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The mountain bike camp prides itself on technical learning and technical advance. We train for fitness and do peddle significantly however; technical progress is what we're really after. Technical development, real skill advancement comes with complete immersion. In other words it really happens in a camp environment where the riding is all day, everyday. We don't burn the campers out though; we ensure a proper balance of rest, nutrition, entertainment, camaraderie and, most importantly, fun. The goal here is to pack as much teaching of mountain biking, downhill and BMX into one week as possible. My beliefs have remained the same since the beginning: build technical well rounded mountain bikers and you can't go wrong. Dirt Camp caters to all levels of mountain bikers and all ages. We above all others realize that every rider started somewhere. We are proud to host a camp that is well geared toward beginners in the interest of setting them on the right path, with the right tools and the right attitude.
Beginners play a very important role in camp; they are the future mountain bikers and continue to bring us back to our basics as we teach them from step one. Contrary to common thought, these young mountain bikers are some of the best to teach and coach. Having a beginner start from nothing and quickly develop skill is as rewarding as coaching a top rider into competition.
Dirt camp has as a mandate, to approach all campers in the same priority. The young riders, the senior downhillers, the adolescent BMX riders, they all stand together as a common group the moment they are at camp.
It’s like everyone belongs to the same team at Dirt camp. It’s that feeling of family, I guess, a strange brethren of sorts whose bond is nothing more than a sincere love for riding their bikes.
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We can't speak for other sports but this one really gives us a sense of belonging. The coaches, mechanics, cooks, even as director I feel a sense of connection with the very campers I teach. Outside of camp I feel part of a sport; inside camp, it feels like family. |
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The natural progression in mountain biking happens far more quickly at camp than at home. The immersion of an individual into this type of arena is not comparable to any other learning. Particularly in the case of mountain biking where a beginner has to develop important confidence through practice or mileage as we call it. The bike camp allows for these camper to build confidence in the presence of top riders to both benefit from both the wisdom and basic presence.
The feel of the bike, the adjustment to surrounding elements and the influence of others all contribute to what we call "session based learning". We've seen beginner riders arrive at camp and progress so fast that they are switched to the intermediate group within 3 days. It's like learning a new language: the best way is right in the middle of it. It’s not only the riding; it's the discussions, the movies, the gear and even in the mechanical.
The intermediates arrive with a variety of skills, strengths and weaknesses. Our job is to fill in the blanks, improve their weaknesses and refine their overall riding method and style. |
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Riding at the advanced level requires much skill and discipline. Those skills can only truly be learned and perfected in the right environment and with the right coaching. Often we find young riders who are very strong in one area and only intermediate in another. Again we are refining and completing the rider similarly to the teachings of intermediates only at a higher level. The idea with the advanced riders is get their whole skill set up to an even point. The best riders are well rounded riders.
Once we have the camper brought up to speed and he or she understands of his or her goals, we can start to work fine skills like braking, balance and sight. Their abilities and their direction in the sport will be determined by their ability to understand and focus at this advanced level. Downhill still stands as one of Mountain biking's most significant disciplines. It's an exercise in focus, control, decision making, balance and overall skill. As many people know, Dirt Camp is a mostly downhill & free riding based program. We believe in fitness but specialize in bike handling. We've had this attitude for over a decade and don't plan on changing it.
Once a rider is able to combine these aspects together and use his or her skills efficiently, he or she begins to feel a sense of comfort on the bike while moving fast and dealing with many challenges all at the same time. From that point forward, the rider develops all these skills gaining speed and control.  |
 Proper downhill techniques are more than just body armour and an expensive bike. Downhill is a function of traction, picking lines, decision making, focus, power and control.
The main principles of downhill break down as follows: -Body Position -Line of Sight -Braking -Cornering -Decision making -Jumping -Control |
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