June 14, 2010

It's Judging Time!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has come for our celebrity judging panel to hold court over the Ultimate Summer of Free Ride entries and pick the winner. Who will they pick? Will they be impressed by the amount of votes the top entries managed to round up? Or will they focus on the pure passion and enthusiasm of others? No one knows except the judges themselves so stay tuned. The winner will be revealed soon....

June 9, 2010

FIVE DAYS LEFT TO ENTER BIKE PARKS BC ULTIMATE SUMMER OF FREERIDE CONTEST

Over 100 Riders Vying For Votes To Win – Enter By June 14

06.09.2010 – WHISTLER, BC – On June 14 Bike Parks BC's panel of celebrity judges will begin sifting through hundreds of photographs and blogs submitted by riders explaining why they deserve the most epic season of stoke ever awarded.

The good news for mountain bikers looking to win the ultimate summer of freeride is the contest is open at www.bikeparksbc.com until midnight on June 14. The grand prize is a season pass at each of B.C.'s best bike parks: Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Silver Star Bike Park, Sun Peaks Resort, Fernie Alpine Resort and Mount Washington Bike Park. Plus, the winner will also get two lift tickets, two nights accommodation, two days of bike rentals, and a half day of expert guiding to share with a friend at each resort during the 2010 summer season; not to mention $1,000 to create the most epic summer road trip ever.

Bike Parks BC's panel of celebrity judges shared some insights on what they would be looking for in a winning submission:

Cam McRae, Editor of NSMB.e.MAGAZINE
“So you want to come to British Columbia, the land of adventure - and the best bike parks in the world? Then you better learn how to spell. In all seriousness, I think originality, photography and story telling prowess are going to take the day. And spelling.”

Darcy Turenne, Pro Freeride Mountain Bike Athlete & Television Host
“I'm judging 100 per cent on grammar. Just kidding...but it helps. Positive people are a must and if you really want to grab my vote, not much makes me happier than a story or a good joke.”

Harookz, Professional Photographer
“I want to award the person who truly lives for, breathes for and dreams about riding every minute of their lives. Have you ever ditched a special date for never ending singletrack? Called in sick to rail the bike park on hero dirt? Who is the most dedicated rider out there??”

Mitchell Scott, Publisher of Kootenay Mountain Culture
“We've got to see the passion. Feel the passion!”

Jordie Lunn, Professional Mountain Biker
"Don't worry, I won't be judging any grammar or spelling... That's not what riding is all about. Show me your passion, show me why you really deserve to win this contest!"

Riders can enter the Bike Parks BC “Ultimate Summer of Free Ride” contest until midnight, June 14. The public will be able to vote for their favourites to determine the finalists announced June 15. A panel of celebrity judges will then determine the winner and on June 19 someone's ultimate summer of free ride with Bike Parks BC will begin.

For more information and official contest rules and regulations about Bike Parks BC “Ultimate Summer of Free Ride” contest check out www.bikeparksbc.com. Don't forget to “like” www.facebook.com/bikeparksbc and follow @bikeparksbc on Twitter for all the latest news.

About Bike Parks BC
Formed in 2005, Bike Parks B.C. is a partnership of British Columbia's top all season resorts, Tourism British Columbia and the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association. Bike Parks B.C.'s resort partners offer the very best facilities and services for mountain biking found anywhere in North America.

Bike Parks BC partnership is managed and coordinated by the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA). The goal of the partnership is to create greater awareness about the many mountain biking resort destinations found in British Columbia. Each resorts offers a full range of accommodation and service options, professionally lead programs, high speed lifts, outstanding trails and fabulous mountain scenery.

-30-
Media Note: Photography is available, please email michelle@origindesign.ca.

Media Contact: Michelle Leroux, 604.902.1622
E: michelle@origindesign.ca


Bike Parks BC: Martin Littlejohn 604.254.4266
E: media@bikeparksbc.com

BIKE PARK "LOOKING BUFF" FOR OPENING AT FERNIE ALPINE RESORT

Fernie, British Columbia - Fernie Alpine Resort is getting ready for summer opening on June 26th and the trails in the Bike Park are shaping up nicely, thanks to the hard work from our fantastic trail crew and Bike Park Supervisor, Marc Ledoux. Marc says, "Even with a moist few weeks here in the Bike Park, the trails here are looking buff! The trail crew are hard at it, fixing ruts, clearing sight lines, and removing fallen trees to make our trails even smoother. Until the snow melts (just a bit more on the Timber side), we are focusing our attention to the bread and butter trails off the Elk chair. We are also improving our base area bike lanes so bikers and trucks don't kiss, and planning to resurface our Dual Slalom track this week - it should be smoother than a fish soaked chain lube!"

Starting Saturday June 26th, Fernie Alpine Resort will have Thursday - Sunday operations for lift-accessed biking, hiking, and site-seeing. New extended hours on Thursday and Friday night (open until 7pm) open up the opportunity for out of town riders, or locals working the 9-5'er, to get a few runs before the sun sets. For visiting guests, this means they can check into their accommodations and head out onto the trails to scope out their next day's adventure or participate in one of the new weekly activities such as the Thursday night Race Series or Friday night Drop-in Skills Clinic. For those looking to learn the sport, both private instruction and scheduled camps for both children and women are available.

Opening weekend will also feature a special Community Appreciation Day on Sunday June 27th. Local residents from Fernie, Sparwood, Elkford, Elko & Jaffray are invited to come enjoy a full day of fun with complimentary lift access for biking, hiking, and sightseeing as well as 25% off bike rentals and a special charity BBQ for the Fernie Mountain Bike Club. Please note that Fernie Alpine Resort is open to the public on this day and proof of residency will be required to take advantage of the community offer.

For more details on summer operations at Fernie Alpine Resort, visit: www.skifernie.com/summer or call Guest Services at 250-423-4665

Summer Hours of Operation

Thursday - Sunday & Holidays
Open Date: Saturday June 26, 2010
Close Date: Sunday Aug 29, 2010
Bonus Weekend: Labour Day Weekend - Sept 4-6, 2010

Elk Quad Chairlift:
Thursday & Friday - NEW! extended evening hours! 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays* - 10:00 am - 4:30 pm

Timber Express Chairlift:
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays* - 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

*Holidays include:
Canada Day (July 1), Civic Holiday (August 2), and Labour Day Weekend (September 4- 6)
Please note: Schedule is subject to change

Special Events

July 10 - Lost Boys Lungbuster MTB Hill Climb
- The ultimate challenge for hard-core climbers - 2100 vertical feet!

Aug 21 - 22 - Full Throttle Mountain Bike Festival
Weekend highlights include: Super D Downhill Race, Dirt Crit Race, Dual Slalom Competition, and Junior Downhill Race. NEW! "Wham Bam Dirt Jump Jam" on Saturday evening, presented by the Fernie Mountain Bike Club.

June 8, 2010

What the judges are looking for...

On Sunday, entries will be closed for the Ultimate Summer of Free Ride contest. It will then be up to our esteemed panel of judges to pick a winner. What are the judges looking for? You might be surprised. Here's a few quotes from the crew:

Harookz, photographer extraordinaire/second nicest person in the world: "I want to award the person who truly lives for, breathes for and dreams about riding every minute of their lives. Have you ever ditched a special date for never ending singletrack? Called in sick to rail the bikepark on hero dirt? Who's the most dedicated rider out there??"

Darcy Turenne, professional rider/nicest person in the world: "I'm judging 100% on grammar. Just kidding...but it helps. Positive people are a must and if you really want to grab my vote, not much makes me happier than a story or a good joke. Good luck!"

Cam McRae, the man behind NSMB.com: "Funny? Not funny? So you want to come to B.C., the land of adventure - and the best bike parks in the world? Then you better learn how to spell. In all seriousness, I think originality, photography and story telling prowess are going to take the day. And spelling."

Mitchell Scott, writer, editor, hockey fanatic: "We've got to see the passion. Feel the passion!"

Jordie Lunn, enigma/professional rider: ...

June 1, 2010

Silverstar Bike Parks Tips

Bike Shops – Sky Ride Cycle and Double Diamond Repair Shop

Best breakfast place
– Bugaboos Bakery and Cafe

Best apres beer-and-nachos spot – The Saloon

Best camping option - Cedar Falls Campground at the base of the mountain

Best bike-friendly hotel option - Lord Aberdeen Hotel

Best pre-ride coffee spot – Bean To Cup (in Vernon and at Silver Star)

Best place to drink fresh locally-brewed beer
– Okanagan Spring Brewery

Best spot to catch live music – Funtastic Slow Pitch Tournament

Best spot to go for a swim and lay on the beach - Juniper Beach in Kal Park and Kal Beach

Best places to get your burger fix – The Bulldog Cafe

Best place to get a bite to eat and celebrate the day – The Saloons patio

Well-known riders that call Silverstar home: Benton Hennig, Steve Romaniuk, Benton Leong, Garrett Robertson