Cheaky Awards presented to mountain bike advocates, trail builders
Whistler is fast becoming a mountain biker’s paradise, renowned internationally for its terrain, its trails, and its dedication to the sport. There aren’t many towns in North America that would tolerate a stunt trail like River Runs Through It on public land, or pitch in public money to support the efforts of trail builders.
And nowhere in the world will you find a mountain bike club like WORCA, with more than a thousand members on the rolls last year.
For the past three years, Cheakamus Challenge organizer Grant Lamont has presented Cheaky Awards to members of the mountain bike community that make the sport what it is in Whistler, inducting them into an informal Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.
This year’s list of inductees includes three WORCA past-presidents, a trail builder, and a former racer who coaches primarily women’s camps.
Tony Horn is a past-president and a former director of trails for WORCA, as well as the organizer of the cult classic Samurai of Singletrack.
Bob Lorriman is a past-president as well as the current director of membership, and has been an active member of WORCA since 1994.
Keith Bennett is a past-president, a frequent volunteer, and has helped the RMOW to develop mountain biking in Whistler.
Chris Markle is a trail-builder whose credits include Kill Me Thrill Me and the new epic Comfortably Numb. He has dedicated more than 3,000 hours, including most of the last couple of summers, to trail-building, mostly on a volunteer basis.
Daamiann Skelton has raced professionally in both downhill and cross-country events, and was the national downhill champion for 1997 and 1999. She is a renowned freerider as well, and has been featured in several movies. In the last few years she has gotten into the coaching side, leading clinics for youth, women, and just about everyone else.
All of the inductees were presented with awards – personalized beer mugs – at the Cheakamus Challenge after-party at the Brew House Pub on Saturday, Sept. 20.
