Page 30 - Summer 2014

SUMMER OPERATIONS Mountain Biking World Summit Heads to Steamboat Springs BY MARK ELLER nobby tire enthusiasts, land managers, and bicycle industry leaders are gearing up for the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) World Summit August 20 – 23 in Steamboat KSprings, Colorado. Now in its seventh year, the IMBA bien- gathering of travel and ski industry per- oversees Colorado’s Crested Butte Bike nial conference for ski area profession- sonnel held this spring in Denver, where Park, and Hogan Koesis, who leads the als will feature an assortment of speakers uncertain snowfall and declining interest bike park program at New Mexico’s and sessions to provide insight on suc- in skiing among younger generations were Angel Fire Resort. cessful summer resort activities, including cited as good reasons to invest in mountain “The peer-to-peer information shar- trail maintenance, risk management, and bike trail systems and other facilities for ing opportunities at the World Summit other relevant topics. recreation beyond snowsports. are super valuable,” said IMBA’s Joey IMBA and NSAA have a longstanding At the 2012 IMBA World Summit, Klein, who works for Trail Solutions, partnership aimed at increasing visitation held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a panel IMBA’s fee-based professional design and improving mountain bike experiences of ski area professionals led a discus- and construction arm. Klein, who has at ski areas during the summer season. The sion called “Maximizing Mountain Bike designed and built trail systems and importance of summer programming was Opportunities at Ski Areas.” The panel- bike parks in resort settings around the reinforced at the “Destination Summit” ists included Christian Robertson, who world, points out that ski areas have only 28 | NSAA Journal | SUMMER 2014 w w w. n s a a . o rg NSAA Summer 2014 prepressed v6a.indd 28 7/3/14 4:19 PM