The History of Sprockids

Sprockids was originally developed in 1990 as a Self Esteem/Anger Management Program, by Doug Detwiller, a school teacher keen to help students succeed in school. Since then, Sprockids has evolved into a multi faceted program engaging thousands of young people in mountain biking while teaching them the skills, values, and strategies to succeed in life. Clinics and events have been requested and completed in 17 countries; Sprockids has impacted thousands of young people, and turned them on to the thrill of trail riding and stewardship. Sprockids activities and programs take place through schools, community centers, boys and girls clubs, and cycling clubs.

In 1993 Sprockids established and built the first officially recognized mountain bike skills park in North America. Today the Sprockids Mountain Bike Park, located in a wilderness setting on the Sunshine Coast of B.C., serves as a template for other communities wanting to build a community teaching park of their own. Young people are readily empowered to be our greatest and most powerful advocacy group in trail conservation: through Sprockids they now have a personal relationship with their surroundings, and they take ownership of the environment and ensure its care well into the future. The park is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community, with stewardship, community partnership and longevity being the sustaining philosophy. Capilano University in Sechelt offers the only accredited course in Mountain Biking Management in Canada, and the Bike Park is the ongoing teaching site for their students.

In 2000 and 2001, Trail Fest, another Sprockids brainchild, was a two-day event bringing together the Backcountry Horsemen’s Organization, hikers, the BC Ministry of Forests, the logging industry, mountain bikers, and over 1000 students from K to 12 to build trails as part of their school day. The majority of these trails have been officially recognized as “Recreational Trails” by the B.C. government. Even today, this remains the largest event of its kind ever to have happened in North America.