Wednesday February 26, 2020 ~ LANGFORD
~ West Shore Voice News
On February 25, the City of Langford officially announced the Jordie Lunn Bike Park. Here is the background:
As a resident of the City of Langford, Jordie was a larger than life character who had a significant impact on the global cycling community. Lunn shared his passion for the sport with kids as a coach and with his neighborhood, by building bike parks and coaching camps/clinics.
He built several mountain and dirt-biking trails around Vancouver Island with his family and friends, including the downhill trails and dirt jump park at the Westin Bear Mountain Resort. He was an ambassador for extreme mountain biking on the Island, helping to organize events in the area that attracted professional riders from around the world.
In partnership with the City of Langford, the Wheelhouse Cycling Society, and the Lunn Family, the naming of the space as “The Jordie Lunn Bike Park” is a fitting tribute to honor his legacy. It will invite cycling enthusiasts of all ages to experience the same joy that Jordie experienced riding his bike, while also bringing a community together in the use, care, and stewardship of the Park.
The park, located near Irwin Road in Langford, will feature a host of cycling features: 2 km of 3m-wide cyclocross / mountain trails; a pump track built by world class builder Velosolutions; intermediate and expert level dirt jumps; a skills area, and a dedicated clubhouse to host camps/clinics and provide other services. Onsite parking and bike wash services will also be included.
The park will also serve to host future cycling events; from grass roots competition to world class racing. www.jordielunnbikepark.com
The Jordie Lunn Bike Park is named in honour of Jordie Lunn, who passed away as a result of a mountain biking accident while riding in Cabo San Lucas in 2019.
Announcing the new Jordie Lunn Bike park coming to Langford this fall during an event at City Centre Grille on February 25, the City of Langford shared its great respect for Lunn.
As a resident of the City of Langford, Jordie was a larger than life character who had a significant impact on the global cycling community. Lunn shared his passion for the sport with kids as a coach and with his neighborhood, by building bike parks and coaching camps/clinics. He built several mountain and dirt-biking trails around Vancouver Island with his family and friends, including the downhill trails and dirt jump park at the Westin Bear Mountain Resort. He was an ambassador for extreme mountain biking on the Island, helping to organize events in the area that attracted professional riders from around the world.
The Jordie Lunn Bike Park, located at Irwin Ponds Park on Irwin Road in the City of Langford, will contain the following elements:
- Approx. three kilometer long world class cyclocross course designed by Wheelhouse Cycling Society and constructed by Bill McLane of Workhorse Trail Design
- International level pump track with intermediate and beginner levels designed and constructed by Velosolutions
- Three sections of bike jump runs serving beginner to expert riders
- Bike skills area for beginners to those with intermediate skills
- Clubhouse for Wheelhouse Cycling Society which will contain meeting space, washrooms, showers, bike wash stations and storage.
Irwin Ponds Park provides over 14 acres of natural open space lands with some existing trails, two large ponds, Parkdale Creek all within a coastal Douglas fir forest. The main trail through the park is part of the “Great Trail” and provides connection to Humpback Reservoir, Mount Wells Regional Park and Goldstream Provincial Park. The Jordie Lunn Bike Park and trails will be a multi-use trail system which will provide amenities for bikers of all levels, runners and pedestrians and provides great open space to walk your dogs.
Major partners on the project to date:
- City of Langford
- Westhills Land Development
- Wheelhouse Cycling Society
- Jordie Lunn Memorial Fund
- Belmont High School (SD62)
- Hazelwood Construction
The park will also serve to host future cycling events, from grassroots competition to world class racing.
“As a family, we would be honoured and thrilled to participate in this project and have the ‘Irwin Ponds Bike Park’ named in Jordie’s memory. We trust the community will embrace this idea. Our commitment is to provide a legacy in Jordie’s name for children and youth to be safe, active and enjoy building their biking skills in multiple disciplines of cycling.” – The Lunn Family
“The City of Langford is excited to be partnering with the Wheelhouse Cycling Society and the Lunn family to bring The Jordie Lunn Bike Park to life. Not only will this bike park allow for Langford to attract world-class cycling events, it will also provide biking and cycling opportunities for families and those of all ages and abilities for many years to come.” – Mayor Stew Young
“The Wheelhouse Cycling Society is honoured and privileged to be working alongside the City of Langford, the Lunn Family, and the entire local cycling community, to make this exciting project a reality. We are going to be rallying volunteers, sponsors, and suppliers to collectively lend their support so that we can make a bike park that is worthy of the Jordie Lunn name and that is a destination of choice for athletes from across British Columbia.” – Jon Watkins, Director – Victoria International Cycling Festival Society
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A shorter version of this article was also published on page 3 in the March 6 to 9, 2020 print-PDF weekend digest edition of West Shore Voice News