The Sunshine Coast Cycling Club (SCC) is holding its annual general meeting early next month as it prepares for another mountain bike season.
This club has a rich history and has seen many years of success and activity. But it is also a pivotal time in the club’s history — and the question of its continuation. Like many clubs and organizations, the current club executive has been looking for new blood — without success.
“If something doesn’t change at the AGM, then we may be forced to shut it down,” said current co-president Glenn Hafey. “Our reputation is that we are only a youth race club, but we need to educate the public that we have been and will be much more than that and can bring this club back to a healthy life once again.”
The SCC was originally On the Edge Race Club, a bike shop race team sponsored by On the Edge owners Brad and Loraine Proctor, and driven by a group of cyclists and parents who had kids interested in racing bikes.
OTE, as it was known around the provincial bike scene, had a reputation for being one of the most progressive and successful race teams in B.C.
Adult and youth racers all wore the red and white OTE team colours with the distinctive maple leaf. When the Proctors sold the bike shop, the club kept going, took on a new name and new colours and continued to be successful.
Older kids went on to jobs or school and some moved away, younger kids came in and worked their way up to the top.
Head coach Bob Stanhope was the driving force behind the young racers. Stanhope led core team rides every week in every weather, checking on the kids when they missed a ride to make sure they were OK, always encouraging them to reach their maximum potential.
“The amount of work Bob put into training was unbelievable,” added Steve Sleep, current co-president and a race dad. “He had individual training plans for each athlete, working them towards a peak performance at a specific race in the season.” But the steady flow of new racers slowed down, and with it, so did the influence and support of new parents ready to take on running the club.
Stanhope, an SCC director, now coaches the Chatelech mountain bike team, and when he can, works with a group of young cyclists in Halfmoon Bay.
“It’s the two wheel love that I want to spread around,” said Stanhope. “Any time I can get a kid on a bike, I’m happy.”
So the SCC changed its focus from racing to recreational cycling and for a few years ran successful programs like beginner kids rides, led recreational youth rides and women’s rides and continued to sponsor a few kids who were still racing. Without a changing of the guard and new faces coming on board, things continued to slow down for the club and by the time the 2013 AGM rolled around last year, the members of the executive were frustrated with the fact that it seemed they were always the only ones at the meetings and it was time to mothball the club for a year and try to figure out what to do.
When they met again last month, it was evident they needed to regain the exposure of the SCC with the general riding community in order to band the many riders and families with bikes under one roof.
“We need new executive members with new ideas and energy to make this club succeed,” added Hafey, “If we can’t come to a decision at the AGM, then we will have to close the club down.”
If you are interested in getting involved in the SCC, attend their AGM this Tuesday, May 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Capilano University. You can also email [email protected] to express your interest in volunteering.
