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coming back as they progress to the next level,” he said. Accessibility is another factor. According to Holme,
Thus, Highland offers a progression for participants in a guests need access to easier trails and shorter trails so “they
dedicated skills area and out on the trails too. And the park can give it a shot on their own terms.” Trestle has a short,
has done an exceptional job of getting riders to come back introductory trail called the “Green Horn-it” that can be
through its Park Ready program (see “Taking the Next Leap: accessed from Winter Park’s free cabriolet lift. The park also
NSAA Bike Park Summit emphasis shifts from ‘Should we?’ offers a 1.5 hour group lesson product on this trail for $49.99
to ‘How do we make this work?’” summer 2016). Highland’s as a way to get people to try the sport and familiarize them
newest trail is called “Freedom Trail,” a beginner freeride trail with some basic skills so they’ll be more confident and feel
that Hayes says was overdue at Highland. more in control. It’s a great opportunity to get exposed to the
sport while minimizing the risk as much as possible.
REDUCING THE INTIMIDATION FACTOR Whistler also does several things to reduce the intimida-
tion factor, starting with a large section of its website dedicated
to first-time park users, complete with introductory videos. The
Many skiers and snowboarders are downhill mountain bik- resort also has an Orientation Brochure and an Orientation
ers, they just don’t know it yet. Like skiing and snowboard- Center at the top of the base lifts where visitors can get guidance
ing, downhill mountain biking is a gravity-fed sport. Resorts on their first trip to the park. Whistler encourages guests to par-
are very good at getting people up on the hill in the winter. ticipate in its bike school programs and also has a “progression”
Why not do it in the summer? ranking of downhill biking trails from easiest to hardest so rid-
“Bike parks need to be embraced the same way that ski- ers can gain the skills and confidence to advance to more chal-
ing/riding is embraced and have an operation that is equally lenging trails. And, taking a cue from the ski season, the resort
as sophisticated as the winter,” said Trestle’s Holme. To a also has trained staff in the rental shop to help less experienced
large degree that will require minimizing the intimidation people through the rental/registration process.
factor…something the snowsports industry has been grap- Killington, Vt., celebrated its 25th year of lift-served
pling with for years. How do you convince people that these mountain biking in 2016. The resort is in year three of a
activities can be exhilarating and safe at the same time? five-year master plan with Gravity Logic, and also has con-
Like snowsports, downhill biking can be as challeng- tracted with the company to build some additional flow-style
ing as the guest wishes it to be—at least at parks that offer trails. “We’ve focused on offering a wide variety of terrain
a range of trails for different ability levels. And those areas options, making sure we have beginner and intermediate
that offer body armor, padding, and full-face helmets as part routes so guests can focus on progressing at their own pace
of the rental package are smart to do so. Anyone who’s ever and not getting in over their head too early,” said Michael
wiped out on dirt knows it tends to be a lot more impactful Joseph, Killington’s communications manager. It seems to be
than falling on snow. And anyone who falls without armor working. The resort has seen growth of bike park season pass
is mostly likely not returning to the sport. Mutch says he sales increase from 150 to 550 over the past three years.
believes the body armor, padding, and helmets should be a Highland offers a bike, protective equipment, a day pass,
requirement, not an option. and a lesson at a discounted rate. “Make it mandatory for the

Marketing images
for Trestle Bike Park
often feature shots
of kids tearing up
the trails, hoping
to inspire people
to think… If a kid
can do this, it can’t
Chris Wellhausen/Trestle Bike Park
be that hard.