Trail Fairys

Who in their right mind would plough all their extra time and energy into building a trail just to see it get knocked down, but then to rebuild it bigger, better and stronger? I bet you know a few people like that.....



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Digging is like marmite, you either love it or you hate it. I live with the usual situation where I love it but most of my mates hate it. If you get asked by people why you build trails in the most ridiculous conditions with the worlds shittiest tools, you can never really justify it apart from having that self satisfaction from riding something you’ve built. Which in my book, is better than any other feeling in mountain biking.

If you think about it, progression in mtb has only happened because of the progression in trail building. People like Riley Macintosh at Whistler Bike Park, Dan Cowan and Todd Fiander of the North Shore movement and many other unknown builders, commit part of their lives to developing and progressing the sport of mountain biking, by building more and harder stunts to push the limits of the sport.

When you go to visit a new track, trail or spot you can always seem to tell which one out of the locals is the main builder. He’s always the one fixing the lip or the transition when some ones had an off or cased it, even if it wasn’t him. For that builder, when you see a jump crumbling from a harsh impact, the feeling goes right through you. There’s nothing worse than seeing your hard earned work getting destroyed by a rich kid with all the gear but no idea.

Your local builder at your trails or local DH spot more than likely digs more than he rides. It kinda gets you thinking, because it’s obvious that person has bought a mountain bike on the intention of riding it and having fun on it, but instead he has spent most of his time building stuff to ride. Whether it be for him or for others. Once you finish this obstacle you’re never satisfied and you move onto the next feature without even riding the one you have just made. It’s like a drug. You want to keep pushing yourself as a builder just like you push yourself as a rider.

Don’t you love it when you turn up to your local spot or trails and discover that there is a new monster line or section to a trail... Don’t you love it when you turn up to your trails and all the lips are reshaped back to the knife edges they once were, and the transitions smooth enough to land a harrier on once again…

This my friends is the work of the ‘trails fairys’. These rare creatures are usually found lurking in small packs with a set of special tools, which they treat as if they were their own flesh and blood. Venturing out only at dusk or when the trails are quiet, they set to work on resurrecting everything, bringing it back to its previous form. If you’re lucky enough to have one of these at your own spot, try lending a hand once in a while. You never know you might just turn into one yourself if you’re not careful.

So to all you diggers, builders and trail fairys. Don’t let your ‘mates’ who don’t understand what you love about riding and trail building, get you down or make you feel sad and lonesome. Keep getting out there building, maintaining and creating those little spots of hope, because it is you, that is keeping our sport alive.