This week we were camping with a bunch of families in Nanaimo.
The kids were occupied each day with summer camp activities as the parents tried to relax during short bits of free time between meal preparation.
By day three, I realized it was going to be impossible to squeeze in any long rides. I had managed one short road ride towing Regan while he slept, but that was it.
So I came up with a great plan. Let’s gather up as many kids as possible as soon as kids camp was finished for the day, load their bikes in my truck and head to the new Stevie Smith Bike Park.
The park is amazing. It has tons of dirt jumps with beginner, intermediate and huge pro lines, and two of the longest and smoothest pump tracks you can imagine. Whether you want to ride, learn some new skills or just watch some great riders, you will be entertained for as long as you like.
We rode for an hour or two until we were all tired and hungry. As I loaded up the kids and their bikes for the return trip, there was nothing but smiles.
When we arrived back at camp I was expecting to have a bunch of work dumped on me after avoiding any camping chores for the last few hours. Instead I was thanked endlessly for entertaining the kids.
The other parents were grateful that their kids had the opportunity to ride such a cool park. The kids had a blast and all learned a riding skill or two, and the main bonus was having a gaggle of exhausted kids going to bed without argument.
What started out as an excuse to get me, the biggest kid in the group, some riding, turned into a selfless act of sharing my passion, with a bit of daycare thrown in.
Hmmm … Maybe I should start a mountain biking daycare.
I’m James Durand and I’m Going’ Ridin’