Kamloops, B.C. the spiritual home of freeride mountain biking is now putting its money where its loam is.
Tourism Kamloops has launched the Freeride Fund, a new initiative that redirects tourism dollars into the local trail network. Starting with a $50,000 commitment over three years, the fund is designed to support year-round trail maintenance. From the Bike Ranch to Harper and beyond.
It’s a nod to the city’s past, and a step toward preserving the future of freeride.
“Kamloops has always been at the heart of freeride culture,” says Erik Fisher, Tourism Kamloops CEO. “This fund is our way of honouring that legacy and ensuring the next generation of riders can continue to explore, connect with the land and experience the thrill of our trails.”
Freeride roots run deep
Kamloops isn’t just another bike town; it’s arguably the birthplace of freeride. From the raw, unsanctioned builds of the 90s to legendary film segments and magazine covers, this dusty Interior town helped shape the global freeride movement. The names still resonate: Brett Tippie, Wade Simmons, Richie Schley, and later Matt Hunter, Graham Agassiz and a whole new generation who’ve carved lines into desert ridges and loamy gullies.
“The amount of work that goes into building and maintaining a trail is monumental,” says Matt Hunter. “There’s so much going on behind the scenes that people don’t see.”
With nearly 200 km of sanctioned trail and the Kamloops Bike Ranch as one of North America’s premier freeride parks, the town has transitioned from outlaw zone to world-class riding destination. And that brings pressure; from tourism, from growth and from weather that doesn’t care how iconic a trail is.
More visitors means more maintenance
Each year, trail crews from groups like KMBTA and KBRA clear deadfall, reshape jumps, dig drainages and rebuild the lips and berms that keep Kamloops flowy. It’s back-breaking work. And it costs money.
Until now, much of that maintenance has relied on volunteers, grants or short-term funding. The Freeride Fund aims to change that, creating a long-term, sustainable way to keep Kamloops riding as good as it looks on camera.
Seeded by Tourism, grown by the community
The initial $50,000 donation is just the start. The Freeride Fund will also rely on community fundraising campaigns, donations from visitors and locals, corporate contributions and grant applications.
The Freeride Fund isn’t just about preserving trails….
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