January 24/05 10:52 am - North Shore Mountain Bike Events Society to Donate to Charites

Posted by Editoress on 01/24/05
 

Northshore Mountainbike Events Society Generates Legacy Fund In Its First Year
Courtesy NSMBES

The Northshore Mountainbike Events Society (NSMBES) is pleased to announce that it has generated a $20,000 legacy fund as a result of the North Shore Credit Union World Mountain Bike Festival & Conference and North Shore News Gear Swap, held August 2004. The fund will be distributed to charitable organizations to assist with wilderness access for people with disabilities, trail repair and maintenance, mountain biking facilitation and planning, as well as education and awareness campaigns.

As a result, the NSMBES will help fund three organizations that support community-based mountain biking and outdoor recreation programs for a variety of ages and abilities:

The Interfit Project: Integrated Fitness Project is a program designed to help boost accessibility of gym equipment and facilities for people with disabilities. Funds from NSMBES will contribute to the necessary income needed to refine the design of a "wilderness wheelchair" so that individuals with disabilities can independently and fully enjoy wilderness and outdoor areas.

Trail Work - Enduro/High School Race Course: Organized high school mountain biking in North America started on the North Shore. Despite this fact, there are very few trails that can be used as a race courses for youth within this league. In addition, on the North Shore, which is considered a world-class mountain biking venue, there are very few trails for beginner and intermediate riders. The NSMBES is proud to engage the services of the North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA), a well-known North Shore trail advocacy association, who will upgrade and revitalize one of the area's most well-used trail loops. Running out of and around the Camp Brick area between Capilano College and Rice Lake, this course has hosted the BC Lower Mainland Championships and the North Shore Credit Union Enduro for the last three years.

North Shore Mountain Bike Product Development Plan: The NSMBES is taking a lead role in organizing a vision and plan for the "mountain bike product" for all the stakeholders on the North Shore. Initial consultation with stakeholders has been extremely positive. The focus of the Development Plan will be to explore where the sport could develop on the North Shore over the next decade and how such development should be environmentally and economically managed.

Also under consideration is development of a North Shore Mountain Bike Guide, which would include a rider code of conduct, specific North Shore information, and awareness information on environmental issues and how to deal with sensitive areas.

The North Shore Credit Union World Mountain Bike Festival is a 4-day festival involving all levels of mountain biking with family activities, junior competitions and a BC Cup Marathon-style cross country event. The North Shore Credit Union World Mountain Bike Conference is a 4-day interactive conference, hosting delegates from around the world. Over the course of the 2004 conference, delegates discussed topics and shared issues and solutions revolving around the environmental, social and economic impacts of mountain biking both locally and internationally.

The conference has received high acclaim from experts, mountain bikers and delegates. Recently, the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) published its 2004 Report Card and stated, "Internationally, British Columbia retained its position from last year as the ultimate global mountain biking location∑" The NSMBES is taking a lead role on improving dialogue and access by hosting the World Mountain Bike Conference in Vancouver.

The North Shore Mountain Bike Events Society is a not-for-profit organization established to guide dialogue and solutions for responsible and sustainable mountain biking on the North Shore. The Society also works to develop and implement guidelines and procedures with municipalities outside the North Shore for sustainable management of this important resource in the world. Plans are now underway for the second annual event which will take place May 28 - June 5, 2005. For more information, visit www.nsmbfc.com