Summer Games course opening for kids to try mountain biking

Everyone can experience the course used by the country’s top athletes

Saturday will mark the first Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day event in St. Catharines, when young enthusiasts can take part in learning new and exciting ways to get active in the sport, while enjoying the outdoors.

The event is presented by Niagara Trail Maintenance Association and Bikefit Sunflowers (an all-female mountain biking group), through the International Mountain Bicycling Association, to give children aged seven to 13 a chance to experience riding mountain bikes on a professional course.

It will take place on the Canada Summer Games course built by Niagara Trail Maintenance Association on Lockhart Drive from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

It’s about continuing the legacy of the Games, said Dawn Cant Elliot, the association’s administration volunteer.

“Part of the legacy was the creation of this trail system, and we want to introduce some kids to mountain biking and put the little bug in their ear,” Cant Elliot said.

“We’ve got an amazing trail system within the area, a lot of it was created for the Canada Summer Games, so let’s use them and get some youth excited about being out on the course, out on the trail, and expose them to some of the techniques.”

She said volunteers from both Bikefit Sunflowers and Niagara Trail Maintenance Association will teach children some riding techniques.

“We’ve got individuals who are certified coaches that will be out,” she said.

“We have a full slate planned to break the kids into smaller groups, so we’ll be able to show them a few techniques, safety issues and talk about the importance of drinking water when they’re out riding and how to be safe on the trails,” she added.

She said mountain biking is a welcoming sport that allows for people from all walks of life to enjoy and take part in.

“Mountain biking is an inclusive sport, it’s male, female, young, old, I’m 59 years old and I’m still out there,” she said.

“We just had a mountain bike race on the weekend and our youngest rider was 10 years old and our oldest rider was 69 years old.”

Children are required to register in advance of Saturday’s event at https://bit.ly/3rgannl.