In a significant stride for the world of mountain biking, GreenValleys Mountain Bike Park in Shellharbour is on track to potentially birth a future Olympic sport, thanks to recent funding and relentless dedication.
Over the past five years, GreenValleys has spearheaded efforts to establish slopestyle mountain biking as an official discipline alongside endurance riding and cyclocross. Nick Haertsch, the driving force behind this initiative, personally invested to tour the sport nationally for three years, culminating in a pivotal moment when AusCycling officially incorporated slopestyle into its roster, complete with insurance coverage and a national championship event hosted at GreenValleys this April.
Reflecting on the journey, Nick expressed profound emotion upon receiving news of a grant from Destination NSW, acknowledging the government’s recognition of the sport’s local and broader economic value. “It’s been a hard slog,” Nick recounted, recalling the moment he learned of the grant’s approval during an event in Canberra. “To slog away at this for years and then be told the government can see the value in it for the area, I could have cried.”
Slopestyle competitions span courses ranging from 600 meters to one kilometer, featuring various fixed elements like ramps, dirt jumps, and drops. Judged on criteria including air and amplitude, execution and style, trick difficulty, and overall impression, slopestyle resonates particularly with mountain bikers under 28.
Australia now stands as the pioneering nation with a national sporting organization formally endorsing slopestyle, setting a potential global precedent. With aspirations akin to freestyle BMX, Nick envisions slopestyle eventually making its mark on the Olympic stage, with Shellharbour potentially hosting its inaugural national event.
The significance of such events supported by the Regional Event Fund, known for propelling local initiatives to international prominence, cannot be overstated. Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Arts, Music, and the Night-Time Economy, John Graham, emphasized the vital role of these grants in nurturing regional events that enrich NSW’s visitor economy, valued at over $50 billion.
In Nick’s words, “A lot goes into events, and this grant goes a long way to cover infrastructure costs like toilets, generators, and sound systems. It’s amazing.”
As NSW continues to support diverse events that embody local community spirit and draw visitors nationwide, the stage is set for GreenValleys and slopestyle mountain biking to ascend to new heights, potentially becoming a hallmark of future Olympic dreams.
related topics:
