Speeding downhill in the summertime

From Next magazine issue 3/2008. Text by Jusu Toivonen

Freeride biking has soared in popularity in the 21st century. In short, the discipline is about free-spirited downhill riding characterized by a variety of structures, jumps and tricks.

In recent years, freeride has made a breakthrough in ski resorts. Also known as lift-accessed mountain biking, the discipline is largely based on the same principle as downhill skiing: take a lift up and come down along marked routes.

Thanks to Canada

Over the years, mountain biking has split into many subcategories, of which traditional off-road biking is the most familiar and enjoys the longest history.

Mountain biking originated in California, around San Francisco, where enthusiasts back in the ’70s came up with the idea of speeding downhill by bike. At the time, however, mountain bikes did not yet exist.

Freeride is considered to have emerged in the North Shore Mountains surrounding Vancouver. Bikers tackling the stony and muddy slopes full of fallen trees had to construct different types of structures, such as bridges and causeways, to get past obstacles and continue their ride downhill. Sometimes the only option was to send the bike flying off a rock or cliff.

As the riders’ skills improved over time, the structures began to grow in size. Man-made jumps send bikers off into the air on flights dozens of meters long. Skilled practitioners balance on narrow bridges high above the ground. The causeways originally used for bypassing wet spots have expanded into several-hundred-meter-long trials that truly test the riders’ balance.

Lift-accessed mountain biking was also invented in Canada – in its westernmost province, British Columbia – where the Whistler resort opened a freeride park in the summer of 1998. Today Whistler is a summertime mecca for freeriders from as far away as Europe and Asia.

Savior of summer activities?

The freeride boom that started in North America has gradually spread to ski resorts all around the world.

Increasing the summertime utilization rate has always been a challenge to ski resorts, but lift-accessed mountain biking is proving to be an answer to the tricky problem. Whistler now gets over two million tourists a year, over half of them in the summer.

“In the summer of 2007 we had more than 100,000 visitors in the bike park,” says a satisfied Rob McSkimming, Business Development Director of Whistler Blackcomb.

Biking investments have been made by Alp resorts such as Verbier, Les Arcs, and Chamonix. Sweden’s biggest ski resort, Åre, has become the number-one spot for freeriders in the Nordic countries, and the Norwegian village of Hafjell, one of the Lillehammer Olympics venues, has made big investments in downhilling and freeriding.

Bike manufacturers have made it their business to increase the number of sites in cooperation with ski resorts. Bike parks carrying the name of the Canadian manufacturer Kona have been set up, for example, in Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and even Bolivia. The Whistler bike park is also hosted by Kona.

Although freeriding has been moving steadily to ski resorts, most freeriders still hike up the routes relying solely on their own muscle power. The discipline is enjoying enormous success in the famous Scottish hills, for example.

Catering to all riders

In addition to a greater number of suitable settings, freeriding has also gained popularity thanks to the development of mountain bikes. Full-suspension frames mean easier progress, while disc brakes make it easier to control the pace.

Typical challenges along the routes include jumps and drops of different sizes, as well as bridges and causeways that call for balancing skills. Some of the boldest riding is done inside giant hamster wheels.

After the first flurry of excitement, ski resorts have noticed that awesome challenges and structures are of interest to a relatively small group of enthusiasts. Most customers are satisfied with tracks that are in good condition and build up sufficient speed.

“A clear change is taking place in the discipline. High-speed, but safe, tracks will grow more common in the future,” predicts McSkimming.

For the 2008 summer season, Whistler’s main campaign targeted visitors getting acquainted with the discipline. The bike school that has operated in Åre for a few years has also proved to be a great success.

Safety is obviously an important part of the hobby. A helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads are obligatory accessories.

The easiest way to start the hobby is to go to a ski resort that rents bikes and other equipment. Chairlifts and gondolas also make for an easy and fast trip to the top. Spend the day biking, using lifts when necessary, and return to the hotel or your own cabin for the night. It is all very similar to downhill skiing in the winter. McSkimming believes that freeriding and downhilling will move increasingly to ski resorts.

“Ski resorts offer the most versatile biking experiences,” he says.