A Sprockids Bike Park stakeholders meeting on March 26 was organized for the community by four Capilano University (Cap U) students to decide how to spend a $10,000 grant from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
“I think it helps a lot, the community has had a vested interest in this park from the beginning and it’s always been [through] public consultations,” said program instructor Lydia Watson. “Whether it’s been the program or it’s been Doug Detwiller from the beginning, coming out and doing his work. It needs the public to direct it.”
Cap U’s Mountain Bike Operations program offers courses on risk management, trail building, marketing, environmental stewardship and tourism. It was four of the program’s students who organized the stakeholders meeting and the subsequent work party held at the park on Saturday, March 28.
“We just wanted to give everyone who spends time riding in the area the chance to actually get to voice their opinions and say what they want to see,” said Eric Schnelle, one of the organizers. “Instead of just us as a school going out here and doing work.”
Decisions for three main areas of improvement to Sprockids came out of the stakeholders meeting, the primary concern being increased signage for the park — an additional sign near the entrance and possibly another near the ferry terminal to help newcomers find it more easily.
“I’m from Washington and the first time I came here I got really lost,” Schnelle said.
Another is to improve the directions on the trails. Some of the trail signs are overgrown or hard to see, and in some cases the north indicator doesn’t actually point north.
And the skills park needed some work.
“We’re having the Sprockids extreme makeover addition, just kind of buffing it up ‘cause — you know — Sprockids needed some love,” said mountain biker Andrew Norton at the work party on Saturday.
More than 30 volunteers from kids to adults came out on March 28 to help the staff of Sprockids and the Cap U students make improvements to the skills area.
They replaced planks on some of the wooden stunt features, fixed up some of the landing areas on the jumps, pruned back the blackberries and reshaped the pump track.
“We’ve got a really big mountain biking community on the Coast. Being able to give kids and adults a place to learn those skills in a safe environment is important,” said SCRD parks services manager Carolyn Mortensen.
