Thursday, November 26

Countdown to the Opening...

Sunday, December 6, is looming ever closer amid a last flurry of activity!

Roadside signs are going up, the gateway entrance will be finished this w/e and the supporting posts for our kiosk by the Pump Track installed. Peter Laufkotter of Signcraft has completed the artwork for the gateway and very impressive it is too. Next week he'll be working on the map & information board which will be unveiled on the day. All the timber for these structures has been donated by Waimea Sawmilling.

Also unveiled on the day will be a pou carved from totara which, with the planting of a miro, will signify the birth of the Park and acknowledge local iwi's long association with Kaiteriteri.

The Opening ceremonies will commence at 10.30 a.m. Principal among our speakers are Neil Clifton, DOC Nelson Marlborough Conservator, Peter King, Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve Board Chairman, and Tasman Mayor, Richard Kempthorne, who will also perform the cutting of the ribbon.

Following a final karakia, Mayor Kempthorne & Guy Trainor will lead off a mass ride of the 5 kms benched circuit and that will be followed shortly after by a mass walk of a shorter circuit, led by DOC Motueka Area Manager, Martin Rodd.

By midday, everyone should be regathering back at the Trailer Park. There'll be some demos on the Pump Track before others are invited to try their skills - or just have a play. Spot prizes will encourage the cautious to give it a crack and no doubt there'll be plenty of admiring on-lookers to cheer them on.

There will also be a "Mystery Time Trial" of Salivater & Half-Pipe where riders can try to match our mystery rider's time (who will be revealed on the day). Closest time wins a $50 Shoreline Cafe voucher but the runners-up won't miss out...

One of the things that less-experienced bikers often struggle with is riding switchbacks - and at Kaiteriteri we have a lot of them ('course, for experienced riders, that's one of the best parts!). We've decided to put on a Women-Only Bike Skills Workshop that will focus on riding switchback which we're sure will be very popular. Jane Rose, Nelson Mountain Bike Club xc racing veteran, will lead this limited-numbers session.

Several Nelson & Tasman bike shops will be there with their tents & toys so it will be an ideal time to try out a new season model. They're all putting up spot prizes and, for one lucky primary school-age rider, Coppins Outdoors are putting up a new bike.

Meanwhile, the music will be rocking, the sausies will be sizzling, the coffee will be percolating and the bouncy castle will be... bouncing.
Plus, we've got your xmas prezzies sorted for this year with our array of caps all freshly printed with our stunning logo!

We hope that you're going to be able to join us in celebrating the achievement of getting our mountain bike park up & running in less than 12 months. And to think, we're only just starting....

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