The Grand Forks Secondary School (GFSS) mountain bike team recently attended provincials in Langford.
Five of the seven team members attended the competition on May 27. The all-day event included two races: a cross-country race of 8-14 kilometres, as well as an enduro race.
Coach Sheldon Weigel said the team performed well. One athlete placed ninth in the enduro race, and others placed 18th and 20th in their categories.
This was the team’s first competition, as riders were not able to race for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Weigel explained that there is no regional mountain bike competitions and teams do not have to qualify to attend provincials, so all teams are invited.
The local team is open to all grades and is co-ed. There is also a biking club at GFSS for students who do not want to race competitively.
The team is sponsored by several local businesses, including Pascale’s Baked Goods, Fresh Tracks Outdoors Club, Seasons Outdoors, the Wooden Spoon, WildWays Adventure Sports, and Broken Spokez Mountain Bike Tours.
Weigel said he hopes to expand the team and gain more members in the years to come. Next year’s race will take place is Castlegar, and the team is excited to compete locally.
The provincial competition was a great experience for the athletes, Weigel said. He encourages kids to try mountain biking by joining the club at GFSS, even if they don’t want to race.
“It’s great to see the kids out there racing and riding, and even if kids are not into racing, as far as the sports goes, get out there and learn to ride. We always encourage all the kids at the school.”
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