Indian Mountain Biker heads to Sun Peaks Bike Park
Vinay Menon is the winner of Bike Park BC’s Ultimate Summer of Freeride
Sun Peaks, BC (August 12, 2010) – The winner of Bike Park BC’s Ultimate Summer of Freeride is hoping his experience at Sun Peaks Resort and the other bike parks in the province will help advance biking in his home country of India.
Vinay Menon is one of the founding members of Ride2026, but has never ridden a bike park. Menon arrives at Sun Peaks on Tuesday, August 17 and will spend four days exploring over 70km of trails in the lift-accessed Bike Park.
“The BC Bike Parks experience is going to be like a mountain biking university education,” said an enthusiastic Menon one week before arriving in Canada. “I have no doubt the knowledge I will gain during my visit will be crucial to progressing my sport in India.”
The Indian mountain biker learned everything he knows about the sport from painstakingly watching videos and reading magazine articles over the past ten years. His hard work and passion has allowed him to become one of the most recognized mountain bikers in India, a country whose organizations have not yet fully embraced the sport.
Menon is always looking for innovative ways to push the sport in his home country. Among his many projects, he is currently adding to his extensive trail network by building a new bike and BMX track on the outskirts of his hometown.
He plans to make the most of his upcoming trip through British Columbia by learning novel ways to craft trails into the Indian landscape. He is also looking forward to competing in amateur category competitions at the Kokanne Crankworx mountain bike festival in Whistler and riding the legendary Kamloops territory.
“I am hoping the summer of 2010 will be one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” said Menon. “Since I’ve never been to a bike park before, visiting the best bike parks in the world will surely blow my mind.”
Menon arrives in BC next week and will travel throughout July and August as he enjoys his prize pack from the Bike Park BC competition.
In addition to his seasons pass at Sun Peaks Resort, Menon will get passes to Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Silver Star Bike Park, Fernie Alpine Resort and Mount Washington Bike Park. He will also get $1,000 and two lift tickets, two nights accommodation, two days of bike rentals and a half-day of expert guiding to share with a friend.
Photo Credit: Adam Stein
Useful Links:
Sun Peaks Resort official website
Sun
Peaks Media Library
About Bike Parks BC
Formed in 2005, Bike Parks B.C. is a partnership of British Columbia's top all season resorts, Tourism British Columbia and the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association. Bike Parks B.C.'s resort partners offer the very best facilities and services for mountain biking found anywhere in North America.
Bike Parks BC partnership is managed and coordinated by the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA). The goal of the partnership is to create greater awareness about the many mountain biking resort destinations found in British Columbia. Each resorts offers a full range of accommodation and service options, professionally lead programs, high speed lifts, outstanding trails and fabulous mountain scenery.
About Sun Peaks
Sun Peaks Resort is a four season destination resort located in the interior of British Columbia near Kamloops. Recently declared the 2nd Best Ski Resort in Canada and 10th Best in North America by Condé Nast Traveller Magazine readers, Sun Peaks has three mountains which surround an intimate ski-in, ski-out village. In other seasons, Sun Peaks offers a diverse range of leisure activities including 18 holes of golf as well as numerous events and festivals. Sun Peaks Resort was the first ski resort in North America and is the only resort in Canada to receive the ISO 14001 designation recognizing the resorts environmental policies and practices. Sun Peaks can be accessed by two airport gateways - Kamloops (45 minutes) and Kelowna (2 1/2 hours) and by car, only a 4 ¼ hour drive separates Sun Peaks and Vancouver, B.C.*Communication from Tourism Sun Peaks