A man who was killed in a mountain biking accident near Cypress Bowl last week has been identified.
Jonathan Pilley, 43, was riding on the mountain's Coiler trail with friends Monday afternoon when he reportedly went off a jump and collided with a tree, suffering "very serious internal trauma," according to police investigators.
The Vancouver resident, an experienced rider who was wearing a full-face helmet and body armor at the time, died of his injuries at the scene.
In an obituary published in the Vancouver Sun Saturday, Pilley's family and friends said the outdoor enthusiast "died doing what he loved."
"His spirit will live on in the rapids of our fast flowing rivers, on the ski slopes, and on the bike trails of the North Shore," they wrote.
Police reported the accident a week ago, but chose to withhold the victim's name at the request of the family.
In comments to the North Shore News, a spokesman for the North Shore Mountain Biking Association said the close-knit biking community had been left on tenterhooks in the meantime, with riders making numerous inquiries on message boards and through social media attempting to find out who had been killed in the mishap.
A celebration of Pilley's life will be held at a later date. The family has asked attendees to make a donation to the NSMBA in lieu of flowers.
