All Good Productions Ltd has finally been granted resource consent to build new trails and features on TreeSpace-Mount Dewar, at Arthurs Point, to host the inaugural international freeride mountain biking event next February.
The consent application was lodged last October — initially it was planned to hold the first event this past February, but organisers had to pull the pin about a month out due to delays in gaining consent.
Queenstown’s council finally gave the green light last month.
Locally-based Proving Grounds event director Sophie Luther says construction of the three primary downhill trails — being built by Queenstown’s Elevate Trail Building — will likely start in November and take about two months.
"We want some training time on it beforehand, just so people can ride it and make sure everything’s bedded in and settled and it’s working well," she says.
Big names include Robin Goomes, Casey Brown, Hannah Bergemann, Vinny Armstrong, Harriet Burbidge-Smith, Carson Storch, Emil Johansson, Erik Fedco and Reed Boggs.
While the official event will be held on February 15, the competitors will be in the resort riding the trails for a week prior.
There’ll also be a ‘Dream Ticket’ event, at Wynyard Bike Park’s Dream Track on February 9, giving local riders the chance to win an entry into the elite competition.
Organisers have been given a 10-year consent for the event which, according to the consent application, will become one of New Zealand’s top-tier sporting events, alongside Sail GP, the NZ Open golf tourney and Crankworx Rotorua.
By year three, it’s expected it’ll attract up to 5000 spectators and more than 15million online viewers from all over the world.
Luther: "With a 10-year consent, it just means that we know we can build.
"We want to make Queenstown the epicentre of mountain biking in the southern hemisphere — with all the plans and the trails and the network just being so amazing here, we don’t see why it couldn’t become that.
"Proving Grounds will be like the icing on top of the cake in the events world, and will really drive these riders and, hopefully, tourism to the region."
She notes they’re working closely with the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club, the local biking community and the Queenstown Bike Festival organisers, "so we’re all helping each other grow".
"In the end, it will probably turn into a couple of weeks’ worth of festivals ... it’ll be huge, hopefully."
Despite the challenging economic conditions, Luther says the event’s already secured some important sponsorship, which "just increases our enthusiasm and confidence moving forward", and they’re delighted to have received event funding from Queenstown’s council, driven by Proving Grounds’ strategic focus on sustainability.
"We’re really hoping to be a leading event when it comes to sustainability and reduction of emissions ... we’re hoping to bring some great new ideas into that space," Luther says.
