Ep 5 – What’s in a Name?: Offensive Trail Names And Why Change Is Important

When it come to mountain bike trail names, which ones are just a joke and which ones are just plain offensive? And what does a trail name like “Squaw Hollow” say about our path to reconciliation? Are we preventing the sport of mountain biking from becoming more diverse and inclusive? Carrie Karsgaard is trail runner in Kelowna, BC and her Blog post, Trail Names Against Humanity, has seen a huge amount of attention and has highlighted a discussion that has needed to happen for a long time.

Continue reading “Ep 5 – What’s in a Name?: Offensive Trail Names And Why Change Is Important”

Ep 4 – Digging For Reconciliation: Relationships with First Nation Communities

How can mountain biking be a part of reconciliation, Patrick Lucas and the Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike Program are helping to build trails and relationships that do just this. Read more about Patrick and his program at Reconciliation Canada where you can find his article Digging For Reconciliation.

Continue reading “Ep 4 – Digging For Reconciliation: Relationships with First Nation Communities”

Ep 3 – Second Chances: How Trail Associations Can Reduce Barriers for Adaptive MTBs

Today I spoke with Tara Llanes of Tara Llanes Industries, about Adaptive Mountain Biking (aMTB) and just what Builders, Land Managers and Trail Associations can do to ensure trails are barrier free for all riders. If you’d like to see just what an aMTB is, check out the YouTube video located at the bottom of this page and Tara’s website as well.

Continue reading “Ep 3 – Second Chances: How Trail Associations Can Reduce Barriers for Adaptive MTBs”

Ep 2 – Getting Social: How a Trail Association Can Optimize Their Online Presence

Social Media is a key resource for any organization or business, yet for a Trail Association it’s often an under-utilized asset. My guest is Christine Tetrault from the North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA) in Vancouver, British Columbia. Christine works as the Administrator for the NSMBA and she shared some of her insight on how Trail Stewards can harness the power of Social Media.

Continue reading “Ep 2 – Getting Social: How a Trail Association Can Optimize Their Online Presence”

Ep 1 – What’s Involved?: Exploring the In’s and Out’s of Mountain Bike Advocacy

Episode 1 of the Front Lines Podcast explores the many roles and responsibilities of a Trail Association’s Board of Directors. My guest is Jay Darby, President of the Mountain Bikers of the Central Okanagan (MTBco) out in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. We discuss ‘board burnout’ and increasing a communities ‘buy in’ (Jay’s words).

Continue reading “Ep 1 – What’s Involved?: Exploring the In’s and Out’s of Mountain Bike Advocacy”