Apr. 20, 2011 - Issue #809: Great Outdoors
Outdoor insider
Need a lift?After four years of operations, the Rabbit Hill Freeride Park is officially closed. The bike park opened in 2006, enduring several seasons despite struggling with weather, operating costs and low season-pass enrolment. The latter was the final nail in the coffin. Year over year, shortfalls proved too costly and this spring, hill staff made the decision to shut down bike operations permanently.
The closure was received by some riders as a sign of a dying scene. Just a few months earlier, the Alberta Downhill Racing Association (ADHRA) quietly dissolved as well.
"A couple people started saying, 'Downhill is dying in Alberta.' No! It's a worry, but people shouldn't get into a mad panic," says Deanne Coish. "We're working on things, you just have to be patient."
Coish is a forum moderator on pinkbike.com and has co-organized Park Cycle Racing events, including the Rabbit Hill Downhill. This year, she is going it solo as Alberta Cup Downhill Racing. Races are planned for Hinton and Red Deer.
Some mountain bike enthusiasts are also working with the City to get another venue up and running at Leger Park near 118 Avenue. No lifts are in the plans, but dirt jumps, bridges and other features are under consideration. To join up or show your support, get in touch with the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance on Facebook.
Respect your deck
As soon as the roads are dry, out come the longboards. It's still early season though, and there are lots of hazards to watch out for like gravel, puddles and—depending on the temperature and time of day—ice. Under these circumstances, a little extra precaution and gear maintenance is required.
"Don't let your board get soaking wet or it will bend, warp and delaminate and all those fun things wood does," says Tim Mercer at Local 124. "Bearings may also stick."
As preventative maintenance, Mercer suggests packing bearings with grease. If your board does get wet, he says, make sure to dry it as soon as possible using a blowdryer.
More generally, Mercer advises checking your board regularly. "Do a quick runover every time you go out," he says. "You can just throw it down and go, but that's how you lose an axle nut." Other key things to check are the kingpin nut, truck hardware and, every couple months, the grip tape.
But above all, consider safety precautions. "Just be extra careful, watch out for gravel and ice," Mercer warns. "It'll make you slide a lot more—or just stop you instantly."
On the run
Coming off a sold-out 2011 season, 5 Peaks Northern Alberta is planning some exciting things for the new season, including a new night race in Fort Saskatchewan on April 30 and a new race site in Camrose this July.
Nationwide, the 5 Peaks trail running series recently grabbed honours as the "Best Trail Running Event" according to readers of Get Out There magazine. This is an excellent series for all levels of ability. If you've been planning to try it out but putting it off, don't waste any more time. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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