Hundreds of mountain bikers from across the province flocked to the Jordie Lunn Bike Park in Langford for the B.C. School Sports High School Mountain Biking Provincial Championships.
Boys and girls between Grade 8 and 12 ripped up and down the rooty, rocky and at times muddy single-track course lined with spectators, aiming to score the best overall times in cross-country and enduro categories.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got 387 competitors, girls and boys, from Bella Bella, Fort St. James to the Kootenays and the Interior, and all up and down the Island,B次元官网网址 said event organizer Jim Lamond with the Sooke School District. B次元官网网址淭he event has got quite a history to it, but it has been delayed the past two years because of COVID. The last race was held in Squamish in 2019.B次元官网网址
This year marked the first time the event was held on the West Shore, co-hosted by Belmont and Royal Bay secondaries, and this yearB次元官网网址檚 turnout was among the largest in the eventB次元官网网址檚 history, Lamond said.
Beyond showcasing LangfordB次元官网网址檚 recently expanded mountain biking park and allowing students to enjoy a fun day of competition alongside family and friends, he said the event also serves to promote and highlight a sport not often associated with high schools.
B次元官网网址淚 think with the inception of mountain biking in the Olympics almost two decades ago, there has been a focal point for kids to train toward. The Island, and the south Island specifically, has such an established cycling culture, whether it be road cycling, cyclocross, mountain or track B次元官网网址 itB次元官网网址檚 great for riders of all skill levels, from beginner to expert.B次元官网网址
Planning for the event began last August and the stress of organizing it remained high right up to the day of the competition, given how many riders were expected, Lamond said. But it all paid off, with good weather and plenty of positive feedback from riders, parents and coaches.
READ MORE: New trails open, clubhouse in the works at Jordie Lunn Bike Park
justin.samanski-langille@goldstreamgazette.com
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