Underexposed: Sunshine Coast, BC 1

During the aughts and well into the twenty-tens there was a proliferation of feature length mountain bike films capturing dreamy riding sequences from all parts of the globe. Feature length films are less prevalent nowadays, but there was a stretch where several titles would be available for purchase via DVD or digital download every year. From big mountain lines in the Alps, to NYC street segments, to red rock vistas in the Utah desert and fern-laden singletrack in New Zealand, filmmakers and athletes were scouring the planet with hopes of capturing our sport in all of its global glory. From the onset, however, there was always one constant: British Columbia.

BC has a larger square area than California, Oregon, and Washington state combined, but for me the most consistently alluring film segments always seemed to come from the coast, where moss appears to be draped over every tree limb and wrapped around even the largest of tree trunks, and the loam is as abundant on the trail as water is in the ocean. My first time seeing the Coastal Crew’s segment from Kranked 8 was in 2010, and I was immediately enamored with, well, all of it. Of course the cable and steady cam work was groundbreaking at that time, but the way in which they captured their surroundings was equally powerful. 

That seminal moment in mountain bike cinema was filmed in Robert’s Creek (xwesam / Stelḵáya), a small community of just over 3,500 people situated between Gibsons (ch’ḵw’elhp) and Sechelt (ch’atlich) along the southern half of the Sunshine Coast. The Sunshine Coast, though connected to mainland Canada by the thinnest of peninsulas, is accessible only by ferry or plane as the mountains between the coast and the Sea-to-Sky corridor are impassable by road. This creates quite the filter when it comes to traffic and visitors relative to neighboring communities such as North Vancouver, Squamish, and even Vancouver Island; though tourism is still a significant part of the local economy. 

Despite not being an actual island, the island vibes here are indeed strong. With the Pacific Ocean prominently visible from many of the main roads, and even throughout many of the trails, its impact on the culture and lifestyle of these communities is very strong. Equally impactful are the mountains and forests that abut the coast, creating a union between the two that just so happens to make for a veritable trail lover’s paradise.

Here on the Sunshine Coast,” Chris Glew tells me while perched on the tailgate pad of his pickup truck. “It’s a small town and there’s a real sense of community. You feel quite a bit of responsibility toward the other members of the community to look out for their needs while fostering aspects of positivity. In my case, it’s building trails and offering that as a service. It’s cool watching people discover that and to see people come here because they see and feel the kind of energy we have here.”

Chris is one of the founders and the current president of the local trail association, Coast Mountain Bike Trails Association (CMBTA), and is also the owner of Elphinstone Cycles; the only bike shop found throughout the southern half of the Sunshine Coast with locations in Gibsons and Sechelt. Chris has worn a lot of hats in the cycling industry, from wrenching in North Vancouver as a kid, to being a pro athlete with several video parts - including the aforementioned Kranked series, to sales and marketing roles at a number of prominent brands, to his current roles as bike shop owner and trail association president. He moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2015 after growing up on Vancouver’s North Shore to find a place for his family that felt more like a tight-knit community, and of course for regular access to some of the world’s best dirt.

“You know, I was never that talented as a pro athlete, but I have always loved building trails and got a lot of video parts on trails that I built. Some of what drew me to the Sunshine Coast was the potential. There’s this incredible potential to build some epic trails. Being a trail builder since the 90’s, I wanted to be a part of what I was seeing my predecessors do here."

“Founding a trail association is a big undertaking. But I think it’s important to recognize that there were a lot of trail builders who came before the trail association, and we’re just building on the foundation that those individuals laid. What it comes down to is understanding that there’s going to have to be some group liaising with the different stakeholders we have while legitimizing and ultimately protecting the trail networks. That process is not inexpensive, so to fundraise and manage that, and ensure that the trails are seen as an asset that the community can enjoy and that it’s protected for the future is where a trail association comes in.”

The trails throughout the Sunshine Coast are indeed piling up, from as far north at Powell River and the incredible work being done on Mount Mahony, to the world-class freeride bike park that is Coast Gravity, to the miles upon miles of variety available throughout the southern coast, the region as a whole has more than enough trails available to satisfy riders of all stripes. The challenge for Chris and the rest of the CMBTA moving forward is navigating the murky waters of land management to get many of the longstanding trails that have been loved for years above board so-to-speak. While digging has always been a celebrated element within the mountain bike space, advocacy is almost certainly far less sexy a pursuit, but one that Chris and others clearly see as equally important. Despite its thankless nature, for Chris, the motivation behind the effort is quite simple.

“Go mountain bike some awesome trails and you’ll get it.” he says with a smile. “Once you experience riding great trails and how it makes you feel, you’re going to want to do it more. You’re going to want to protect it. You’re going to want other people to experience it for themselves. I’m in my 40’s,I have 2 kids and a lot of responsibilities, so riding for me now is totally different than what it was 20-something years ago. Mountain biking is a journey that allows for that kind of reinvention of yourself. It allows you to keep falling in love with it over and over again.”