Two Campbell River women are hoping to open a mountain bike skills facility in the community.
Wendy Ravai and Beth Pechter wrote a letter to the city outlining their plans and asking for council’s support.
The pair are working in collaboration with the River City Cycling Club to not only open a skills facility but start a youth cycling program.
“A youth cycling program is directly related to having a skills facility,” wrote Ravai and Pecht er. “We have initiated the youth cycling program through Sprockids.”
Sprockids is a bike skills program that has been taught around the world for the past 20 years.
It is an eight-week long after school program that teaches kids essential mountain biking skills under the guidance of certified instructors.
The program teaches kids safety, self-esteem, bike handling skills, trail etiquette, and trail and bike maintenance.
Ravai and Pechter said they are hoping to offer the first program this spring in Campbell River, with or without a facility.
“Until we can get a facility we are hoping to build portable features to teach kids the program curriculum,” Ravai and Pechter wrote. “Our goal is to develop the program in conjunction with working towards a skills facility. We are excited to present this initiative to you as we are both passionate about riding and the opportunity to share it with our children and the community.”
The pair hope to involve the community, specifically youth, in the design, building and maintenance of the skills centre.
The Sprockids program would be offered to kids between the ages of 5 and 14.
Goals of the program
- To attract new riders and to promote the development of existing riders
- To create a family-friendly hub for biking in the community
- To promote ownership and stewardship of the facility and surrounding trails
- To enhance Campbell River’s biking reputation with locals and tourists
- To have an authorized, managed and safe bike facility that everyone can use