Canadian mountain biking guru Peter Oprsal will be wheeling into Campbell River this week to map local trails for his internationally recognized website.
Oprsal, whose “bikepirate” website gets more than 14,000 hits a month and up to 30,000 visits in the summer months, will be here Oct. 10 to explore and map some of the finest biking trails of B.C. here in the Campbell River region.
Catherine Temple, whose “gocampbellriver” website celebrates our tourism and business potential, has been helping organizing Oprsal’s tour.
“Bike riding tourism and adventures are worth hundreds of millions in revenue in B.C. and Campbell River is poised to takes its place on the map as a go to destination,” Temple says. “The ball is seriously running down hill.”
Oprsal says Campbell River has “a vast network of trails” so this year’s visit will be “a taster” to be followed up by another visit next year to do additional mapping and photography. Oprsal is a resident of Canmore, Alberta who has been mountain biking since he could walk.
He has become one of the country’s most accomplished riders more comfortable navigating mountain trails on two wheels than on two feet.
Through bikepirate, Oprsal attracts people to the sport by providing mountain bike enthusiasts with useful and accurate trail information.
Trail condition updates, locations, and trailhead information can be found on the site.
The GSP mapping provides co-ordinates for an entire trail and is available on his site for downloading free.
Temple says James Durrand at Swicked Cycles and Dan Clements at Outdoor Addictions will be escorting Oprsal on his GPS mapping tour.
She said the local cycle club is also involved. “This is the first time they will all be working together to grow their industry here.”
Durrand said he will start by taking Oprsal through the huge network of trails in the Snowden Demonstration Forest. Having Campbell River’s trails on bike pirate will be “a huge help,” he said.
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