By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
GREEN BAY – Hopefully by sometime in August, Green Bay area mountain bikers will be better able to practice their skills.
With an official groundbreaking ceremony Monday, June 27, at Baird Creek Greenway, located at Triangle Hill, 500 Beverly Rd. in Green Bay, the three skills courses are closer to reality.
With beginner, intermediate and advanced courses being planned, novice riders can learn the skills needed to mountain bike, while seasoned veterans can hone their skills.
“This has been a dream for a few years, so it’s nice to have the community support from our sponsors to make this happen,” Baird Creek Preservation Foundation Executive Director Holly Baseman said. “Over the next few months, Global Actions Sports Solutions (GASS) will build three separate mountain biking tracks, based on ability. It will have a bit of everything.”
Baseman said GASS is world-renown for building these types of courses.
“They’re the best,” she said. “They’ll do the job right.”
Baseman said a mountain biking skills park was originally a want for the community.
“As we heard more from kids and various groups, we realized it was more of a need,” she said. “They wouldn’t have access to something like this otherwise. It’s exciting – we’ll be putting on training camps once it’s built.”
The skills park, which will be free for users, will utilize the areas behind the main parking lot on top of the hill.
Baseman said lots of work between the Baird Creek Preservation Foundation and the City of Green Bay took place.
“The city owns the land, but we do all the restoration work here,” she said. “We work in partnership with the city to do things like this. Once the project is completed, it will be gifted to the City of Green Bay.”
Baseman said the project is completely funded by sponsorship.
According to the foundation’s website, the total estimated cost of the project is about $365,000.
A list of the sponsors can be found on the website.
Baseman said the skills park will be great for the community, but it will also draw bikers from other areas.
“Marquette, Michigan, has seen a huge increase in tourism by having a feature like this put in,” she said. “We expect that to happen. We’ve heard nothing but positives from everybody.”
Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich was also on hand at the ceremony.
“This is an exciting day,” Genrich said. “A big part of this project is focused on kids and getting them comfortable with biking. This has been a journey, so this will be a huge addition to our city.”
Green Bay Parks, Recreation & Forestry Director Dan Ditscheit also spoke.
“As the mayor stated, we value mountain biking in our community,” Ditscheit said. “It’s a skill that’s learned, so these courses will provide the skills needed. The Baird Creek Greenway already has an active mountain biking community – it’s a hidden gem.”
Ditscheit said this is just the beginning of good things to come at the Baird Greek Greenway.
“In addition, the city council has approved additional funding to the mountain bike trails beyond what you already see here,” he said. “Over the next few years, you’ll see a big improvement in mountain biking in Green Bay.”