Meet Eric! He was the President of the SCC until this past Spring where he passed on the torch. He’s done some amazing work for the club and will continue to provide support and guidance.
I enjoy the freedom a bike provides people of all demographics. Growing up, some of my best memories are on a bike with the neighbourhood kids. My passion for cycling has developed more recently; starting in 2012 with mountain biking and then added a road bike in 2014. Seeing our community of cyclist grow and develop all while building new trails responsibly and advocating for cycling is very exciting. This is the biggest motivator for me and keeps me energized as a member of the SCC.
The rides I currently look most forward to are with my son. Riding single track or rolling along the hub trail it is always an adventure. Realizing that some of the simplest things on a ride can be the topic of conversation for many days reminds me to try to slow down and appreciate that I am turning pedals and having fun.
Meet Ngaire! She’s our Treasurer who makes sure everything is in order and that we have money in the bank. Thanks for all that you do!!!
Mountain biking is my first love but other biking is fun too! I got involved with the Sault Cycling Club Executive to support growing our bicycling community in the Sault for future generations.
I hope to achieve a balance bank book for the club 🙂
A little about myself: My passion is mountain biking. I have had mountain bikes for over 35 years. I love to learn and teach others about mountain biking and the trails. I’m one of the leaders of the Kids Shredding Singletrack (regular and Farm Team editions) program and love getting kids excited about riding bikes and confident on the trails.
I’m married and have two kids (18 and 22 years old).
Why I’m part of the club: A number of years ago, the community was at risk of losing mountain biking access to part of the Hiawatha trail system. I saw the club organize and participate in discussions that ended up securing continued trail access. I wanted to support the club as it advocated for continued riding opportunities. I have been a member ever since and have seen all of the great things that this committed group has done for cycling and for the community. As the trail director I coordinate trail maintenance and communication with landowners to ensure continued trail access.
Why I love biking: I love biking because it helps connect me to the outdoors, to others and to myself. It challenges me mentally and physically – in good ways. Mountain biking in particular connects me to the outdoors and refreshes me.
The Whole Enchilada is back for a third year with a new format! The format may have changed (see below) but the objective is the same… get out and ride the entire Hiawatha trail system.
Do you find yourself always riding the same trails at Hiawatha? Do you know where Swoop, Stickman Drive and Drop Ahead are? The Whole Enchilada challenges you to get out to see and ride (with maybe a little walking) the entire Hiawatha trail system. Ride/walk the segments and then check them off in your downloadable 2020 Whole Enchilada Passport.
This is a mountain bike ride to challenge beginners and intermediates. Don’t worry if you don’t have the skills to ride all of the trails, just walk the tricky bits. We want you to see the full breadth of the trails we have. The only rule is you have to complete all of the segments in 2020. You can break the journey up in to as many, or few, rides as you like.
Success will be measured by how many riders can say “I rode the Whole Enchilada!” at the end of the season. Upon completion of your Whole Enchilada Trail Passport, Sault Cycling Club members will be awarded an official Sault Cycling Club 2020 Whole Enchilada adhesive medal (great for proudly displaying on your bike’s top tube). To claim your prize, send a picture of your completed passport to Peter@SaultCyclingClub.ca
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing you to the Sault Cycling Club Executive so you can get to know a little about who we are and what we aim to achieve by being part of the club.
First up, we want to introduce our Club President, Mark Santana.
Mark is a 2nd Generation Dentist of 33 years. He was born, raised in and returned to Sault Ste. Marie and has a family of 3.
Ever since I can remember, I was in love with all things bikes. Some of my most cherished memories are the smallest details that relate to bikes. I will never forget the Simplex gears and Diacomp brakes of my first real race bike, a Motebecaine. Nor will I ever forget the feeling of moving from road to rugged terrain the first time I tried these new two wheeled devices called mountain bikes in 1984. It was surreal, like a fish discovering land. A bike with 2 inch balloon tires rolling effortlessly over rocks and logs and through creeks. Suddenly the opportunities open to me in a place like Sault Ste. Marie, with so much beautiful wilderness trail were endless. I never wanted to lose the joy a bike presented to me and never did.
I will be 60 this year. I ride on roads and see the endless safe opportunities for commuting and for families to be healthy on bike paths within the city. I ride on gravel and see the possibilities for exploring on camp roads east and north of the city. I shred mountain bikes at Hiawatha, Bellevue Valley and “north shore” at Batchawana and see the endless opportunities for adventure here. But mostly, after so many years, I see how none of this could have happened without the efforts of so many young and young at heart individuals who feel as I do but dedicate so much volunteerism to making it all happen for all of us through the SCC.
As president of the SCC, I want to honour what these great citizens of our community are doing by leveraging this talent. Great citizens make great communities. Through the SCC, and with the support of our city leaders, who understand that the future of our city is in attracting talent to our community, I want to help further our vision- we are an active community, a clean energy community, a cycling community.
