Becoming a good mountain biker takes skill, confidence and plenty of practice.
And sometimes it involves stopping to smell the strawberries, or, more accurately, pedaling towards them.
“We explain to people that on your front tire there’s a big bowl and it’s full of strawberries,” says Tammy Stothers of Escape Adventures, an organization that runs a series of bike camps and classes on the North Shore. “Your nose wants to be over those strawberries because they smell so good.”
Stothers may be referring to metaphorical fruit here, but she insists that inching one’s nose towards those symbolic strawberries carries its own practical purpose.
“What that does is it distributes your weight and it moves your centre of gravity,” she says. “Once we explain that to somebody, they’re not going to forget it because it’s such a goofy little thing to think about.”
Seasoned mountain bikers may think they’re going off instinct when they shift their body weight around their bike, but it’s important to remember that many of the mechanics that make someone a decent rider are actually learned skills.
Escape Adventures’ Capture the Shore camp is all about helping young riders ages seven to 13 learn those mechanics.
“For us, it’s teaching the technical skills,” Stothers says. “Once they know the technical skills it builds their confidence. Once they have the confidence, they’re more willing to try things.”
And enthusiastic mountain biking coaches and the enticing terrain of the North Shore Mountains are the means by which those skills are imparted.
“We have fabulous coaches – incredible coaches – that are really passionate about riding and a lot of them, the majority of them, have grown up riding these trails,” Stothers says.
For five days young riders get to test out a variety of trails, including ones on the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve and Mount Fromme.
Besides dutifully instructing young riders on the ins and outs of how to be successful on the slopes, Capture the Shore also schools the youth on another major facet of professional mountain biking: film.
“Every professional rider out there has got mountain bike videos. … Youth love to watch them,” Stothers explains, noting that while the young riders are out there practising their skills, a coach will likely be there “capturing” their moves going down the slope.
“This is sort of our own local version of ‘Hey, you’re the star. You get your very own mountain biking video,’” Stothers says.
“The kids love it because they’re super proud of seeing themselves … parents love it because they can’t be on the trails and see what their kids are doing. Really we just wanted to mimic what’s kind of already out there at a professional level, but just bring it to a local level.”
While developing technical skills and filming the adventure are key parts of Capture the Shore, Stothers says it’s all in the name of instilling a sense of confidence among young riders. When you learn to mountain bike with confidence, you’ll be more willing to try new things, Stothers says.
“I think for them – well, I think for all of us – it’s pretty exhilarating. They’re out in the forest, rain or shine.”
Capture the Shore runs the weeks of July 10 and August 21 for five days from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit escapeadventures.ca for more information.
