It was an exciting weekend for the local mountain bike community to host the BC Enduro Series, said Thomas Schoen, chair of the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium (CMBC).
“After nearly six months of planning and prep work and with the help of many, many volunteers we pulled of yet another successful event.”
The race attracted 184 riders who tackled the Fox Mountain Network Sunday — riding a total of 31 kilometres, climbing 1,1900 metres and descending -1,535 metres.
Getting to host the event was a direct result of the successful 2015 Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium held last fall in Williams Lake, Schoen said.
“Industry insiders loved our trails and decided we are well positioned to host a big, annual race event.”
The entire community deserves a huge thank you, from the many supporting businesses, to the Williams Lake Downtown Business Improvement Association, the Potato House Project and local government, to the welcoming citizens, Schoen added.
“They are all part of this success story.”
He estimated the economic impact of the event was approximately $200,000 and said detailed numbers will be released after the CMBC conducts an in-depth analysis.
“While we might face some economic and social issues, as a community we can be proud to be a mecca of outdoor recreation,” Schoen said. “Once again we’ve put Williams Lake on the map as the Shangri-La of mountain biking. “
The next stop on the BC Enduro Series is in Kamloops on Saturday, June 5.
