Snowshoe Ready To Jump
16 Apr 2014
Q&A: Snowshoe Bike Park!!
Who are you and what do you do at Snowshoe Bike Park?
· Josh Olson: Bike Park/Terrain Park Manager
· Scott Guyette: Marketing and Sales Manager and Bike Park Enthusiast.
How long ago was Snowshoe Bike Park developed? Who or what was the driving force?
· In the late 90s a group of local bike enthusiasts spoke with the powers that be into giving them a ride back up on the lifts, the rest is history.
How many visitors do you get in a weekend/season at the bike park?
· We get a lot of riders from the surrounding areas… just enough to see your friends and with no wait in a lift line.
What is the most popular trail at your bike park?
· Last summer, Snowshoe Bike Park added a new jump trail Skyline, which is a blue 3 mile machined jump trail covering 1,500 vertical feet.
Will there be any new trails added this year or will you be re-developing any existing trails?
· Summer 2014 is going to be a great season for Snowshoe Bike Park. We are looking at adding two new sections of trail at the top and bottom of Skyline. There is also a talk about adding a blue flow trail on the basin side to link up our current trail network. We are also teaming up with Redbull to put in a signature feature on the mountain. We are still in the planning phase of these developments but are expecting some major trail expansion on the horizon!
Describe the predominant “style” of riding at your park? (Natural vs. Manmade, DH/Tech/Steep vs. Flow/Features) Typically, what kind of terrain do you have? (Rocky, Dry-dusty, Tacky, Roots)…
· Snowshoe has it all, from machine built flow trails to traditional DH root and rock trails. We have just added a green beginner trail which is a great learning tool for mountain bikers looking to get into the sport. We also have a lot of steep techy trails that a traditional DH rider would love. Most of our expansion at this point is focused on bringing machine built jump trails to the mountain. We have two distinct sides of the mountain with lift service. We also have space for features, race courses, machined trails, natural-tech, and several different terrain characteristics.
What is the mountain bike scene/culture like at your bike park?
· Snowshoe Bike Park is continually growing. The community is rich in the tradition of mountain biking. Our local XC scene is extremely friendly and welcoming and the regular DH crew has the “welcome to the family” aspect in them, which can be hard to find anywhere else. Watch out on race-day, snowshoe has a history of attracting a lot of talented riders to showcase their skills.
Tell me a little bit about Snowshoe mountain town. Are there any restaurants or bars that mtb-ers like to spend their time?
· Snowshoe Bike Park is in the wild and wonderful State of West Virginia. We are the major lift access bike park, serving Ohio Valley to Washington DC and all the way down to south Florida. In the summer Old Spruce Tavern is the local MTB friendly watering hole.
Tell us about any big events that are happening this summer at the bike park?
· Coming this summer is an expanded version of our DH Enduro event: Chomolungma Challenge where teams of 2, 4, or solo racers will compete to see who can descend 30,000 vertical feet first! The Bike Park also hosts its own race series, the “Snowshoe Gravity Series” which is two weekends with three races of fast paced fun. This year we will be hosting the snowshoe Wild Hare Pro GRT which is our largest DH race of the season. Nearly every weekend you can find some kind of event or activity for cyclist or cyclist’s family.
Do you have an opening date yet?
· May 23nd is the official opening day for 2014.
What does the future hold for Snowshoe Bike Park?
· Snowshoe Bike Park continues to build on its success. This season Snowshoe Bike Park has a new dedicated park manager with a decade of trail and jump building experience. Trail expansion and growth of the sport itself is an ongoing priority, as well as recruiting groms, first timers and the ladies to help share the stoke.
Comments