The Elementary Sprockids Coastriders Club rides every Tuesday afternoon. But on May 17 the young mountain bikers put down their bikes and picked up shovels and rakes to clean up the trails at the Sprockids Mountain Bike Park.The work on the park started more than 10 years ago on the site of the old Gibsons landfill. Over the years the park has evolved into a first-class riding area, with a trail system to please all levels of riders. The central area of the park contains a variety of low level stunts, ladder bridges, teeter totters, ramps and dirt jumps designed to provide riders the opportunity to practice and hone their riding skills in a low level environment.The Sprockids program has always taught their members the importance of getting involved and giving back to the sport. These young riders were not only learning about trail building and maintenance but, more importantly, they were learning about making a positive difference in their own community.They were taking ownership of these trails. After the afternoon's work was completed, you could definitely see how proud they were of their accomplishments. These trails are well used by mountain bikers and enjoyed on a daily basis by hikers and dog owners too. The Sprockids Park has been featured in a variety of magazines as well as on TSN, ESPN, CBC and Vision TV and serves as the model for other communities.
