iRide coach Daniel McCunn visited his home town school at the base of the Sun Peaks ski resort, north of Kamloops last week:
Wow, what a week at Sun Peaks Elementary! We saw it all: mosquitoes, rain, mud, sunshine and of course lots of smiles and good times riding bikes. As an employee of Sun Peaks ski resort during the winter season, and having been working with my iRide colleague Ted Morton at our Kamloops events this spring, I have been looking forward to introducing the program in my home town. It is always nice to bring local students closer to their community through cycling and iRide created that opportunity for these students.
These kids are awesome! Happy, respectful, positive and skillful. We progressed from fundamentals skills such as braking and the ready position (used heavily in DH Mountain Biking), to mastering the stunts/obstacles. By the final day we ventured our the local trails and pump track to refine our skills in a more stimulating environment. It was a real pleasure riding and hanging out with the students and teachers of Sun Peaks elementary.
Thank you to the school PAC for supporting the program’s final day of programming, Paul Berry and the whole crew down at the Spoke ’N’ Motion Bike Shop in Kamloops for loaning your skill stunts to iRide and of course the parents, teachers and students of Sun Peaks Elementary for creating a great community open to learning the wonders of cycling.
Sun Peaks Elementary’s iRide teacher champion, Cindi Hryhirchuk sent Cycling BC a letter following the participation of her Grade 4/5/6 class:
I feel very lucky to have had our little mountain school participate in the iRide program. It was great to see the children’s confidence levels increase each day they rode. The students were keen to participate and loved the jumps, ramps, and stations. Their skills improved a lot. I was impressed with the way you talked to the children, encouraged them, and made them feel good about their progress. I would without a doubt like to participate in this program next year. Thank you so much for a wonderful 4 days of riding!
Cycling BC’s iRide program definitely plans to return next year!
If you’re a fan of Cycling BC’s iRide program, check us out on Twitter, Instagram, or donate through Chimp to support our programs in your area. To learn more about iRide Summer Camp or book future in-school events, please contact iRide@cyclingbc.net or (604) BC-iRide.
