North Saanich Freeride is now Open!

Officially this is it, Phase 1 is open for anyone to ride at anytime with in daylight hours!!!

Been a long time coming but please go and enjoy it!

We will have a Grand Opening in the Spring and begin phases 2/3/4/5/

Thanks to everyone involved for their efforts!

North Saanich Freeride Park AGM!

This is it, by this weekend we should have phase 1 legally open for all to come ride! Massive pump track was finished last night with the aid of a light system and some old fashion elbow grease!

**FOR CONFIRMATION OF PARK OPENING, CHECK BACK FRIDAY EVENING**

Our third AGM is set for Dec 11 2008, 7PM at Mary Winspear.
We are looking for volunteers to help with fundraising and to help run our society.

NSMBS *North Saanich Mountain Bike Society* will be eagerly seeking the right candidates to make this park like no other. We want to open phases 2, 3, 4 and 5 the following year with an ambitious goal to erect structure making it a covered, all weather riding facility.

We appreciate any support that you may be able to
provide.

Again Dec 11th 2008, 7PM at Mary Winspear Center out here in Sidney, right off the Highway.


A lot has been done behind the scenes to even get to this stage, we have an amazing Gas sponsorship through Peninsula C0-Op intended to keep our Generous donations of Machines from G & E Equipment Rentals / Dave Aylard, North Saanich Municipality Parks Division and Endless support from Sidney Water Front Inn and Spa .


Tilt your head a little bit! This is our end goal, so please support North Saanich and our quest for a place for kids and adults to enjoy their rides.

Long over due upate!

Sadly, I had issues entering the blog all the codes went dead so I have let it slide for months!

Amazing things have happened since the last post:
Rock roads installed
Drainage pipes laid
Co-Op gas sponsorship
Tracked bobcat and wheeled bobcats being loaned
2 Olympic MTB Athletes stepped up to endorse the park

We are about a week away from opening Phase One, as seen on the image above. Modest but now that we are legal we can get to work on new phases.

I will make a better posting on teh events later, I have just cracked the codes. Old Google would not allow a password reset or reminder -?- but we are back online!

Big thanks to all the vollunteers who haev made this happen.
Stay tuned!

Pump track skill overview!

Listen to Mr. Mark on how to flow in a park, we will be making a secondary track to the big track that will be very low and fast with endless line choices.

Good video for those unsure of what to do with a track of this sort.

Drew Mitchell wins Canadian Nationals!

Drew Mitchell wins 08 Canadian Nationals!! This is why this park is beign built! We have so much talent in Victoria but no where to hone in the skills, Drew and Steve Smith both Cove Factory riders are the fastest Canadians out there and both live on the island!

Check it out!

Sicklines has the full story on Drews win, so please check it out Here

Just a week after placing fifth at 5th Red Bull Mt. 7 Psychosis, seconds behind Sam Hill, Drew flew to the east coast and dominated the series!




For those of you not in the know, Drew has been the key player in the North Saanich Freeride park, The day after he got back from the worlds in Italy he called me up to see if we can work in the park. Drew is a motivated guy, stoked for him.

Be sure to catch the full report on SICKLINES.com and check it out!

Pumptrack test run!

We finally received some quality material and immediately went to work forming/fixing the pump track. Kyles' skills with the Bobcat along with the ease of raking the soft material, has enabled us to be close to opening phase one! Kyle gently forming the track with his bucket! This is when you sadly realize that you are not in as good of shape as you thought, you can hear me huffing as I video taped.


It's taken awhile, but we finally scored some proper material and had it trucked in by Gordy Martman Excavating. Previously, we had to mix 60/40 sand and clay and it sucked! Either it snowed, rained or we always ran out of material. But the new material is so easy to manipulate.

Kyle Michell, Cliff Haliday and myself hammered out the track in 7 hours! We had Cliff on the Wheel Loader, dropping material in key spots and Kyle working his magic with the bobcat, supplied by Jim Dunlop.


Kyle getting the Bobcat ready to show off why we call him the Rockstar!

Look at that material... so nice to rake instead of clay chunks!

We need more DIRT!!

Been a while since I posted a blog, bike season has kicked in full swing and we are just awaiting some material to cap the course for the soft opening.
You can see some video of it, the paint is unreal. Drew's ride!
We have to date built the entire park on volunteer time and efforts and no budget what so ever!

This park is no joke Canada in not known for taking care of their athletes, so props to North Saanich for stepping up.

Check out Drew's new ride he took to the worlds here
You can see more here on Sickline "What the Pros Ride"

Anyone who knows anyone with material please contact me Greg at 250-655-6603


So here's the update: Our designer/ builders report.

Kyle Michell just got back from building the UCI BMX worlds and Olympic track in Beijing. He still cannot breath he claims due to the nasty smog.

Andrew Sherry is floating around at competitions and pulled a solid 8hr, 8 man work party forming the berms coming out of the first pump track and the kids section. Halting due to lack of material.

Andrew Mitchell is in Italy right now racing the second World cup after a bad crash In Scotland a week or so ago. Back on his game and in 16 hours the race begins so stoked to see what comes of it.

Click here to watch some footage of the course they will be battling on! FreeCaster it is sick! You can see Drew slide by around the 1:04 mark on his orange cove.

So we will get the park going the first chance we get some material, so stay tuned.
Anyone wanting to watch it live go to my friends website he has the countdown clicking.
Watch Sicklines coverage