatened on all levels. Wilderness remains a huge challenge. Riding near cities is very limited. We need more freeriders active in advocacy. With your help, IMBA is poised to tackle these challenges.
On behalf of IMBA's board, I am pleased to present this annual report of key accomplishments. Thank you. Your contributions make our work possible.
- Hill Abell, IMBA President
10 Things IMBA Did for Mountain Biking in 2004
1. Published "Trail Solutions", a revolutionary trailbuilding book combining cutting-edge techniques with proven fundamentals in 272 full-color pages.
2. Launched IMBA Canada and opened the first IMBA office in Canada.
3. The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew led nearly 70 IMBA Trailbuilding Schools across North America. Since '97, IMBA Trailbuilding Schools have taught more than 150,000 people - including decision makers - how to build durable, fun-to-ride trails.
4. Increased IMBA activity and leadership in Washington, D.C. - the place where key trail management decisions are made. In 2004, mountain bikers held more than 140 face-to-face meetings with government leaders during the biannual IMBA Summit.
5. Focused IMBA expertise on creating new freeriding opportunities backed by cash grants, specific advice on securing land manager permission, and guidelines for building challenging trails that last.
6. Led the effort to protect trail access in proposed Wilderness Areas while preserving these natural lands. When proposed Wilderness includes significant mountain biking opportunities, IMBA pursues alternative land designations that strongly protect natural areas while preserving bicycle access.
7. IMBA's trailbuilding specialists designed more than 100 miles of sweet new singletrack in 10 states through the fee-based IMBA Trail Solutions program.
8. Donated 100 trailbuilding toolkits to IMBA-affiliated clubs - a huge boost for their volunteer trailwork projects thanks to support from REI.
9. Organized the first annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, introducing thousands of kids to the sport and earning the endorsement of the U.S. Congress.
10. Supported an estimated one million hours of volunteer trailwork. Thanks to the work of IMBA clubs and an army of diehard volunteers around the world, we're reinforcing mountain biking's reputation for proactive stewardship of our public lands.
