International Mountain Bicycling Association To Have Presence At Midwest Mountain Bike Advocacy Summit

The 9th Annual Midwest Mountain Bike Summit will take place on May 29-31, 2009 at Cannonsburg Ski Area (6800 Cannonsburg Rd NE) in Belmont, MI. The three-day Summit will provide educational and networking opportunities to over three hundred mountain bicyclists, trail builders and advocates from across the Midwest. The Summit will focus on all aspects of mountain bike advocacy, with an emphasis on promoting and developing urban trail systems called gateway trails.

On Friday May 29, 2009, the Summit will begin with a Club-Care presentation led by Kelly and Colin Bishop of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). Throughout the rest of the day, attendees will participate in workshops and seminars focusing on all aspects of mountain bike advocacy. Attendees then can look forward to a hands-on technical trail building demonstrations on Saturday morning with a "festival" atmosphere to follow later that day. To finish the Summit, Sunday will feature an Epic Ride that will expose riders to every kind of surface you can ride a bike on (dirt, roads and paved trails).

According to Nate Phelps, WMMBA President "By hosting the 9th Annual Midwest Mountain Bike Advocacy Summit, the WMMBA will promote West Michigan as a mountain biking destination to over three hundred mountain bicyclists, trail builders, and advocates from Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania." "The West Michigan area offers incredible resources in our varied landscape and trail systems to host this group of outdoor enthusiasts. The West Michigan Sports Commission is excited to be a part of this event through our work with the host committee of WMMBA" stated Mike Guswiler, West Michigan Sports Commission Executive Director.

Online registration is now open for this event. Anyone that registers by January 31, 2009 will be entered into an exclusive raffle for a prize with a retail value of $200.

For more information on the 9th Annual Midwest Mountain Bike Summit, online registration or to sponsor this event, please visit www.midwestmtbsummit.com or contact Nate Phelps, WMMBA President, at (616) 990-1402 or by email at nate@wmmba.org.