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Gravity Logic: Designing, Digging and Riding
by GravityLogic
Posted: Jan 26, 2009
Gravity Logic, a bike park design and innovations company based out of Whistler, BC, reviews their biggest year of buildin', diggin' and riding bike parks around the world and looks forward to what should be an amazing 2009.
It’s been almost a year since we at Gravity Logic cast off from the comforts of being owned by Whistler Blackcomb. At first we couldn't be certain if it was the right thing to do, but as we look back on the year we just had building and designing bike parks around the world, we’re pretty sure it was absolutely the right choice. We are made up of four full time individuals who each bring something unique to our business and we are lucky enough to have a significant group of experienced machine operators and trail builders from Whistler and around the world at our fingertips to bring to each of our clients.
It’s been almost a year since we at Gravity Logic cast off from the comforts of being owned by Whistler Blackcomb. At first we couldn't be certain if it was the right thing to do, but as we look back on the year we just had building and designing bike parks around the world, we’re pretty sure it was absolutely the right choice. We are made up of four full time individuals who each bring something unique to our business and we are lucky enough to have a significant group of experienced machine operators and trail builders from Whistler and around the world at our fingertips to bring to each of our clients.
Marc gets out of his machine for a test lap at COP
As soon as we officially became our own bosses, the phone pretty much started ringing off the hook. We had calls from just about everywhere, and we had to be careful to manage our time wisely so we would be able to do the best job possible at each of the resorts that hired us.
Part of every day life: the important tools of our trade
It was a tricky adjustment at first, but once the season kicked into gear, there was no time to reflect on how busy we all were. We started in Calgary, where we were mandated to design a bike park from the ground up in under 8 weeks. The local riders were stoked and incredibly helpful and we couldn’t help but be impressed with the level of enthusiasm the local riders had for pitchin' in. While we believe that the project is still under construction, the foundation we left COP with was ideal for what they needed to have a bike park that will accommodate riders of all levels.
Sarah rips on Laser Fade
After our whirlwind in Alberta, we all parted ways. Rob was off to New Brunswick to build a bike park at Sugarloaf, DK to Winter Park, Colorado to prep for Crankworx and new construction , Pro was off to the Ukraine and Sarah was in the middle of making her permanent move from Calgary to Whistler. Sound insane? It definitely was.
Oja Checks It Out in Winter Park
Pro takes a well deserved break on the tailgate of the Dodge
Somehow amidst the madness of building for weeks and weeks on end, we managed to fit in the Gravity Logic Forum in September at Winter Park and still spent time at a lot of other amazing resorts to scope out the feasibility of future bike parks and to help some with the complications associated with building on US Forest Service Land. Keep a special eye on places like Steven’s Pass in Washington and Mount Bachelor, Oregon, as the construction of these bike parks is lying in wait (pending USFS approvals, of course), ready to stoke you out over the next couple of years.
All in a day's work: Rob scopes lines at Steven's Pass
So what now, you ask? Well, since bringing Sarah Leishman on full time as our Business Development Manger, we’ve worked to update our website, built and launched our Instructor Development Program for clients world-wide and started scheduling our building season for the upcoming spring, summer, fall and winter. 2009 is sure to be crazy and amazing all at the same time-who knows, you may just see us at a bike park near you!
Talk about a season ender: Marc back on it right before the snow hit in Winter Park
Sorry, winter lovers, but we're praying for the melt!
-Gravity Logic
www.whistlergravitylogic.com
35 Comments
- + 4
pyromaniacman129
(Jan 28, 2009 at 0:03)
damn thats rad.
- im on my knees prayin - what an awesome idea for buildin bike parks you guys have it good - so where do i sign up?!
I'm stoked for the bike park coming to Steven's Pass. Finally Washington state is giving in to mountain biking
seriously, I've been trying to get info on how soon stevens could have a park but it looks like it could be a while
A park at Steven's Pass will be rad. I think it was bonesovermetal that had the general outline posted up a while back, and it looked awesome. While it will be probably the first lift access riding in WA, there is certainly no shortage of mountain biking to be had all across the state.
ha! I love it. I get a hard on every time some one mentions the steven's pass bike park.
I really hope to be riding with everyone up there come summer 2010 :]
I really hope to be riding with everyone up there come summer 2010 :]
props, nice to see some new bike parks in the us
goin there this the summer with some mates so might check this out cos look sick
goin there this the summer with some mates so might check this out cos look sick
the bike park in calgary is more like a playground now for little kids who have now become hazards
its like driving in Saskatchewan but instead of gophers its kids
its like driving in Saskatchewan but instead of gophers its kids
yeah but they have literally taken up all space for new trails to be made. Unless they move up over to the other side of the hill wich really doesnt have lift acess. They built whistler style trails. Fast flowy and smooth, which is fun and all but they dont have the space for the variaty of trails that bigger parks have. So its fun for the first couple of runs but then it just gets repetative. It also didnt help that the DH course wasnt open for the first half of the season. Also after the park opened they fired some seriously talented and commited builders. But yes they have made a great foundation if they are able to purchase more land (which they cant because it is some historical site i belive) or move into the area where there is the cross country trails.
yah, i think they didnt do a very good job redoing COP. it get way to repetitive like you said and they took out all the old fun stuff and replaced it with something have the fun.
But if you look at it from a buisiness point of view, i guess they made a good choice. They atracted a more variety of riders and are making more money so i dont really think they want to change it so more advanced riders come and less beginer riders show up. There is more money in the lessons then in the lift tickets. More noobs = more lessons = more income. Most of the people who have been riding at C O P for e few seasons or more are now seriously not buying a seasons pass.
its also the inner city thing though to if you dont have trips or hookups and you want to have an ok ride c.o.p is like forced on you im getting a pass just so i can sit and complain and do a couple runs on the dh course
the dh course was good in a few places but it was so bad in other places it couldnt pull it together,
Sorry I was never able to meet with you guys...things are happening on my end too, so maybe sometime in the future we can still talk.
The COP park is a mixture of blessing and frustration. I am assuming that the Gravity Logic crew either had better things to do or that COP ran out of money in the budget to keep them here until the finish. Either way last season at the park was very uneventful. I was extremely excited to ride the new park. I have been to whistler a few times on week long trips and got my socks blown off. The gravity guys are good, really good.
I drop in....."I like that first corner into a small table"......."oh a buttery hip"......"WOW, a decent sized table"......."a huge bermed corner, this trail is rad"...............??Is that it??
I hope they finish soon because that trail will be great! Only my dream never came true. That trail and all the other stayed exactly the same for the whole season. They all felt like something someone with a great Idea started but had no time to finish.
(Safari Planet)One easy level jump trail is about 2min long and is made up of a A/B line style wide switchback paths. It is AWESOME for about the first 10-20 seconds. Then it becomes just a wide dirt bike path down a hill. There are 3 jumps before the first turn and 1 later in the trail. That leaves 80% of the rest of the trail with nothing but a very wide dirt hard packed path. I imagine the idea was to have the COP staff continue to finish the rest of the jumps.
LazarFade is a mess. It is the Black/Experienced trail. It has a mixture of extremely tight berms and small jumps. It has a lot of potential but lacks the finished polish that is the bane of the new COP.
I hate being on of the Haters who complain in this forum but I have been riding at COP for over ten years now. I organized and built the very first Dual Slalomn course there years ago. I also built the next thee after that. I invited every rider I met to races to try and get COP bigger. Our weeknight races became very popular. COP began to take us seriously, and the result was a full fledged MTB park. Years later the park saw a great renovation by a very dedicated trail crew. They built wooden stunts and jumps and did there best to make a bike park when bike parks were new and knowbody knew exactly what to do. However, like all things COP the management rides on the hard work of a few people for a couple of years and things started to wear out. Trails got stale, and stunts stated to get sketchy. With more and more beginner riders thing get dangerous and COP calls in the gravity guys. They came they planned, they started and they left. I assume they thought that the COP trail crew would finish the stuff they started.
The problem; the management at COP doesn't care. I know the COP trail crew has it's heart in the right place too. However every time someone comes out and does something great like the Gravity Logic guys or they guys before them or me before them. COP management lets it all fall apart. This year was one of the worst years at the park because nothing felt finished.
I drop in....."I like that first corner into a small table"......."oh a buttery hip"......"WOW, a decent sized table"......."a huge bermed corner, this trail is rad"...............??Is that it??
I hope they finish soon because that trail will be great! Only my dream never came true. That trail and all the other stayed exactly the same for the whole season. They all felt like something someone with a great Idea started but had no time to finish.
(Safari Planet)One easy level jump trail is about 2min long and is made up of a A/B line style wide switchback paths. It is AWESOME for about the first 10-20 seconds. Then it becomes just a wide dirt bike path down a hill. There are 3 jumps before the first turn and 1 later in the trail. That leaves 80% of the rest of the trail with nothing but a very wide dirt hard packed path. I imagine the idea was to have the COP staff continue to finish the rest of the jumps.
LazarFade is a mess. It is the Black/Experienced trail. It has a mixture of extremely tight berms and small jumps. It has a lot of potential but lacks the finished polish that is the bane of the new COP.
I hate being on of the Haters who complain in this forum but I have been riding at COP for over ten years now. I organized and built the very first Dual Slalomn course there years ago. I also built the next thee after that. I invited every rider I met to races to try and get COP bigger. Our weeknight races became very popular. COP began to take us seriously, and the result was a full fledged MTB park. Years later the park saw a great renovation by a very dedicated trail crew. They built wooden stunts and jumps and did there best to make a bike park when bike parks were new and knowbody knew exactly what to do. However, like all things COP the management rides on the hard work of a few people for a couple of years and things started to wear out. Trails got stale, and stunts stated to get sketchy. With more and more beginner riders thing get dangerous and COP calls in the gravity guys. They came they planned, they started and they left. I assume they thought that the COP trail crew would finish the stuff they started.
The problem; the management at COP doesn't care. I know the COP trail crew has it's heart in the right place too. However every time someone comes out and does something great like the Gravity Logic guys or they guys before them or me before them. COP management lets it all fall apart. This year was one of the worst years at the park because nothing felt finished.
Ya COP was frustrating this year. The idea was there but it just didn't get finished. The DH wasn't ready untill late summer, the "Woodward" trail never materilized, Lazerfade, once finally completed, lacked good flow and Safari had all kinds of space for more jumps but....Mitchbike is right, it's the managements fault. Here's hoping for "New in '09..."
I completely agree with mitchbike. I was also around when C.O.P. first started doing the mountain bike park. I would come out for the dual races and for many years I bought a seasons pass. C.O.P. was perfect for after-work riding on week nights!
I was excited to hear about the new trails last summer... but something told me I should hold off on purchasing a another pass before riding the new trails. I'm glad I held off. What a complete disappointment! I haven't been back since. I understand that they are trying to go after a different market. However, it's unfortunate that C.O.P. couldn't have maintained an area for the more advanced riders who want to be challenged and don't want to be literally running in to small children stopped all over the trail. They ripped all the fun out of the hill. Until something changes, I don't plan on coming back.
I was excited to hear about the new trails last summer... but something told me I should hold off on purchasing a another pass before riding the new trails. I'm glad I held off. What a complete disappointment! I haven't been back since. I understand that they are trying to go after a different market. However, it's unfortunate that C.O.P. couldn't have maintained an area for the more advanced riders who want to be challenged and don't want to be literally running in to small children stopped all over the trail. They ripped all the fun out of the hill. Until something changes, I don't plan on coming back.
What is the deal with Winter Park? All this advertising about the Trestle park and all this hype with Spankwork but no REAL bike park. There are just one or two routes top to bottom at Winter Park and they're not really of Whistler quality.
Winter Park (Trestle Bike Park) has been in the USFS Approval Process for quite some time. They have received some approvals recently and construction on the approved trails began in September/October when the bike park was closed. Expect positive changes from what you once saw there in the future.
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Last time I went to winter park which was this past summer, I was un impressed with the riding quality there. It was a super d mountain. And when I got to that big wallride that was the only fun part. I say gravity logic should leave winter park to be famous for maryjane moguls and look into making some dh runs at steam boat. I went there on my dh and ther was uphill but I was so impressed at the flow of all of the single track that I would have rather rode there than winterpark anyday. Also, there was an awesome local pirate trail that was extremely steep and loamy wiht a decent booter at the end. That is a quality mouintain for sure, probably has solvista potentinal in it.
Bachelor in Oregon...your kidding right, they haven't ever allowed biking there...if they do that is the end of Willamette Pass.
Yeah, it will be sad to see willamette pass end, that place is reason i started doing DH and freeride. I bet Bachelor will be way better though.
Visited Winter Park This past summer and loved it there are runs top to bottom but if you explore longtrail you can find some out of the way sick trails. Whistler hasent made it there yet but it looks like development will improve Steamboat would be an awsome site for some Gravity Logic
You have to remember, the main reason that some of the trails were never finished was dude to extremely wet weather at the start of the season when gravity logic was here. the guys do an amazing job but, when the ground gets that muddy and wet there really isn't a whole lot that can be done. look forward to seeing some new wooden stunts on dragon slayer this year (should be more like the old COP style trails), and the finishing of safari planet along with some changes to laser fade to add some more flow.
COP is an inner city bike park in the middle of the praries, there is no way you can even begin to compare it to a mountain bike meca such as whistler. Trust me, management does care... they dropped over $50,000 into the park last year and will be putting even more into it this coming season, not to mention alot of them are riders here. bike parks and trails take time to get right, and with COP completely re-designing the park last year with extremely tight time restraints it's more than acceptable for things not to be perfect. It's just gonna get better from here.
hope to see you all out there this spring!
COP is an inner city bike park in the middle of the praries, there is no way you can even begin to compare it to a mountain bike meca such as whistler. Trust me, management does care... they dropped over $50,000 into the park last year and will be putting even more into it this coming season, not to mention alot of them are riders here. bike parks and trails take time to get right, and with COP completely re-designing the park last year with extremely tight time restraints it's more than acceptable for things not to be perfect. It's just gonna get better from here.
hope to see you all out there this spring!
That sounds great but Cop every year says the exact same kind of thing where lots of changes and improvements are to be built in the park so we all get our hopes up and then one month or so passes and nothing gets built and you guys end up not building and not being true to your word! I really hope that what you said about the trails this year are going to be true because it sounds really good and exciting but if you guys don't do the changes I know many people will not show up this year as much to go ride, the 2009 Canada Olympic park forum thread is proof. Hopefully along with the changes will also mean the trails are all buffed like new and the lips on the old jumps could be reshaped to a degree for a more fun riding experience because the jumps right at the end of the season were in horrible shape, the best way to make sure these promises are fulfilled is to have another volunteer day, so many people showed up for last years and the park had lots of good work to it and it turned out great for a bit. Oh and we all hope the dirt jumps this year are better then last years (like they were fun for a bit but definitely not as good as previous years and when you guys reshaped them was really great untill kids started rolling the lips again) And hopefully not built lateish into the season but hope you guys do a great job working on the park this year and I know myself and the rest of the Calgary bike community would be more then happy to help with you guys in every step, Thanks.
mt Bachelor bike park that would be cool but its a cinder cone you gonna truck dirt in willamette pass will never die shame on you guys
so stoked to have park in my back yard big thanks heres a link to the new vid updates of the park http://www.pinkbike.com/video/85898/dont bother with the other edits there not that great
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