Nelson to host national secondary school MTB champs

Hundreds of the country’s top young mountainbikers will take on Nelson’s trails when the city stages the national secondary schools championships later this year.

The Nelson Mountain Bike club won hosting rights for the event from September 27 to October 2. It is expected to draw more than 400 student competitors from across the country, along with around 100 Nelson Tasman riders.

It will see new downhill and cross-country courses built in the city’s mountainbike network, along with upgrades for other trails that will host enduro races.

Nelson mayor Nick Smith said getting the championships was a significant win for the region, and recognised its world-class mountainbiking infrastructure.

“The event builds Nelson as a mecca for mountainbiking,” he said.

Nelson Mountain Bike Club manager Mel Barker said the new downhill course would reinstate one of Nelson’s original trails, the Devil’s Tail, that was closed due to forestry.

“All the original riders have memories of it being pretty epic,” she said.

A new 3.5km cross-country loop for individual and team relay races would be built, in the Groom Creek area but nearer the Maitai Valley Motor Camp. In the longer term, the course would connect to an area called the Arboretum that would be developed with family-friendly areas.

“We love our trails so we’re really excited about being able to share them with the rest of New Zealand,” Barker said.

She said landing the event also recognised the strong youth contingent across the region. The Nelson College for Girls team won the South Island championships in Methven this year and Nelson Tasman schools consistently placed in the top three nationally.

Part of the successful girls college team was 16-year-old Lucy Kemp, who won the national under-19 enduro title at Cable Bay in March.

She said the local riders were “super excited” to compete on their home trails, and with friends and family supporting from the sidelines.

Kemp said there was a thriving mountainbiking culture in schools across the region.

“Everyone supports each other which I think is really awesome.”

Barker said the championships would not only bring riders, but their families and coaches who would stay for five to seven nights. A conservative desktop assessment estimated it could inject $600,000 into the local economy through accommodation, dining and retail.

Businesses were encouraged to maximise the opportunity and consider extended operating hours or welcome packages for visitors.

Barker said the club had around 3000 members, making it one of the biggest sports clubs in the country, including a group of dedicated volunteers who would help build and upgrade the trails for the event.

It was seeking more sponsors to help make the hosting the event financially viable, and was seeking organisations that could help with goods and services, such as portable toilets, fencing and vehicles.