This event no longer takes place in Pemberton, BC…2019 marked ‘The Final Chapter’
The Nimby Fifty quickly became one of BC’s premier mountain bike races. This technical cross country mountain bike marathon required all aspects of the biking repertoire. As Edward Witwicki puts it, “it was absolutely loaded with incredible single track.”
With 101 switchbacks, this race was meant for the serious mountain biker. As organizers put it: It’s 34 km, but feels more like 50 km. Exactly.
Nimby Fifty hit maximum capacity after the first year. Organizers say that, considering the amount of single track, 450 is the absolute maximum number of participants they will allow. The terrain is technically challenging — you’re either going straight up or straight down. You’re not going to find a lot of easy cross country in the Nimby Fifty.
Perhaps because of this, some of the top athletes in the world hit this race. Olympian Catherine Pendral, world class athlete Max Plaxton, for example, have raced. “It’s pretty cool,” says understated organizer Dean Linnell.
The epic, crowd appealing free-ride style downhills helped them earn a partnership with Red Bull, a section of the race called “Red Bull Downtime.” It sounded like a resting phase in the race, but, of course, Nimby Fifty style, it’s the exact opposite.
When asked why they put on an event like this, which has been praised for many things, including how well organized it is, Dean Linnell answered simply: “We are just all avid riders and racers and wanted to do our own race. We had been to many events and we knew what comprises a good event. We were able to do it, and so we did.” He’s right. The team that organized the Nimby Fifty worked hard, each contributing their unique skills to host an incredible event.
Russ Wood had years of experience at Whistler Blackcomb, which taught him a thing or two about organizing events. Dean Linnell, a top real estate agent in Whistler, used his awesome people skills to ensure that community members worked together to create a memorable event. His friendship with Jordan Sturdy garnered the use of North Arm Farm for the start of the race, but also for the highly praised after party. And Terry Evans was not only an avid racer, but also a graphic designer and web designer, so he was able to get them dialed in on that front from the starting gates. The team also connected with videographer, Connor Macleod, who had been adding that element to the event for the last couple years.
info@tourismpembertonbc.com
PO Box 602
Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0
Canada
