- King of the Mountain Enduro DH, Saturday, Sept. 11, Sun Peaks Resort Bike Park. Competitors for event will be capped at 100 people. Call 250-578-5474 to register.

Kamloops and the surrounding hills have been key to establishing mountain biking as a sport worldwide so it's only fitting that Sun Peaks Resort is hosting the first-ever King of the Mountain Enduro DH in Canada.

"The endurance DH race will continue the evolution of the bike park," says Corey Wiwchar, marketing manager for Sun Peaks. "It's a six-hour endurance mountain bike race. No one has done this in British Columbia so this is a first. It's been done in the States as well as at Fort William, Scotland."

Even before Sun Peaks opened its bike park in the summer of 1999 the area hosted bike races where riders used existing roads for downhill competitions. Several legendary mountain bikers also hail from the Kamloops area, including freeriders Wade Simmons and Brett Tippie, who are now based in North Vancouver.

Adding a lift-access bike park was a no brainer for Sun Peaks Resort. The sport was already established in the area and the new summer focus keeps the mountain open year-round.

"The bike park was definitely in its infancy then," says Wiwchar. "Things have evolved quite dramatically. In the early years the focus was on the more advanced riders and not on the person who was just riding downhill recreationally.

"That's where the bike park has really evolved. It now appeals to a broader range of people and skill-sets. There's still advance trails for the guys who are riding at a higher level but there's also trails for people who are familiar with mountain bikes from riding around their local neighbourhood trails and are interested in taking it further. You can go out and have fun without hurting yourself."

Trevor Marshall, owner of Kamloops' Full Boar Bike Store, was instrumental in the early years of the Sun Peaks Bike Park. He designed and built a number of the first single-track trails, including Sugar and Sweet One, that the mountain has become famous for.

"There's a lot of evolution in the trails," says Wiwchar. "Sugar is a low-grade single-track trail but it feels like you are in the middle of the woods on an adventure. You'll just be pedalling along and it's really special. It's got its own identity. It would be hard to find a trail like that anywhere else. It's got Trevor's signature on it. You can tell it's a Trevor Marshall trail. It's really cool.

"A lot of the new trails we're building now we're using small excavators. It's a different experience. They are a lot wider machine-made trails loaded up with berms and lots of table-top jumps. New trails focus on more man-made features whereas our older trails use existing natural features. If there's a rock on the trail, rather than remove it they'd incorporate it into the trail."

Steam Shovel, the bike park's signature machine-made trail, opened in 2004 "for those who like to send it and don't want to pedal," features jumps, tables and two rock faces. Barn Burner, an intermediate machine-made trail, has lots of berms and steep sections. There are now a total of 29 trails plus a new dirt jumping zone designed by Brad Stewart whose work was featured in Anthill Film's Follow Me.

"Our trail crew is continuously going into trails and rebuilding and improving what they call the trail flow," says Wiwchar. "They are going through our existing trail system and developing it so the trail flows more naturally and it's got more of a rhythm to it."

Toby Ianson, in his second year of running the bike park, promised riders this summer that every week there would be a new feature added to the trail system. He also is in charge of building the winter terrain park and understands the importance of building areas that are fun to ride but also safe.

People have been riding trails in the Kamloops area for more than two decades and the area has developed a deep mountain biking history. That scene has carried over into the bike park with different kinds of riders using the trails on weekdays and weekends. The ridership demographic includes Gen X weekend warriors looking for new experiences and Gen Y kids showing up in tight jeans and high-top running shoes. Mountain biking defines who they are and Sun Peaks gives them a chance to experience the lifestyle sport at a high level.

"I think what makes it special is when you're on the trail it really doesn't feel like you're in a lift-access bike park," says Wiwchar. "It feels like you are out in the middle of the woods. It's very rare that when you are out on a trail you will have someone shouting out 'Rider Up.' It's really special. It is a resort area but it feels like you are out in the middle of the Chilcotins or shredding a hidden trail in Kamloops.

"The other thing too is it's a pretty friendly place to ride. Our local ridership will ride with anybody. If you're here and you have a question for them on the lift chances are pretty good they will go for a couple of runs with you and show you the trails. It's not intimidating in that sense. People here are pretty good ambassadors for the sport, from the guys working in the local bike shop to the young kids learning to ride, to the professionals who are from Kamloops."

Over the past decade the bike park has become known for its technical downhill. "Single-track we do better than arguably anybody else in British Columbia," says Wiwchar. "A run like Honey Drop has so much to offer. There's tons of vertical, it's gnarly and it's got a lot of challenges on it with mostly natural features. It's big mountain riding. That's the way to describe it -- you're riding a mountain. You'll ride your mountain bike as it was intended and I think that really defines Sun Peaks. You're not coming down a graded highway on a mountain. You're riding the mountain."

The King of the Mountain Enduro DH will be limited to 100 entrants who will see how many laps they can do on the mountain in six hours. There will be six categories of racers riding a set course down Sugar to Arm Pump to Home Run.

"The largest category will be the Men's Open and that's where we hope to attract some of the larger names in the sport," says Wiwchar. "We want to build this as a legacy race. The guys who show up for the Men's Open are gunning for the cash money but we're also going to get the guys who are here for the experience. Being part of the race and seeing for themselves how many laps they can do. It's not for beginners. This is for strong intermediate to advanced riders. Fitness and skill -- you have to combine those two to win it."

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If you go:

In the summer Sun Peaks Resort Bike Park is open daily from the end of June to Sept. 6.

Saturday and Sunday from Sept. 7–26

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

29 trails plus a dirt jumping zone

with 595 metres of vertical. Lift access provided by Sunburst Express chairlift fitted with bike carriers.

Purchase lift tickets and season passes at guest services, located in the Village Day Lodge.

For further information: www.sunpeaksresort.com/summer/bikepark

jgoodman@nsnews.com