Millionth Rider from Whistler Blackcomb on Vimeo.

• Dates Monday September 19th – Wednesday September 21st
• Theme for 2011 – The Business of Bike Parks; why it works and how to make the most of the opportunity
• Location – To be held at the home of the Whistler Bike Park, Whistler BC

Who should attend:

• Decision makers (GM/VP Operations, CFO, Resort President etc.) of a resort or recreational facility either considering entering the DH/FR market or already in this market and looking to improve their facility.
•  Leaders of organizations who are already offering Mountain Biking as part of a suite of summer activities and are looking to take the next step in its development and significance as a driver of business
• Those who are intrigued with the opportunity of what building a Whistler inspired park can do for their summer business and their community
• Anyone seeking to mirror and improve on the original Whistler Bike Park; and hear from its creators.

Topics to be covered

• Industry overview
•  Successful case studies
•  Bike Industry validation
• Community impact and benefits
•  Marketing and marketing organizations
• The Women’s market
• Retail and Rental metrics and opportunities
•  Sponsorship and partnerships
• Events and programs
• Other summer activates (presented by ZipTrek, the original Whistler phenomenon)
• Bike Park operations
•  Trail design

Cost $349; includes:

• 3 days of the forum
• 3 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
• Lift tickets and bike rentals for 3 days of the forum
•  Green, Blue and Black on trail experiences
•  Ziptrek zip line experience
• Autograph from Tom Pro
• Swag Bag
• Preferred lodging rates

Other information

• Limited to 60 attendees
• Stay tuned for Guest and Keynote speaker announcements
• Once in a life time biking opportunities on Whistler Mountain
• More to come….

For more information and reserve your space now by emailing Paul@WhistlerGravityLogic.com

Download a PDF of a registration form here.

Information on how to get there and what to bring here.

Thanks also to Brad Stone and Jimmy Howell of 402 Trails for helping us move, sculpt, shape and buff an otherwise two dimensional topographical challenge into a three dimensional work of art.

The Tree Hugger Jump Trail, Birch Hill, Alaska from Robert Cocquyt on Vimeo.

January found me dragging my bags through the Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow, searching for my taxi driver in a sea foreign humanity. After a quick night in Moscow, meeting Pavel and the rest of the Russian crew and a short nap I caught an early morning flight to Sochi. There I was met by Alex. We left the seaside and headed into the Caucasus Mountains and the future venues of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The road, choked with trucks, wound up through an almost continuous construction zone where cranes seem to outnumber the trees. To say that the plans for the Olympic venues are grand would be an understatement.

Over the next few days Alex showed me around Krasnaya Polyana while I was getting a feel for the terrain of Gorky Karusel Ski Resort. Could it include a Bike Park and would it be good? I always like to compare sites I visit to somewhere in Whistler and usually I can, but this time I was having a hard time making any correlations. The terrain rolls like I have never seen and the dirt is golden, but almost 95% of the trees are chestnut or some other kind of hard wood and you could drive a logging truck between them they are so nicely spaced. We could almost leave the chainsaws at home.  Well almost.  That’s what I mean when I write that I can’t compare Gorky to Whistler. In Whistler we need chainsaws!  Anyway, if built, Gorky would be a world class bike park supported by world class infrastructure.

Over the few days I was in Krasnaya Polyana Alex showed me the local culture and introduced me to the local riders, skiers and snowboarders. They spoke a different language but otherwise they had the same needs as Whistler locals. In winter they want deep snow (apparently it attracts the girls from Moscow) and in the summer they want kick ass trails to ride. While we were discussing the possibilities Alex and his friends would get this glassy eyed stare, looking into the distant mountains through rich tobacco haze, dreaming, smiling. There are some trails and bike culture exists in Krasnaya Polyana, but I could only imagine what could be if this project goes ahead. Once developed, this bike park would be on every rider’s must visit list for sure.

While Krasnaya Polyana may be going through a major transformation it still has the small Russian village feel. I tend to judge the places I visit by the food and the food here is awesome! Some restaurants are serving ethnic Turkish and other Middle Eastern cuisine, or you can get true Russian offerings at others. The Czech in me makes me a bit of a beer snob and I can safely report that the local beer is second to none.

Alex drove me to the airport early in the morning, bid me a “do svidaniya” and I was off, flying back to Moscow. I arrived in the early afternoon. What transpired between then and 4:30am, when a taxi took me back to the airport, was truly memorable (thanks Pavel and Alex). I will omit the vodka infused details because this part of the story is not relevant to the development of a bike park in Russia, but I will say that Moscow makes Las Vegas look like a trailer park. Moscow is a must visit city!

I think that we can all agree that the development of a major bike park in Russia would be a major step in the right direction for mountain biking in general. Let’s hope it happens.

Meanwhile, as the spring breaks in the northern hemisphere, we are busy in West Virginia working on a major project for Boy Scouts of America and our summer is shaping up to be the busiest ever – Korea in April, Sweden in May, summer in Colorado and the North West somewhere in between. We’ll keep you posted.  -Tom Pro

 This event is brought to you by the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, the Vermont Department of Tourism, and Gravity Logic - the world leader in mountain bike park development – from feasibility studies, to risk assessment, to instructor training, to trail construction and mapping. Gravity Logic’s clientele includes: Whistler Bike Park (BC); Canada Olympic Park (AB); Winter Park (CO); Northstar at Tahoe (CA); Grand Targhee (WY); and resorts throughout Europe including, Chateau de Berne, Livigno, and Innerleithen, among many others. 

 A workshop schedule and registration information will be available soon.  For now, mark you calendars and plan to come along to Trapp Family Lodge on May 12-13, to learn from the best in the business on how to develop quality mountain bike programs at your resort.

 Update - Trapp Family Lodge are offering a special rate of $110 for a deluxe room for Summit attendees. Please call Trapp Family Lodge reservations at 802-253-5900 and refer to #50C39P to get this rate.

Bob Holme sums it up best in the video found here.

The 1986 law currently allows only ski-related activities in Forest Service ski areas. The bill would amend it so that recreational sports other than alpine and Nordic skiing, such as snowboarding, are allowed. In addition, the bill would authorize the Forest Service to decide on appropriate year-round and summertime activities-such as mountain biking and concerts-to help level out ski areas’ seasonal economies and provide steady job opportunities for the people who make up these communities.