SORBA Summit invades Tannery Knobs

Join Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association volunteers, land managers, advocates and members in Johnson City on May 15-18 for the 2019 Southern Mountain Bike Summit.Workshops, presentations, panels, networking, socials, bike riding and lots of fun will be had by all. Johnson City and SORBA Tri-Cities are hosting the summit. Participants will have access to a host of awesome local trails, breweries, shops and restaurants, which are all within walking/biking distance from the host hotel, the Carnegie Hotel, 1216 W. State of Franklin Road, Johnson City.The Southern Mountain Bike Summit is a not-to-be-missed event. Nowhere else will you see such a passionate group of mountain bikers in the Southeast meet and work together to create better trail opportunities for all. And you get to ride your bike on the finest trails in the Southeast.Events will be starting May 15 with Chainsaw Certification for Sawyer B – Bucking Only with Chuck Ramsey and Jim Holland. The Bucking Only is a two-day course designed to train volunteers to safely and effectively clear downed trees. A Trail Crew Leader Training Course with Walt Bready is a two-day course for any volunteer who wants to learn the basic technical trail work skills to lead a crew.May 16 will feature a Women's Trail Maintenance & Construction Course with Valerie Naylor. It is a one day course geared toward women. Basic sustainable trail planning, design, construction & maintenance. There will be 2-3 hours of indoor instruction and 3-4 hours outdoor instruction. Chainsaw Certification for Sawyer B – Bucking Only – 2nd day and Trail Crew Leader Training Course – 2nd day.Friday will be Land Manager Day – Advocates and land managers are welcome to attend a series of sessions geared for the land manager. Coffee reception, lunch, group ride and evening social are included. Lunch with Chris Bernhardt. Chris is the principal with C2 Recreation Consulting and former director of field programs for IMBA. Sessions will include Johnson City, A Success Story — Learn how SORBA Tri-Cities, local land managers, property owner, bike shops and IMBA Trail Solutions worked together to create an awesome place to ride. Managing Bicycle Speed on Multi-Use Trails, Valerie Naylor, trails specialist. The Power of Trails and Trends in Outdoor Recreation: Your park, mountain biking and the bottom line. Portland Oregon's Off-Road Cycling Master Plan: The surprising challenges for mountain biking in a cycling paradise. There will be a tour of Tannery Knob Bike Park and the latest trail building techniques, a group ride and evening social.The last day, May 18, is Advocates Day – land managers, SORBA chapter representatives and advocates are welcome to attend sessions geared for advocates. Coffee reception, lunch, group ride and evening social are included. Sessions will include: SORBA board of directors meeting for chapter representatives; National Trails Strategy & 10-Year Trail Challenge – Chris Sporl, director of recreation, wilderness, heritage and partnerships/volunteer resources, USFS Region 8; Thinking Strategically Panel Discussion including MTB Market Analysis – Deb Caffin, trails program leader, USFS Region 8; Jill Van Winkle – Portland, Oregon, Parks & Rec, Working with your Local Government Officials; IMBA is in the House – David Wiens, Patrick Kell and Anthony Duncan: Updates on IMBA and chapter support; Chapter 101: For new chapter leaders; Bike Patrol Training – Kelly Pruitt, SORBA Woodstock; a group ride and evening social.All programs, clinics and sessions are designed to meet the increasing demand from our chapters, land managers and mountain bike communities for developing and maintaining more trails close to home. Visit SORBA Tri-Cities Facebook page for more information.