HISTORY + DESCRIPTION

The Trailblazers Youth Racing program originated in Alberta in early 2013 with the goal of promoting competitive mountain biking among youth of all ages and skill levels. The program’s mission was to ensure that mountain bike racing was accessible to youth throughout the province. 

Youth development has been identified as one of our most important Strategic Objectives. Since youth participation at many Provincial Mountain Bike Cup races has generally been low, it was identified that the youth needed a series of their own focused on fun and inclusivity. The development of the Trailblazers Youth Racing program identifies several key principles that will be the focal point for attracting new riders to the sport. They are:

FUN!  
Keeping the experience positive so youth continue to come back

ACESSIBILITY!
Taking down every possible barrier to entry for youth of all ages and abilities

FREEDOM! 
Giving youth the choice to choose a race that suits their specific abilities

Trailblazers Youth Racing acknowledges the fact that regardless of age or gender, each individual child develops at a different rate. It’s for this reason that this race series will give youth the choice – at each and every event – to race the event that matches their own specific comfort levels. Trailblazers will not assign participants to specific race categories based on their age or gender; rather give them the freedom to choose their race. Participants will have the choice to race one of five separate race-course offerings of varying technical difficulties suited to their individual skill levels.

Race organizers are encouraged to offer ancillary events on top of racing such as team relays, skills clinics, fun games, guest speakers and theme nights. This re-enforces the overall goal of the program to keep racing fun and make sure that participants associate a positive memory with the program.

Trailblazers Youth Racing will now have a “Prairie” focus. The 2013 series started with a pilot in the Capital region of Edmonton & surrounding municipalities, and Kananaskis Region stretching from Canmore as far as Calgary. With the expansion of the Kids of Mud program across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba in 2022, the ultimate goal is to see growth of this race series across the Prairie Provinces!

RACE CATEGORIES:

Strider
The “Strider” category encompasses the youngest first time mountain bike racers. Only those with strider or push bikes will be allowed to race in this category. Recommended age for Striders is 6 years-old and under. The Striders Race will have a primary focus on fun, offering very few technical sections. Boys and girls will race together in this category. The race will be led and followed by experienced racers. 

Following the Striders race, participants will be encouraged to observe the higher-level races.

Course:
   –  Small loop (several laps optional)
   –  Elevation: 95% flat. Small gradual climbs & descents    
   –  Majority doubletrack with little-to-no singletrack
   –  Optimal winning time: 10 minutes or less

Little Rippers
The “Little Ripper” category, a step up from Strider, encompasses the youngest first time mountain bike racers. Recommended age for Little Rippers is 8 years-old and under. The Little Rippers Race will have a primary focus on fun, offering very few technical sections. Boys and girls will race together in this category. The race will be led and followed by experienced racers.

Following the Little Rippers race, participants will be encouraged to observe the higher-level races.

Course:
   –  Small loop (several laps optional)
   –  Elevation: 85% flat. Small gradual climbs & descents   
   –  Majority doubletrack with little-to-no singletrack
   –  Optimal winning time: 20 minutes or less

Gnarly
The “Gnarly” category is offered for just that, beginners. Riders in this category will be first-time racers from all age groups and graduates from the “Little Rippers” race category. The emphasis of this race course will be fun, with mild technical sections to challenge the riders’ abilities and introduce them to mountain bike racing. The recommended age group for this category is 9 to 12.

Course:
   –  Single loop
   –  Elevation: One or two gradual climbs/descents. No more than one steep climb and/or descent.
   –  Equal ratio of singletrack and doubletrack
   –  Optimal winning time: 25 minutes or less

Geared
The “Geared” category is offered for riders who have tried a youth series mountain bike race in the past and are looking for a new challenge. The emphasis of this race will be fun, with increased technical skills development. Riders in the Geared category will primarily be graduates from the Gnarly category and older first-time racers. The recommended age group for this category is 11 to 14.

Course:
   –  Single loop
   –  Elevation: Primarily flat with several gradual climbs/descents. No more than two steep climbs/descents
   –  Slightly more singletrack than double track (roughly 65% singletrack)
   –  Optimal winning time: 30 minutes or less

Dialed
The “Dialed” category is offered for riders looking for the biggest challenge on race-day. Riders in this category will be graduates of the Geared category, or advanced first time racers. Technical skills will be put to the test in this category offering a mix of difficult climbs/descents and technical singletrack sections. The recommended age group for this race   category is ages 13 to 16.

Course:
   –  Single loop
   –  Elevation: Mostly varying elevation with many gradual climbs/descents. Two or more steep climbs/descents
   –  Up to three-quarters of the race course will be singletrack
   –  Optimal winning time: 40 minutes or less

 

SUMMARY

RACE CATEGORY	RECOMMENDED AGE	OPTIMAL WINNING TIME	DIFFICULTY
Strider	U7   Ages 6 and under	10 min or less	Beginner (Strider Bikes only)
Little Rippers	U7 to U9 Ages 8 and under	20 min or less	Beginner (Young Child)
Gnarly	U11 to U13 Ages 9 to 12	25 min or less	Beginner
Geared	U13 (Advanced) to U15 Ages 11 to 14	30 min or less	Intermediate
Dialed	U15 (Advanced) to U17 Ages 13 to 16	40 min or less	Advanced