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New Zealand mountain biking turns 25 in 2010... And you’re all invited to the party.
It’s hard to believe that mountain biking downunder is turning over a quarter century. The first mountain bikes were seen in New Zealand back in the early 1980s via American cycle tourists. The US scene had been building since the mid-1970s, with races popping up in the early-80s. In New Zealand the movement was something akin to an underground cult until 1985 when the first races started appearing.
In 1986 three Wellington brothers – Paul, Simon and Jonathan Kennett - organised the sport’s first mass gathering and their event, the Karapoti Classic, became the cultural hub around which mountain biking spread nationwide. Today, a quarter of a century later, you can find a mountain bike in almost every New Zealand household, a mountain bike track in every town, and on any weekend you’ll find an event close to your backdoor.
From recreational riding to weekend warriors, adventure riders, trials tricksters and big thrills downhillers and freestylers to Olympians, tourists, serious enthusiasts and kids taking their first spin around the local park, Mountain biking is here to stay... And the NZ Mountain Bike Festival will celebrate all that and more... Don’t miss out!
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