NSMBA

Race #1 was a huge success. We had 83 racers come out. 

Course info for Toonie #2:

Sign in is as that Water Towers from 5:45 to 6:45pm, once signed in you'll climb up to Lower Oil Can. Special Stage 1 is top to bottom Lower Oil Can. To transfer to the next stage you'll head west on the Baden Powell, climb up past Boundary (there are a couple hike a bike section) and the start for Special Stage 2 will be at a high point on the BP. Special Stage 2 will start on the BP then enter into Dreamweaver, continue down Dreamweaver and link directly into St. Mary's connector. Timing for Stage 2 will end where St. Mary's intersects with Boundary. 

Untimed you will traverse St. Mary's to Dempsey Breamer trail, then climb Dempsey Breamer up to the Baden Powell. Continue east on the Baden Powell to the exit of Ladies Only. Special Stage 3 will start on the BP before the climb up to Stairs of Despair and end just before the hiker/ biker split. 

The Results from Toonie #1.

There are couple racers we need to re-scan the cards and pull the times. This will happen Friday morning.

Huge thank you to everyone that came out.

This was the biggest Toonie is NSMBA history.

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  Name Stage 1 Time Stage 2 Time Stage 3 Time Total Time Difference 1 Andrew Shandro 00:04:38 00:04:04 00:01:36 00:10:18   2 Morgan Taylor 00:04:53 00:04:06 00:01:35 00:10:34 -00:00:16 3 Stephen Calborno 00:04:57 00:03:57 00:01:41 00:10:35 -00:00:17 4 Drew Pautler 00:05:03 00:03:59 00:01:34 00:10:36 -00:00:18 5 Ken Perras 00:04:59 00:04:06 00:01:33 00:10:38 -00:00:20 6 Jamie Biluk 00:05:01 00:04:35 00:01:31 00:11:07 -00:00:49 7 Darren Butler 00:05:19 00:04:20 00:01:40 00:11:19 -00:01:01 8 Andy Moore 00:05:11 00:04:27 00:01:45 00:11:23 -00:01:05 9 Lars Andrews 00:05:19 00:04:20 00:01:48 00:11:27 -00:01:09 10 Mark Bickford 00:05:09 00:04:43 00:01:37 00:11:29 -00:01:11 11 Jack Keeasey 00:05:11 00:04:39 00:01:41 00:11:31 -00:01:13 12 Jimmy Vuke 00:05:09 00:04:50 00:01:34 00:11:33 -00:01:15 13 Connor Macloed 00:05:23 00:04:33 00:01:38 00:11:34 -00:01:16 14 Tim Graverson 00:05:23 00:04:34 00:01:51 00:11:48 -00:01:30 15 William Cadham 00:05:31 00:04:34 00:01:46 00:11:51 -00:01:33 16 Fred Grillet 00:05:29 00:04:42 00:01:42 00:11:53 -00:01:35 17 Shannon Rozel 00:05:39 00:04:44 00:01:37 00:12:00 -00:01:42 18 David Gossen 00:05:25 00:04:50 00:01:49 00:12:04 -00:01:46 19 Tom Power 00:05:32 00:04:44 00:01:49 00:12:05 -00:01:47 20 Neil Sinclare 00:05:32 00:04:50 00:01:44 00:12:06 -00:01:48 21 Jordon Drinovz 00:05:40 00:04:49 00:01:39 00:12:08 -00:01:50 22 Dan Sutton 00:05:31 00:04:53 00:01:45 00:12:09 -00:01:51 23 Noel Wilcox 00:05:31 00:04:56 00:01:42 00:12:09 -00:01:51 24 Brent Hilier 00:05:54 00:04:36 00:01:41 00:12:11 -00:01:53 25 Lam Michael 00:05:21 00:05:05 00:01:47 00:12:13 -00:01:55 26 Angus Kilpatrick 00:05:43 00:04:50 00:01:43 00:12:16 -00:01:58 27 Dave Collins 00:05:44 00:04:45 00:01:52 00:12:21 -00:02:03 28 Matta Grossnicik 00:05:33 00:04:51 00:01:58 00:12:22 -00:02:04 29 Ian Judson 00:05:37 00:05:04 00:01:46 00:12:27 -00:02:09 30 Kyle Simpson 00:05:48 00:04:56 00:01:44 00:12:28 -00:02:10 31 Steve Sheldon 00:05:39 00:05:12 00:01:42 00:12:33 -00:02:15 32 Daniel Maldolf 00:05:44 00:05:06 00:01:44 00:12:34 -00:02:16 33 Tyler Armstrong 00:05:31 00:05:09 00:01:56 00:12:36 -00:02:18 34 Greg Okeefe 00:05:47 00:04:58 00:01:51 00:12:36 -00:02:18 35 Kathern Short 00:05:54 00:04:50 00:01:59 00:12:43 -00:02:25 36 Mathew Bond 00:05:47 00:05:00 00:01:59 00:12:46 -00:02:28 37 Leevon Baril 00:05:41 00:05:22 00:01:49 00:12:52 -00:02:34 38 Justin Hodgson 00:05:51 00:05:25 00:01:39 00:12:55 -00:02:37 39 Eron Chorney 00:06:04 00:04:52 00:02:01 00:12:57 -00:02:39 40 Connor Mcginn 00:05:45 00:05:22 00:01:51 00:12:58 -00:02:40 41 Terry Walker 00:06:15 00:05:00 00:01:50 00:13:05 -00:02:47 42 Scott Allard 00:06:01 00:05:06 00:02:02 00:13:09 -00:02:51 43 Richard Smith 00:05:42 00:05:33 00:01:58 00:13:13 -00:02:55 44 Chris Courtney 00:06:16 00:04:58 00:01:59 00:13:13 -00:02:55 45 Alexander Nielson 00:05:50 00:05:49 00:01:49 00:13:28 -00:03:10 46 Ratcliffe Blaise 00:06:00 00:05:41 00:01:48 00:13:29 -00:03:11 47 Lars Bartholsen 00:06:08 00:05:11 00:02:12 00:13:31 -00:03:13 48 Paul Austin 00:06:30 00:05:07 00:02:05 00:13:42 -00:03:24 49 Christopher Clarke 00:06:22 00:05:24 00:01:56 00:13:42 -00:03:24 50 Jaclyn Jeffrey 00:06:19 00:05:26 00:01:59 00:13:44 -00:03:26 51 Jeff Kalmar 00:06:23 00:05:25 00:01:58 00:13:46 -00:03:28 52 Cynthia Young 00:06:36 00:05:21 00:01:57 00:13:54 -00:03:36 53 Laura Kean 00:06:32 00:05:41 00:01:51 00:14:04 -00:03:46 54 Chris Brown 00:06:46 00:05:33 00:02:06 00:14:25 -00:04:07 55 Jake Stien 00:06:49 00:05:44 00:02:04 00:14:37 -00:04:19 56 Kelsie Lengert 00:06:44 00:05:59 00:02:04 00:14:47 -00:04:29 57 Lee Adam 00:06:35 00:06:14 00:01:59 00:14:48 -00:04:30 58 Joe Warawa 00:06:58 00:06:02 00:01:54 00:14:54 -00:04:36 59 Sven Luebke 00:06:53 00:05:56 00:02:10 00:14:59 -00:04:41 60 Ruth Mortimer 00:06:56 00:06:07 00:02:03 00:15:06 -00:04:48 61 Andrew Prentty 00:07:02 00:05:56 00:02:09 00:15:07 -00:04:49 62 Graeme Joyce 00:06:23 00:07:36 00:01:59 00:15:58 -00:05:40 63 Jordon Masse 00:05:11 00:09:16 00:01:38 00:16:05 -00:05:47 64 Ashley Stotts 00:07:50 00:06:21 00:02:06 00:16:17 -00:05:59 65 Aaron Truelove 00:07:03 00:07:14 00:02:07 00:16:24 -00:06:06 66 Greg Millar 00:08:25 00:06:08 00:02:12 00:16:45 -00:06:27 67 Niels Van Kampenhout 00:08:33 00:06:28 00:02:22 00:17:23 -00:07:05 68 Thomas Roberts 00:06:54 00:09:32 00:02:16 00:18:42 -00:08:24 69 Amanda Prentty 00:08:58 00:07:06 00:02:43 00:18:47 -00:08:29 70 Urs Bleuler 00:08:00 00:09:06 00:02:27 00:19:33 -00:09:15 71 Keli Sherbinni 00:14:22 00:05:15 00:01:51 00:21:28 -00:11:10 72 Katherina Kubink 00:12:07 00:09:11 00:03:58 00:25:16 -00:14:58 73 Travis Strain 00:05:43 00:20:44 00:01:47 00:28:14 -00:17:56 74 Norma 00:16:51 00:09:32 00:04:03 00:30:26 -00:20:08

 

The Toonies are back and we've made changes for 2013.

Instead of Saturday mornings we've moved to Thursday nights.

The format is going to be Enduro. It's hot right now and getting a lot of hype for good reason. The courses are set out in a loop with the main climbs being untimes liaison sections, the special stages are the fun sections of trail we love. Special stages will be at least 80% down.

We've invested in SportIdend RFID timing system. This takes the complication out of timing and will allow for a rolling start. Come sign in get your timing card then set off on your own pace. If you happen to leave work 5 minutes late or get stuck in traffic not need to stress about missing the mass start.

Sign in will be at the 2nd gate on Fromme between 5:30pm and 6:30pm.

Dates:

June 13th
June 20th
June 27th
July 4th
July 11th
July 18th

Sign up and becoem a member to come out and have some fun racing and meeting new people.

If you would like to volunteer please contact brian@nsmba.ca

North Shore Trail Pass?

The North Shore Trail Pass is a fee that is collected by the NSMBA that is used directly for trail building and trail building resources. It does not pay for administrative costs or insurance, just trail building resources. All annual memberships include a trail pass.

Get it?

A North Shore Trail Pass is valid from March 2, 2013 to February 28, 2014, the same period as an annual membership fee. Although the purchase of a Trail Pass does not give you the same benefits as an annual membership (Insurance coverage for events and races, discounts at local shops) it does give you the extra piece of mind that you are contributing directly to the local trail system.

The purchase of a North Shore Trail Pass includes an annual trail pass (sticker) dated with the year of purchase. A Trail Pass is included in all annual memberships dues.

PURCHASE JUST A 2013 NSMBA TRAIL PASS

A note from the District of North Vancovuer:

The District of North Vancouver's Utilities Department will be installing underground power from the access gate at the top of Mountain Highway to the Mountain Highway water reservoirs. Work is scheduled to continue into June. Please be aware, access may be restricted at times and delays are expected. Cyclists are asked to dismount, and pedestrians with dogs are asked to keep them on leash. Please use caution when in the construction area and follow all signs and flag person directions.

CBC on Mt Seymour is now officially open for the season.

New woodwork replaced by Okanagan Springs in 2012.

Due to the aging woodwork on this trail, as well as the extensive amount of woodwork, the assessment this year before opening was particularly involved.  Significant rot on elevated sections of trail were replaced last year by lead builder Stuart Kerr and his crew from Okanagan Springs.  The new woodwork is sound and removed unnecessary risks.  There are still areas of concern with expiring, low lying structure that will need replaced within the next two seasons and work will continue this year by Nukeproof and Okanagan Springs to replace expiring structures and continue ground work & drainage.  The first CBC TAP day was held on May 26 to improve the eroded exit.

An example of rot on low lying structure.

The NSMBA would like to thank TAP adopters Nukeproof and Okanagan Springs, lead builder Stuart Kerr and his rock solid crew for their continued efforts.  We would also like to recognize the support from Metro Vancouver in clearing the trail of significant deadfall and their collaborative approach working together towards trail improvements.

Many jackpots removed by Metro Van along the trail this year with the significant amount of deadfall.

 

The NSMBA is proud to announce new partnerships with the WMBC in Bellingham Washington and FVMBA in the Fraser Valley as pilot projects in the expansion of the TAP model.  "The Trail Adoption Plan has proven incredibly potent in getting the community involved in caring for our trails," Mark Wood, NSMBA Program Manager is excited to have two strong partners to expand the success of the program.  "Both FVMBA & WMBC have a solid core of strong builders and an engaged community, this will help propel them to the next level."

"We're stoked to work with the NSMBA and heighten our efforts to care for our expanding trail network," says Eric Brown from the WMBC.
Part of the process is to host a Builder's Academy to grow the knowledge base.  The NSMBA conducted an Academy in the Fall of 2012 for both groups and this was "the next logical step," according to Rich Vigurs of FVMBA.

Bridging the gap between North & South.  Eric Brown from the WMBC heartily accepts gifts from the NSMBA in the Fall of 2012.

As the pilot project unfolds, the NSMBA will be engaged in the process with ongoing coaching and support to ensure the same success can propogate through to other organizations to fulfill the NSMBA mission: Trails for all, trails forever.

We wish the best of luck to our friends in the Fraser Valley and in Whatcom County Washington.

  

 

Public Trail Day on Boogieman this April 27th thanks to BMO Bank of Montreal. 9am Old Buck.

Thanks to funding from the Stuart Loewen Family's Foundation,  $10 000 was donated to restore the Baden Powell from the Stairs of Despair to the yellow gates on Fromme.  The work took place over the course of 2 months, led by Master Builder Todd "Digger" Fiander and NSMBA Builders Pat Podolski and Peter O'Loughlin.  The full report, including pictures is here.  A sincere thank you to Stuart Loewen for their ongoing support of our efforts.

 

 

Thank you to all those who came out and supported the NSMBA Bike Swap, if you are looking for more gear, or didn't find what you were looking for last Saturday, make sure to check out the SORCA Gear Swap in Squamish this upcoming Sunday, April 21st.

The NSMBA is proud to announce the 2013 TAP Trail Adopters.  Thank you to all of these organizations for playing their part and caring about the Shore.  Trails and builders to be released soon.  2013 is going to be our best year yet, thanks to the contributions from our TAP Adopters!

 

The North Shore Mountain Bike Association is proud to present the 2013 Annual NSMBA Bike and Gear Swap on Saturday April 13th, 2013 at Jaycee House, located at 1251 Lilloett Road in North Vancouver. 



This is a great opportunity to clear out your closet, garage, or basement and also pick up some great deals on new and lightly used bikes and gear all while helping the NSMBA. You will find Mountain, Road and BMX bikes and gear at awesome prices. 



Shoppers 

The Swap will be held on Saturday, April 13th at Jaycee House - 1251 Lilloett Rd. 



Admission: $2 Hours: 10:30AM to 5PM. 

Payment: We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard and debit. 



Sellers 

Drop off your items April 10th, 11th and 12th between 7PM and 10PM at Jaycee House. 

Listing cost: $2 per item Selling fee: 15% from the proceeds of each item sold, up to $120 per item. The fee includes all related transaction and administrative costs. 

Discounts: Available to high volume sellers. 

Collection: Collect cash and unsold items as of 5:30PM on April 13th at Jaycee House 



About the NSMBA 

The NSMBA is a charitable organization and is a voice for the mountain biking community of the North Shore. We protect and maintain the trails as environmental leaders, focussed on sustainability through education & action. We develop trail networks that provide challenge and progression while fostering mountain bike culture and a community that embraces our sport as a positive force. All of the proceeds from this event, which is our largest annual fund raiser, will be reinvested in our community to promote the goals of the organization. To volunteer for the event or to learn more about the NSMBA contact Rachid@NSMBA.ca or visit www.NSMBA.ca

Thanks to funding from the CP Loewen Foundation, work is underway to restore the Baden Powell on Fromme.  Work has commenced beginning at the Stairs of Despair and working towards the yellow gate on Fromme.  The much needed work is led by the legendary Todd "Digger" Fiander with support from builders Peter O'Loughlin and Patrick Podolski.  The last time significant work was done on the trail was led by Peter Morin and Matt Preston some 7 years ago.  Much of the armouring is still in tact but significant erosion has taken place due to the popularity of the multi use trail.  The work is especially challenging due to the topography and high usage by hikers and bikers. 

The steep wooden ramp installed in 2011 at the Stairs of Despair location has been replaced with a lessened grade and a dirt platform at the mid point to allow users to slow down mid slope.  In areas where significant erosion has eroded the trail tread, cribbing and dirt work has brought the trail back to grade and water diversion and proper drainage installed to ensure the dirt work sticks.  "It is a challenging project and there are few builders in the world up to the task, thankfully Digger has the experience and know-how to rectify the problems and turn back the hands of time." According to NSMBA Program Manager Mark Wood, the expertise of Todd Fiander is of particular value to the challenges faced in this difficult restoration.  "Digger has been building on the Shore for over 30 years, no one has his experience to lead this project." 

The work is in its final stage as the crew make their way down the last, and possibly most difficult pitch to the yellow gate.  Be sure to drop by over the next couple weeks to offer words of encouragement to Digger who will be working solo on this last challenging section due to the meticulous nature of the work in this area.  It's rumoured cookies seem to fuel his efforts so be sure to drop by with some chocolate chip cookies if you're in the neighbourhood!

The Crew: Irish Pete, Digger & Podo none the worse for wear after a hard day at work.

The steep ramp installed by the DNV Trail crew in 2011 was steep, deadly in the wet, and suffered severe wear from braking impact due to the steep grade.

Some slats were nearly worn through after only 2 years.

The new ladder bridge with a braking platform.  Podo & Pete show off the goods they constructed, masterminded by Digger.

An example of the restorative work that corrects alignment and improves user experience with some moss & ferns to add to the ambiance.

 

 

 

 

Public trail days are back on the Shore! Sunday, March 24th the NSMBA will be running a public maintenance day as part of the Bridle Path Revitalization project.

The project, which combines the NSMBA’s on-the-ground expertise with grant funding from MEC, stands to significantly improve this popular artery in the Lower Seymour network. Many Hands Make Light Work. Come on out and let the shovels do the talking.

 

The NSMBA is proud to announce the Bridle Path Revitalization Project.  Thanks to grant funding from Mountain Equipment Co-op, the Bridle Path will be receiving a significant make-over during February, March and April in 2013.  The goal of the project is to revitalize the trail targeting areas where significant user ship has negatively impacted the trail bed. Drainage issues will be alleviated and impact on tree root systems will be rectified.  Aged structures will be removed and narrow bridges replaced.  The goal is to improve the user experience for hikers, dog walkers, bikers and runners for the betterment of the greater community.  One of the most heavily used arterial accesses on Seymour, the work is aimed at improving long term sustainability on the 4.2km trail.

The efforts are led by Lead Builder Matt Preston, who holds a long history working on Bridle.  The team of NSMBA builders who will take on this significant task along with Preston includes Peter O'Lochlann, Chris Barker, Earl Allen and Dan Lui.  Project management will be overseen by NSMBA Program Manager Mark Wood.  "This is a project that asserts our position as stewards of the trails, not just for mountain bikers, but for the community at large."  says Wood.

As the work unfolds over the next few months, broad based involvement is included in the work plan.  There will be a public trail day on March 23rd, meeting at Hyannis at 9am.  The scope of this project is also a great learning opportunity for the Shore Corps; graduates from the North Shore Trail Builder Academy.  "It is a real-world project that gives a chance for those keen to learn more about the profession of trail building." says Preston.  Several educational sessions are planned over the course of the project.  For those keen to join these sessions, the first step is to register for an Academy here.

The NSMBA would like to thank MEC for their support with grant funding of $15 000 for this project, the DNV for their support in providing materials and permission to conduct the work.  Thank you for your understanding as we work hard to make things better.

  

(L to R) Earl Allen, Peter O'Lochlann, Matt Preston, Dan Lui, Chris Barker

 

Join us!



Starting this weekend, the NSMBA directors will be hosting informal community rides that should run through the summer. The frequency will depend on interest, and you will find posts on our facebook, here and in NSMB.com as the rides are scheduled.



The goal is to encourage people who ride (or want to ride) the shore to come out and share their experiences/concerns/comments with the NSMBA directors in order to encourage a greater dialogue about the trails and spur involvement with the organization. A secondary objective is for these rides to increase the sense of community among riders and provide a meeting point for people of all levels and interest.



The first ride will be this Saturday, February 9th, at 9:30 AM at the second gate (by the washrooms) on Fromme and is open to all levels of riders. 



Hope to see you there,



Rachid (Treasurer)



PS: if you want more information about the NSMBA please visit our site www.nsmba.ca or email us info@nsmba.ca

After another incredible year on the Shore, the NSMBA TAP program is now open for new adopters for 2013.   The Shore is in better shape than ever, but there is still much to be done.   You can be part of our success.   TAP Adoptions are now open for 2013.   Deadline January 31st 2013. To adopt a trail, please email TAP@nsmba.ca To find out how it works, click here.      

Mandip Kharod from TD FEF & Mark Wood, NSMBA Program Manager on Dreamweaver.

On December 4th, Mandip Kharod from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) joined Mark Wood, NSMBA Program Manager to see first hand the environmental improvements being made through the Trail Adoption Plan.  TD FEF is a key supporter of the TAP program, donating $5000 in funding for operational costs, tool purchase, signage and builder payments.  The site visit to Dreamweaver on Fromme illustrated the realignment of a significantly degraded section of trail that had some particular environmental concerns, as identified by the DNV and the NSMBA.  The new alignment has increased the sustainability and lessened the maintenance required as well as minimizing our footprint as the old section has been decommissioned and reclaimed by the forest.  Thank you to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for the support and vision to improve the environmental conditions in our forests. 

 

An example of the sustainable improvements made thanks to the hard work of Arc'teryx and the support of TD FEF.

Thursday 29th November was the night. The NSMBA’s Annual General Meeting took place at Jaycee House, North Vancouver. Our intention this year was to join our AGM and our end-of-season party together; seeing as our AGMs are already social affairs, it made sense to crank out the powerpoint slides and the tunes on the same night!

With that said, we were extremely impressed with the turnout for this year’s AGM with well over 80 people in attendance, all eager to hear of the past year’s progress and learn about next year's plans. We would also be voting in our new directors to the board – but more on that later.

All photos: Norma Ibarra LaPiro Photography

As is standard these days, the evening got underway with a brief intro from our President Mathew Bond, who finds himself back at the AGM for a 5th year in a row as President. A huge thank you to him for his years of service and we are all delighted he has agreed to stay at the helm for another (at least!).

Unfortunately not all members of the board were continuing their involvement in 2013 – members of our board who have served for three years and feel the time is right to focus on other things away from monthly board meetings, Google docs and reply-alls!

A particularly big thank you to Tim Ambler and Adam Walsh who have both served for three years during a period of transition for the NSMBA, as well as Earl Allen, Rhonna Gurevich, Aimee Dunn, Andrew Hewitson and Ilana Wapniarski.

After an overview of the evening’s events, we moved along to hear from the current board of directors who presented several slides for their respective departments. First up was Treasurer Tim Ambler, who has taken care of all monetary duties in a year which has seen a significant amount of money in and money out thanks to the hugely successful Trail Adoption Plan (TAP) and the hire of a Program Manager. After several slides of columns and rows, the good news is that we are in a very healthy state, and move into 2013 in a stable financial position.

Membership duties this year were headed up by Aimee Dunn, who did a fantastic job of addressing dwindling numbers and helped to steer the ship back on course by almost doubling paid memberships for the year. This is one of the most crucial roles within our organization and with the help of Rhonna towards the end of the year, we know that membership numbers will continue to improve moving forward. Thanks girls, and congratulations to Aimee for the arrival of the newest member of the Dunn clan!

Next up was Tara Mowat, who has been managing our events for 2012, and has done a great job in ensuring we all let our hair down throughout the year. The highlight event was the 2012 NSMBA Film Festival, which in its second year saw a huge increase in both entries and the quality of submissions, with the local amateur filmmakers giving the pros a run for their money! Next year will undoubtedly be another huge success and we look forward to releasing details of an exciting new twist for next year’s participants – watch this space.

Marketing was next and with some staggering successful initiatives underway, spreading the good word becomes an easier task. Through a combination of social media, printed materials and newsletters we have been able to keep most of you informed of all our events, however we know that there is still more work to be done to ensure that everybody receives regular and prompt updates to our numerous events. A huge thank you to Contact Printing for always ensuring our printed materials are produced on time and look so good – these guys rock! We would also like to thank Cam McRae and the crew at NSMB.com for continuing to support our efforts in the wide world of mountain bike media.

Two missing directors from the board of 2012 this evening were Ilana and Andrew. These two have both thrown themselves headfirst into the world of business ownership and have been working 25-hour days (!) to ensure that their new venture is a success. Before they departed they were both instrumental in the success of the revived Toonie series with Ilana driving the format, red tape proceedings and Andrew working alongside to ensure that these were well funded through sponsorship dollars and great swag from local businesses. Thank you to the both of you for all your efforts, and while you’ll be missed next year, we wish you all the best with ‘Adelines’ on Commercial.

With the incredible success of TAP in 2011, the management of the expanded program for 2012 necessitated concerted attention. For the first time in our history we had a paid member of staff in the form of a Program Manager. Mark Wood needs no introduction for most and many of you have met, worked or ridden with Mark as he develops the TAP, our North Shore Trail Builders Academy in association with Arc’teryx, as well as The Watchmen program – to name but a few of the initiatives devised and executed by our new Program Manager. Mark took the powerpoint clicker in hand – as he has done time and time again this year, be it in front of trail builders, neighbouring advocacy groups, council members and land owners – and doled out a great recap of his year. With enthusiasm, which seemingly cannot be quashed, Mark brought us up to date on the past years events and programs and spoke of how the future of the North Shore is bright. In fact, the Shore has never looked so good – well not for at least a decade.

It goes without saying that none of the programs currently run by the NSMBA could exist without the generous support of all our sponsors, adopters and trail builders. All you guys and girls are incredible and through all of your financial contributions and physical man hours – you have helped restore many of the North Shore's trails to their former glory. Thank you!

After a comprehensive insight into the Program Manager's role and all the positive news that comes with Mark’s efforts, we moved to the elections for new board members. With a large number of seats available, it was exciting to see new (and not-so-new) faces stepping up to the plate. We even found ourselves with competition for certain roles – such is the demand to be involved at this level – so we thank all you in advance for volunteering your time to the cause.

It all ended amicably with a newly elected board, smiles all round and an excitement in the air for all concerned to get stuck into some hard work. Here are our new board of directors and we know that this new team will help keep the flame lit and moving forward through 2013.

Our new board of directors are:

 

President - Mathew Bond

Treasurer - Rachid Nayel

Director of Trails - Todd ‘Digger’ Fiander

Director of Advocacy - Vince Beasse

Director of Events - Ash Kelly

Director of Races - Brian Earle

Director of Marketing and Communications - Andy Rogers

Director of Sponsorship - Wade Simmons

Director of Volunteers and Membership - Chris Brown

Directors at Large - Morgan Taylor, Ben Campbell-Barry, Tara Mowat

Our next update was from one of the hardest working and committed unsung heroes of mountain bike advocacy – Alan Bardsley. Alan has been working closely with the land managers of Cypress Mountain for many years and with all the rumours and speculation surrounding the trails on this mountain, he was able to bring us up to speed with regards to proposed plans, public hearings, master plans and the future of the much loved trails on Cypress. In February, Alan put out the word asking the mountain biking community to attend a District of West Vancouver open house and was happy to report that the community's support was noticed by the land managers. We will, of course, keep you informed of any progress regarding Cypress. A huge thank you to Alan, who for six years or so, has been flying the flag for mountain bikers on Cypress. Your work is much appreciated.

With all formalities out the way, it was time for the real fun to begin. With everybody feeling pumped and proud of the last 12 months of work and with excitement for the coming year, it was time to let our hair down. With liquid refreshment supplied by Okanagan Springs, it was time to ditch the Powerpoint slides and crank the iPod playlist!

Beer flowed, as did the conversation. Whether people were meeting for the first time or the hundredth time you could not tell. The only thing that was obvious was the passion for the sport we all love and celebrating the position we find ourselves in: as one of the most progressive and innovative trail advocacy organizations on the planet!

Until next year…

We're very pleased to announce the Trails Forever campaign. A generous donor has offered to match donations to the NSMBA up to $15,000. That means, if you donate $50, your donation will be matched and the NSMBA will receive $100. 2012 was a great year for the NSMBA but please donate today and let's make sure that 2013 is another great year!