Progression within the Whistler Mountain Bike Park
Progression is something we talk about a lot in the Bike Park. Personal progression, trail progression and progression in the sport are all topics of conversation. Whether you’re trying to clear the jumps on C-More to prepare for A-Line or just trying to beat your personal best on Schleyer, we want you to be the best you can be and we’ll have different trails for every step of your progression journey. Bike Park Team Rider Paul Stevens gives us a quick look into his personal progression as he tries to beat his record on Schleyer.
When you push the park, the park pushes you.
10,000 hours. According to Malcolm Gladwell that’s how long it takes to master a skill. Finn Iles raked up 10,000 hours of riding bikes before he could drive a car. After moving to Whistler at 10, he spent all the time he could progressing his downhill riding. He wouldn’t let a little thing like age get in the way of winning the Whip Off World Championships in Crankworx Whistler at 14. #LetFinnIn.
As Finn left Whistler to compete on the World Cup downhill circuit, he continued to progress his skill which led him to the World Junior Champion and World Cup Overall winner in 2016. Now moved onto competition against the big boys, he continues to place on the world stage.
We wanted to bring Finn back to his training grounds and revisit some of the trails that he grew up on. Ninja Cougar, Crabapple hits and A-Line to name a few. As Finn progressed, so did the park, adding new zones and new trails. We let Finn loose on the new single track cut in Creekside, Miss Fire. It took no time for him to own it.
There’s no doubt that to this day you can find Finn lapping A-line with a grin from ear to ear. The same smile he had when he first progressed in the sport years ago. While the tremendous talent that the “Go-Fast” kid has developed is solely his own, we would like to think that the park had something to do with it.
When you push the park, the park pushes you.
Changes in the Bike Park are forever constant and come at no surprise. Changes occur to the trails, to the Bike Park team, to the organization. But change without direction is futile. That’s why we’re focused on positive change… progression.
We have some introductions to make. First, is WMBP’s newest team rider Melissa Penrose. Originally from Brampton, Ontario, she now calls Whistler home. We introduced her to Dirt Merchant, which has progressed from a double black to a pro line this past year. Together, they paint a picture of progression as Melissa pushes herself to ride down our biggest trail.
When you push the park, the park pushes you.
Video: Good Fortune Collective & Absolute Cinema
Riders: Finn Iles, Paul Stevens & Melissa Penrose
#RideNowSleepLater
