Theater is packed for the screening of Singletrack High at Sea Otter.

The Sea Otter Classic brought the NICA community together in a new way.  NICA coaches, student-athletes, staff, and volunteers from all over the country raced in the same event and supported each other’s’ races.  In-between races and rides, everyone came together at the booth to share stories.  Over twenty-five NICA ambassadors and volunteers supported one another while reaching out and getting new families involved. A special thank-you from us to the Sea Otter Classic for donating our premium real-estate booth space!

The fun began with volunteers constructing the booth, which was in a choice location on Team Pit row between the Sho-Air Cannondale and LUNA Chix teams.

Friday was a rising tide of bicycle enthusiasm about how to form teams from scratch, and how the new Arizona, New York, and Tennessee Leagues were progressing.  In the afternoon, CAT 1 NICA student-athletes prepared for the XC race.  Some of the LUNA essay winners got the opportunity to meet up with the LUNA team for some warm-up tips on Friday and Saturday.  Marla Streb said of the LUNA-NICA Athlete mentorship, “…It really puts things into perspective for the pro athletes, when we realize these youngsters are overcoming the same learning curve challenges that we faced years ago.  So it was an honor mentoring them and hearing tips from world-classers Catharine Pendrel, Georgia Gould, Katerina Nash, and Teal Stetson-Lee.  Hope we can do this again soon”.

On Saturday, LUNA’s Marla Streb hosted a hands-on clinic at the Sea Otter pump track.  In the afternoon, Jeremiah Bishop of Sho-Air Cannondale led a dirt ride while cooling down from his Pro XC race.  The morning Meet and Greet was well attended by NICA board members, staff, NorCal League Director Vanessa Hauswald, and many NICA ambassadors.  A variety of additional people came by, from veteran coaches to people just learning about NICA.

The premier event of the weekend was the Saturday night red carpet screening of Singletrack High.  Over one hundred professional athletes, industry insiders, and stars of the film were a part of the biggest audience yet!  Filmmakers Isaac and Jacob Seigel-Boettner were in attendance and spoke about their film.  The night ended with a VIP event and many guests joining the NICA Booster Club.

Junior expert girls race complete: NICA student-athletes have a great showing!

At the early hour of 6:00 AM Sunday, dedicated riders showed up and then fired-up their Kinetic trainers to prepare for the CAT 2 and CAT 3 races.  A couple of last-minute bike repairs went down with the help of our onsite mechanic and parents. The weekend ended with a raffle for riders who had completed the Sponsor Scavenger Hunt.

Having a big, inter-League gathering at Sea Otter was indeed special.  We can’t wait until next year.  Mark your calendars for April 10-13, 2014.

Kyle Legge (852) hits the slick rock at SoCal’s Carving Canyons race. Photo Credit: Phil Beckman, PB Creative.

Q: How did the family get involved with the SoCal League? 

A [Mike]: Jake and Kyle have always played many different sports–baseball, soccer, skateboarding, surfing, sailing, skiing, snowboarding, etc…. But as sports have come and gone, mountain biking has been a constant. My wife and I told the boys that once they got into high school they had to choose one or two sports and focus on those and get really good.

They chose cross-country running and mountain biking. Newbury Park High School has a cross-country running team but no mountain bike team. They had planned to race in private mountain-bike races on the weekends and train on their own.

I did a little research and found out about the SoCal League. The boys then asked if I would coach if they started the team. The rest is history (in the making).

A [Jake and Kyle]: The family got involved with the League when our dad told us about it and we were really stoked.

Q: Who was the first one in the family to start riding? 

A [Mike]: Me. I started riding back in high school. I rode road bikes and then mountain bikes (hard tail and nose – no suspension). Although I have been riding the longest, the boys are way better than me. I was hoping to stay up with them until they reached eighteen, but not a chance. The only thing I can still get them on is a sprint but if it is longer than a couple hundred meters, I’m done.

A [Jake and Kyle]: The first one in the family to start riding was our dad.

Q. How has mountain biking and the League impacted your family?

A [Mike]: Family activities now revolve around riding. We have to be careful that we don’t let it take over our lives completely. My wife is good about making sure we still have a balance with school and other non-biking family activities like motorcycle riding and surfing.

A [Jake and Kyle]: It impacted us a lot because we are now focused on one sport instead of multiple sports.

Q: Is there competition among each other, especially Kyle and Jake, or are you guys all out there just having fun? ­­

A [Mike]: There is definitely competition, but that’s what makes it fun. I think that is what has driven them to get so good. It’s friendly, though. If one does better than the other one, he is the first to congratulate him. They each have their strengths and they help each other that way.

A [Jake and Kyle]: Kyle and I are very, very competitive with each other. When he beats me it motivates me to do better and to work harder to beat him.

Q. What is your favorite part about being out there together on race weekend?  Do other family members get involved?

A [Mike]: The whole family goes to races. Most races have grandparents out there, too. The best part is being together and helping the team to the best result possible. Everyone helps in a different way. It can be wrenching on a bike or helping with pre-race meal prep or just being the loudest cheerleader out there–we all contribute.

A [Jake and Kyle]:The best part is that we get to race bikes and I couldn’t ask for anything better. Yes, a lot of the families are involved.

Q: What is the team community like? It is a new team, but a large one for its first year.

A [Mike]: The core of the team are Jake and Kyle’s friends. They were the first ones to sign on. They then recruited a bunch of great kids, some with experience and some without. The club is starting to get word-of-mouth attention around school and the community.

We even have kids from other schools around us wanting to work out with the team. I think the fact that we live in such a great area for riding helps us build the team size.  We were lucky enough to sign on a couple of great female riders who have helped bring the MTB team recognition with the female student body. We are hoping that next year we will have as many female riders as male.

A [Jake and Kyle]: The team is amazing. They are all fun to be around and we make each other all laugh.

Q.  What are you all most looking forward to this season?  Is there a particular race location or team activity?

A [Mike]: We look forward to every race. Since it is our first year, each race is new and different. We are really looking forward to the Los Olivos race and State–Los Olivos because it is somewhat local and we will have a large group of family and friends there, and State because we get to see how we stack up to NorCal. NorCal has a pretty good reputation for turning out fast riders but I think SoCal will be very strong.

A [Jake and Kyle]: I am looking forward to the championships because we get to ride against people in a different League. This will show us how good we are overall.

Q.  What advice would you give other families about getting involved in the League and/or mountain biking?

A [Mike]: Just Do It. Yes, I know that is a trademarked slogan but it applies, even if you are new to the sport. It will enrich your family life and give your family an activity they can enjoy together for a long time. Our family has three generations of riders that ride together. It is a very bonding activity.

If you are not part of a team, contact one near you and ask to join in on their fun. The teams are very supportive and will help you. You may even be motivated to start your own team.

A [Jake and Kyle]: All I would say is try it least once. It won’t hurt you and I can guarantee that once you try it you will love the sport!

Working with the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), we are pleased to introduce “The Spirit of Howdy,” a new trail etiquette initiative designed to illuminate and advance the NICA trail riding ethos, which we believe is key to the healthy growth of the national high school mountain biking movement.

The Spirit of Howdy website, SpiritOfHowdy.org, offers mountain-bike coaches tools for working with young athletes to engender responsible and respectful trail use practice and to help them develop as future trail stewards.

NICA’s Executive Director, Austin McInerny, said, “Teaching young student athletes that their behavior and riding style on the trail directly affects other trail users and the natural environment and, ultimately, the support from their schools, has always been central to our philosophy. Recently NICA student-athletes coined the phrase “Spirit of Howdy” to describe this ethos, and I’m thrilled to work with IMBA to launch the Spirit of Howdy website, since it effectively advances our community’s values.”

IMBA’s Executive Director, Mike van Abel, said, “The Spirit of Howdy campaign represents the values that both IMBA and NICA wish to teach our youth. The Spirit of Howdy is more than being friendly to other trail users — it’s also about caring for the trails and our environment, stewarding our parks and natural resources, and giving back to our communities.”

The idea behind Spirit of Howdy began back in the late 1990s when NICA founder, Matt Fritzinger, then a math teacher and coach, came up with a simple trail-use code for riders on his Berkeley High School team.

Fritzinger explained the rule as, “Slow down enough so you can say hello, AND they can say hello back. Work to have a friendly interaction. Add to their day with kindness, don’t take away from it.” The kids got it, and it became a League-wide rule in Northern California.”

Featured on SpiritOfHowdy.org are NICA’s code of conduct, IMBA’s trail maintenance and building information, and also a form for other trail users to give feedback on mountain bikers they encounter. NICA coaches, who have a good track record of working with hikers and equestrians, can now hand over a “how’s my riding?” card with the URL for the feedback page. The trail maintenance and building section of SpiritOfHowdy.org provides criteria to help coaches, student-athletes, and land managers help identify and work to construct new sustainable trails.  Finally, the Racecourse section of the website offers tips and criteria for good course design and invites land managers and promoters to submit ideas for future race venues.  NICA’s high school mountain bike races take place in state parks, county parks, city parks, recreation areas, federally managed lands, and privately owned land as well, on all of which, NICA’s racing and training programs depend crucially.  More information: SpiritOfHowdy.org.

Discounted Registration
The Sea Otter Classic and NICA have teamed up to offer NICA Student-Athletes $10 off entries. GO TO www.seaotterclassic.com to register on the “ATHLETE” tab. USE code SOCCLUB53 or SOCCLUB54. (Each code has limited uses, so if one doesn’t work, try the other; expires 4/14/13)

NICA Community Lounge
Come relax and meet new friends from the NICA community at Booth #637. We will be set up for you to lounge, have a good time talking with others, and quite possibly rub shoulders with top pro riders from Friday to Sunday. Map here!

Student-Athlete Support
We’ll have Kinetic Trainers (to fit 26” mtb and road tires), Gu Brew, Camelbak Elixir, and Clif Bar race food. We’ll also have a mechanic on the site for last-minute fixes. If you’d like to reserve a trainer, please e-mail chris@nationalmtb.org.

• Friday, April 19: 12:30 – 2:30 PM CAT 1 Race Preparation Support
• Sunday, April 21: 6:15 – 9:45 AM CAT 2 and CAT 3 Race Preparation Support

Meet and Greet with NICA Staff and Board Members
NICA Staff and Board Members will be at the NICA booth to answer any questions and discuss the high-school cycling movement that is under way! Come by on Saturday from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (right before the Pro races).

NICA booth at The Sea Otter Classic in 2011.

Looking to Get More Involved? Volunteer as a NICA Ambassador
Are you a parent, coach, or student-athlete? Want to spend time at the NICA booth and meet friends from other Leagues? Want to learn more about NICA and spread the word to people visiting the booth at Sea Otter? Come join us at the booth as a NICA Ambassador. You’ll answer the public’s general questions about NICA and support our student-athletes as they prepare for their races. To prepare you, we will provide you with a packet of information to read up on NICA’s most current activities. To sign-up for a shift or shifts, please click here or e-mail chris@nationalmtb.org with the shift time(s) you’ll be available.

NICA Ambassador Shifts:

• Shift 1: Thursday 4/18 (8:00 AM – 1:15 PM)
• Shift 2: Thursday 4/18 (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
• Shift 3: Friday 4/19 (9:00 AM – 1:15 PM)
• Shift 4: Friday 4/19 (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
• Shift 5: Saturday 4/20 (9:00 AM – 1:15 PM)
• Shift 6: Saturday 4/20 (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
• Shift 7: Sunday 4/21 (9:00 AM – 1:15 PM)

Team LUNA Chix Essay Contest
Female student-athletes are invited to write an essay of 500 words or less on how to get more young women onto high-school mountain bike teams. Please send your submission to chris@nationalmtb.org by Friday, April 12th. Authors of the top eight entries will be reimbursed their entry fees!

Skills Clinic with Mountain Bike Legend Marla Streb
Come out and ride with one of the top riders of her generation! Marla has won numerous national titles, including the Single Speed World Championships in 1999 and 2005. In addition to being an incredible rider, she has written two books and appeared on numerous network television shows and movies. Her skills clinic will take place on Saturday from 10:00 – 11:30 in the morning and is open to the first twelve student-athletes to email chris@nationalmtb.org.

NICA Sponsor Scavenger Hunt
We invite all youth cyclists to participate in NICA’s Sponsor Scavenger hunt. Come by the NICA booth for your scavenger map and instructions. Riders who complete their scavenger hunt will be entered into a raffle for mountain bike gear from our generous sponsors. Raffle will be held Sunday at 1:00 pm at the NICA booth, but winners do not need to be present to collect their prizes.

Singletrack High Movie Screening: Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 PM
NICA is hosting a special screening of Singletrack High at the historic Golden State Theater, located at 417 Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey. Tickets are available here and at the NICA Booth. It’s very likely the screening will sell out, so get your tickets early! Proceeds will benefit both local high-school teams and the national movement. Purchase tickets here.

Those interested in volunteering Saturday evening between 5:30 – 9:30 PM with theater set-up, ushering, and breakdown will earn free admission to the screening and will be considered NICA Heros! E-mail chris@nationalmtb.org if you are interested in helping out. We are looking for a small but dedicated crew of folks to help.

If you have any questions about NICA’s presence at The Sea Otter Classic, have an idea on how NICA can better support student-athletes or coaches at this event, and/or have questions about volunteering, please e-mail chris@nationalmtb.org.

If you learn nothing more from this interview, know that if you are a registered NICA rider, you will be receiving electronic DirtRags via email.

Q: How did the NICA-DirtRag relationship start?  How has this partnership grown over the years?

A: It all started with me riding  and pretending to be adult supervision with the El Cerrito team. We all have a great time “training,” and I’m honored to be hanging with kids that just wanna go out and have fun! It only made sense that we would become a sponsor. Kids are the future!

Q: How are DirtRag’s and NICA’s attitude and hopes for the sport of mountain biking similar?

A: ‘Cuz we both believe in the big picture, getting more people on bikes, and thus solving all of the worlds problems. Bikes are conservative with energy, cure obesity, and build community. Kids especially need exercise and so do their parents.

Q: When DirtRag subscribers read a story about NICA, what message do you think is most appealing to them?  In other words, what is it about NICA that your subscribers find engaging?

A: While the kids might fall off their bikes and hit their heads, they’re not doing it on purpose like they do on the football field.

Cycling is something that anyone can do regardless of age, skill, or strength. Too many sports are based on unattainable goals of becoming famous, making a bunch of money, and taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Q: What do you hope NICA student-athletes learn about the bike through their participation in the Leagues?  How do you see student-athletes adding to the biking community after high school? 

A:  They’re in for fun for starters, that’s what riding bikes is all about. But later on they see that bikes are more than that, they can be a way of life, a positive force for the world!

Q: Are their any upcoming articles or DirtRag events that NICA student-athletes, coaches, or parents should keep an eye out for?

A:  Trans-Sylvania Epic for sure, we’re a major sponsor.  Whistler Crankworx. We will be attending.  To a lesser degree, the Dirty Kanza 200, which we sponsor.  And the next Access column in this upcoming issue is pretty cool to note. It’s about a mountain bike trail-building college in Canada.

Q: If a NICA student-athlete were interested in writing about bikes, whether for blogs, magazines or some other format, what advice would you give him or her?

A: Just do it! Let your passion flow and great things will happen. And be persistent.

*as of 2.18.2013

We continually update NICA coach license information.  If you have recently sent in coach license information please give approximatly the following time until it is updated in the Pit Zone.

• NICA Background Check : 5 business days.  The background check company must first review the information, and get back to us on the status.
• Waiver: 3 business days.  If you email or fax in the waiver, your profile will be updated quicker.
• Coach License fee: Updated immediately if paid by credit card.  If you paid by check, as soon as we receive the check we will update your profile.
• PDUs, Field work hours, First Aid information: 3-5 business days.

To be a NICA licensed coach, you need to have the following requirements fulfilled.

* Paid the $25 Annual Coach License Fee.
* Completed and passed the NICA background check.
* Sent in an Agreement to Participate Wavier.

Lauren getting her ride on in Moab, Utah.

This month we caught up with NICA Administration and Finance Director Lauren Haughey while she was sitting at her desk in the NICA office one afternoon, eating popcorn and crunching some numbers on her abacus.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Lauren is involved in NICA not only as an employee, but also as the  parent of a NorCal Student Athlete, a coach for the Oakland Composite team with her husband Morgan, and the NorCal League Race Weekend Registration Coordinator.  She wears many hats, all of them well, and always has a smile to accompany them.  Here’s how Lauren became so involved.

Q: How did you come to start working for NICA?
A: It’s kind of a “right place at the right time” story. In 2009, I was between jobs and going through a typical mid-life crises.  I’d spent the previous 15 years, right out of college, working in the corporate world. I had two little kids, I was travelling a lot, I was commuting a lot, and I was working in an industry that I’d never really felt good about.  So I decided to leave it – and take some time to do some career soul-searching.  During the sabbatical, I volunteered at my kids’ schools a bunch, did the PTA Board thing, worked in the garden, did some part-time work for a bike magazine, raced some cyclocross, ate a lot of quinoa, and rode my mountain bike a bunch.  As I began to realize that I might want to work in the bike industry, I started networking a little. A friend (former NorCal Board Treasurer, Mark Kintz) mentioned that the NICA was just launching and they were looking for someone to come in and help out with some operational and financial stuff for both NICA and the NorCal League. So I went on in and volunteered a little bit, gradually taking on more and more work.  I’d originally thought it would be a nice little part time gig until I could find a “real” job. But within about six months it was a real job!

Q: What was your introduction into mountain biking, did you experience it as a youth or did you come to find the sport as an adult?
A:  Growing up we had bikes, and we rode them out in the dirt and on the hills in our neighborhood. Our family had a road bike, a banana-seat Schwinn, a few BMX bikes, and a bunch of big wheels in various states of disrepair. We lived in one of those newly developed 1970s suburbs surrounded by a lot of open space. Like many kids back then, we spent most of our time riding bikes around the neighborhood all day long. With wide open slopey fields and giant hills, we did what any other kids would’ve done – built gnarly jumps and raced each other around. The big wheels were the most fun to race on – they got the best air.

It wasn’t until I met my husband, who grew up in Marin racing mountain and road bikes, that I “properly’ started riding and racing mountain bikes.

Q: What kind of work do you do for NICA, and what are some highlights of working there?
A:  I’m the Finance & Administration Director in the National office.  Highlights are a-plenty working in our office.  We’re a pretty small (six full time employees) staff. I work with a committed, passionate, smart and extremely fun crew. We all ride bikes a lot. We all get along very well and we laugh a lot. When you work together as a small group to organize and present huge events, sometimes simultaneously, such as races, education summits, camps, conferences, banquets, etc. and you support nine separate states, can manage the flow of 800 coaches and almost 3,000 student athletes, you must have a well-oiled machine. I feel very lucky to have such dedicated co-workers.

Q: How did your kid(s) become involved with the NorCal league, and what changes have you seen with them or your family because of it?
A: I’m not sure they really had a choice! Ha!  No, just kidding.  It was a pretty natural progression. Both my kids played the typical sports early on; soccer, lacrosse, table tennis, etc. But neither really fell in love with any of those sports. We’re not your typical baseball, football, basketball type family. Instead of teaching our kids how to shoot hoops or play catch, we planted their little butts on bikes and rode out to the trails.

After I started working at NICA, we brought them out to a few of the NorCal high-school races, and I watched how it started to click with my eighth-grade son – that bike racing could be REALLY super fun when it was ALL about kids. Last year, he raced a season in the NorCal League as a freshman at the same time he played a full  season of high-school lacrosse.  This year as a sophomore, he’s decided to focus only on mountain biking as his spring sport.  He’s into it.  It’s definitely a way for him to connect to his dad. It’s a huge common interest, or should I say, common passion. And it has given him a boatload of confidence as a person.

Lauren with her son Sam.

Q: Why did you and your husband decide to head up a team and coach?
A: Well it’s not so much “why” we decided to coach the team, but rather “when” we would step up to head the team. I think as a parent, you get as involved as possible in your kids’ lives when they’re young in order to support their interests. My husband and I have both coached, managed, or volunteered in some facet of all the sport teams that our kids have been involved in. So it made sense. We helped out with the team last year, and then when the head coach stepped down after last season, we stepped up.

Q: Tell us a bit about your team and your experience/difficulties/success with starting the team?
A: We’re coaching the Oakland Composite team. Coaching a Composite team is a challenge in itself because it’s not just one group of kids from one high school. We’ve got kids on the team from 7 or 8 different high schools in Oakland and the surrounding areas. The kids on our team come from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, so you can imagine the challenges: transportation, equipment, support on the home front. The first big challenge is getting bikes for the kids who can’t afford them – the equipment aspect. And then of course, making sure the bikes are ridable & safe for the kids. And then there’s the transportation aspect. And then there’s the financial support aspect. You just sort of deal with each thing as it comes.  It’s an interesting perspective – being a parent of a rider in the League, a coach of a really economically diverse team, and an employee of the National office.  I’m seeing it full circle.

Q: What advice would you give anyone starting a team that encompasses inner city or low income areas?   And/or what advice would you give to anyone who is considering starting up a team?
A: Oh, boy. I’m not sure I’ve figured it out yet. It’s all very new to me. It’s probably the same advice I’d give to anyone starting any team, whether in an inner city area or an area similar to Marin. Start small. Get a few kids interested first and secure a few bikes, and start riding with them. Most kids don’t need or want big training plans or full kits or expensive bikes. They just want to ride on dirt, make new friends, and have fun. Recruit a solid and wide support network. Find a local adult bike team or club to support you. Our biggest support network for the Oakland Composite team is an adult club, the Team Oakland racers. It’s a team here in Oakland that consists of mostly road racers, but also cyclocross and mountain bikers. We have three or four Team Oakland members who are our assistant coaches, out with us on every single team ride. They’re our “go to” when we need support. They support us with volunteer time, equipment & clothing donations, transportation dilemmas, mechanical issues,etc. Andfinally, find a local bike shop that’ll help out. We have a local shop, Wheels of Justice, that the kids can go into at any time and get good advice and mechanical support.

Getting more kids on the team who ordinarily wouldn’t have access to a program like this is a huge challenge.  We’re trying to build a solid cyclist connection within the Oakland Police Department who can help us rally some other adults to build a bigger offshoot of the team to reach more kids in the other areas of Oakland. There’s funding and bikes for a program in Oakland similar to what the Sacramento Police Department did with their mountain bike team, but in Oakland we have a lot going on right now – primarily police resource issues. It won’t happen this season, but we’re planting the seeds for next season.

Q: What are you most stoked about being 1), a NICA staffer, 2) a coach, 3) the parent of a rider in the League for this upcoming NorCal season?
A: As a parent, I’m super-stoked to see my kid riding a lot, having fun, and being excited for the NorCal race season. I love hearing about the rides; the epic tales, the trials and tribulations, the silly stories, the hill that he finally cleared. As a coach, I’m SUPER excited to see the new kids riding. I love listening to the team ride and race stories. I can’t wait to see them race and hear about their experiences. And as a staffer, I’m super-duper-stoked to travel to the different states to help out with the races and talk to the coaches, parents, volunteers, and kids and hear how it’s all changing their lives. Can’t wait!

The first screening – from the NorCal League – takes place Wednesday, February 6th, at 8:00 p.m at 142 Throckmorton Theater, Mill Valley CA.  For more information and tickets click here.

To learn more about the film and its story, NICA sat down with film producers Jacob and Isaac Seigel-Boettner (brothers and alumni of the NorCal League) and asked some great questions.

Photo credit: Ian Wexler. Jacob and Isaac filming in India for the “With My Own Two Wheels”

Q: What is Pedal Born Pictures?
A: Pedal Born Pictures is an independent documentary production company based in the Bay Area. Our goal is to shed light on compelling stories that are often hiding in plain sight.  As cyclists, as well as storytellers, many of our projects focus on the impact of the bicycle as a tool for social change on a local as well as a global scale.

Q: What is your history in cycling?
A: Our parents brought us both home from the hospital in bike trailers when we were born, so two wheels have really been there since the beginning. We grew up bike touring with our parents and mountain biking for fun, but racing didn’t come until later. In 2005, we started a mountain bike club at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, before the SoCal League existed. That was our first exposure to mountain bike racing. We both went on to race for Cal Cycling, UC Berkeley’s intercollegiateteam.

Q: What made you decide to pursue SingleTrack High as a Project?
A: Our last film, With My Own Two Wheels (WMOTW), showcased the bicycle as a tool for global development. While on tour with WMOTW, we realized that many of the people and countries that we featured in the film will eventually look to the United States as the model of “developed” society. In doing so, they could go the way of China–abandoning bikes as something associated with poverty, and making the transition to a car-centric society. We wanted our next film to examine when and why Americans stop riding bikes, and what can be done to prevent this.

Q: Would you say creating social change is your biggest motivator as Film Maker?
A: When it comes to choosing a medium to communicate stories and issues with those of our generation and younger, film is it. So many young people are hungry to find a way that they can make a difference, and moving images are often the first place that they look–be it in the theater or on their smartphones. We hope that by sharing positive stories about how individuals are changing their world–whether it is in Sacramento or Lusaka, Zambia–kids are inspired to emulate these individuals they see on screen. That is largely the reason that we chose high-school mountain bike racing as the topic for our next film. We wanted to tell a story that would inspire Americans to keep riding bikes, and not just see two wheels as something for kids and those who can’t afford a car. If we can keep kids in America on bikes, they will (hopefully) continue to ride when they are adults. If adults in America keep riding bikes, people in other countries might start to disabuse themselves of the notion that only by switching to the car can they become a truly “developed” country.

Q: Did you experience déjà vu from other Pedal Born Pictures projects while doing SingleTrack High?
A: Definitely. One of our goals as filmmakers is to put audiences directly into the day-to-day lives of our documentary subjects. There’s no better way to get an audience to relate to and empathize with a character than to have them wake up, brush their teeth, and eat breakfast with those on screen. To achieve this, we always try to film a day-in-the-life with the subjects. We have the camera on them sunup to sundown, capturing as much detail of their daily lives as possible. While the morning routine of a high school mountain bike racer might differ a bit from that of that of Fred, a Zambian health care worker whom we filmed for With My Own Two Wheels, there were definitely similar moments – from getting the camera gear ready in the dark before the shoot, to getting the perfect shot of someone tying their shoe. It is very humanizing and humbling to remember that we all go through many of the same daily rituals, regardless of our socio-economic status or geographic location.

Q: What resources have you put into SingleTrack High?  
A: Way too many to count. Here are the numbers that I was able to tally up:

• 7 months of filming
• 4-6 days of filming per week
• Longest day: 20 hours door to door
• 20,000 miles on our VW Golf (big thanks to Dietmar and Sunnyvale VW for hooking us up and keeping us rolling)
• Over 5 terrabytes of footage and audio
• 6 months and counting of post-production

Q: Any shout-outs to those who’ve helped you put this together?
A:

• Matt Fritzinger and Ben Capron for signing off on this crazy idea and helping us find funding.
• Mike Sinyard and Simon Dunne at Specialized for making this happen.
• Deitmar Burkhardt and Sunnyvale VW for helping us out with a vehicle for the production of the film.
• Anand Varma, Wes Willett, and Leah Dockstader for helping shoot footage on the race weekends.
• Yuri Hauswald and Alex Weisman for chasing our kids around the racecourse with GoPros.
• Marianne Levine from the Placer Foothill Team for being the first coach to jump on board.
• Tess Wenning (Woodcreek High School), Cody Lippold and Gabe McDonald (Placer Foothill), -Carlos Hernandez (Luther Burbank High School), Mackinzie Stanley and Ryan McCarty (Sir Francis Drake High School), Eliel Anttila (Branson School), Liz, Pat, and Colin Maguire (Casa Grande High School), and their teams, coaches, and families for opening up their lives to us, both on and off the bike, over the past year.

Photo credit: Ian Wexler. Jacob and Isaac filming in India for the “With My Own Two Wheels”

Q: You’ve spent over a year on this project.  How has your perspective on the high school mountain biking movement evolved?
A: Even with our previous exposure to competitive youth cycling, we were still blown away by how big a difference bike racing has made for many of the kids in the League. For us growing up, the bike was always there, so racing in high school and college was just a natural extension of a community that we were already a part of. For some of the kids who we filmed, though, the bike was something totally new. Documenting its impact on their lives has been eye-opening. We saw how the bike can help a kid find acceptance from peers, accept themselves, and open their world in ways that we didn’t previously realize were possible. We only hope that we managed to do these stories justice on the screen.

Q: SingleTrack High is screening across the NICA Leagues.  You’re going to be at some of the screenings.  What about these screenings are you most looking forward to?
A: We are really excited to show audiences both how large and how transformative high-school mountain bike racing can be. It’s one thing to read about or see pictures of a high school race. It‘s something else entirely to be there and experience the scale and excitement. We hope that the film gives current League participants a way to show other cyclists and non-cyclists alike what it is they do every weekend. Once audiences see how awesome high-school mountain bike racing is, they will be hooked!

However, there is only one event on the calendar that happens once a year, and that is the annual NICA Awards Banquet.

The 2012 NICA Awards, which was held January 12th, brings together every face of the high school mountain bike movement–sponsors, coaches, parents, student athletes, national/league staff, press, and friends–for a gala celebration to honor the recipients.  It’s an experience like none other on the NICA calendar, and a precious  opportunity to showcase the high-school mountain bike movement’s remarkable capacity to change lives.

“By now, I am not surprised that newcomers to this event report that they are inspired by what they see and hear. What surprises me, is that I continue to be brought to tears by these stories,” said Austin McInerny, NICA’s Executive Director.   “I have been involved with high-school cycling for over a decade now, but the stories of lives changed, feats accomplished, odds overcome… I still get goosebumps even after all these years.”

The day began with a benefit ride early Saturday.  “Eighty riders representing the whole spectrum of the NICA community enjoyed each other’s company on pure-fun singletrack,” says Chris Spencer, NICA’s Program Manager.   In attendance were student athletes, alumni, parent volunteers, coaches, race staff, NICA staff, league directors, board members, donors, and sponsor representatives from Trek, Specialized, Jeep, SRAM, QBP, Clif Bar, GU Sports, and Ft. Lewis College.  All gathered for an 18-mile mixed-level mountain bike ride on the trails of Fort Ord in Monterey, California.  Our honored guest, Specialized pro rider Lea Davidson – a U.S. Olympic team member and 6-time national champion, was a key participant in the event.

After the ride, bikes and riders were cleaned, packed-up and transported 40 miles up the road to Morgan Hill for the 5 p.m. awards ceremony, which ended with an interview with Lea Davidson covering mountain-biking subjects from her Olympic experience to  Little Bellas, a non-profit organization she has established  which is already feeding riders into the NICA system.

NICA Awards Benefit Ride.

NICA Awards Banquet

Birds eye view of the NICA Awards Banquet dinner area. Photo credit Karl Nielsen.

The Banquet was held at Specialized Headquarters in Morgan Hill, where 150 guests were ushered by volunteer student athletes, parents and coaches through an elegant rolling dinner, viewing the Specialized museum, concept stores, warehouse, and theatre.   Drinks were provided by provided by The Clif Family Winery and Farm and New Belgium Brewing.

For many present, this event provided the first real insight to what NICA actually does, as told by the impactful stories of the awards recipients in the Specialized theatre.  The stories of volunteerism, coaching, courage, risk, and more moved the audience both to tears and to their feet in applause. The award winners and their personal stories are here.   Please take a moment to read about these well deserving individuals.

After a ride, dinner, the presentation, and the interview with an Olympian, there was still more.  The day concluded on a note of inclusiveness and equality, as the NICA Booster Fund took the floor to raise additional revenues to help disadvantaged families participate in NICA leagues around the USA. The whole awards event, including the morning’s bike ride, raised nearly $30,000 for the Booster Fund, which will provide the means to participate in NICA activities to student-athletes and coaches who would otherwise be unable to do so.

Specialized Global Advocacy Manager, Simon Dunne, captured the effort, the event, and the energy of the awards recipients:

“Specialized believes deeply in the power of cycling. It’s why we make our investments in cycling and youth. The bike can change the lives of youth in so many ways – help them concentrate in school, help them relieve stresses and angst, help them manage their weight and fitness, connect them to a social circle, and create lifelong good habits.”

Congratulations to the NICA Award recipients, and a thank you to all involved in the high school movement.   We look forward to seeing you all next year for another great celebration!