The Westside Wheel Up is commemorating its big 3-0.
On Sept. 8, Whistlerites will flock again to their beloved Westside zone for a jaunt down memory lane, and down some of the region's classic bike trails. Athletes ride at high noon, taking on an old-fashioned cross-country mass start race that organizer Jerome David likens to "a bit of a sufferfest."
The reward for making it through—other than fresh air and honest exercise—is an après at Rainbow Park with food and drinks provided by Nesters Market, Sabre Rentals and the Whistler Brewing Company. Prizes are up for grabs thanks to Fanatyk Co. and Cross Country Connection.
Logging roads are no longer a part of the course. Instead, riders will be treated to singletrack paths for virtually all of the two-hour ordeal, with only one pavement crossing on Alta Lake Road.
"It's just a nice, relaxing, social that people come out and enjoy…though the new people that come to it go: 'oh wow, that was hard,'" said David. "And then there's some kids who take part as well."
David and Benoit Reneault have taken point on the Westside Wheel Up since 2018, when longtime organizer Phil Chew retired. The Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association (WORCA) helps advertise, but is not directly affiliated with the event.
"We're doing the Wheel Up on our own, and we keep it alive for the local racers," David explained. "We've then raised money for different reasons. Last year, we supported a local rider who got injured at the bike park. This is kind of the only race that all the local shops still support, so we have quite a big raffle draw."
This time, all proceeds will go towards the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP). Many Wheel Up riders have helped build Cheakamus' Flashback trail to adaptive standards, and it was completed earlier this year.
'The old-school way'
Ever since its inception in 1994, the Westside Wheel Up has been grassroots to the core—and its people have taken care of their own.
Founder Les Clare put the inaugural Wheel Up together as an alternative to the Cheakamus Challenge, which operated from 1989 to 2011. Clare felt that the Challenge was becoming too commercialized, and that a more local event would be suitable for longtime Sea to Sky denizens. Early iterations of the Wheel Up were indeed dominated by a group of hardcore mountain bikers well-versed in valley terrain.
Around the turn of the century, Clare accidentally fell off a roof during a building project and severely injured his back. Chew stepped in, making the next Wheel Up into a fundraiser for his stricken friend. Registrants banded together to donate approximately $8,000.
Chew knows what it's like to live with—and overcome—disability. Bone cancer treatments necessitated the amputation of his right leg, and at one point he shared a hospital room with Terry Fox. None of that stopped him from becoming a 10-year member of Canada's Para-Alpine Ski Team, and eventually a Canadian Ski Hall of Famer.
Naturally, Chew wanted to support a cause near and dear to his heart. That's why he utilized the Wheel Up as a fundraising vehicle for handicapped athletes during his time coaching British Columbia's adaptive skiing programs.
"All the money that's ever been raised with the Wheel Up has gone to good purposes," Chew said.
This year's registration fee is just $25: a number that has not substantially increased over the past three decades.
"For [Benoit and I], we hope to keep that culture of getting together, riding bikes and having fun for the local community going," David added. "That's the biggest part, and honouring what Phil's done over the years. It's really about mountain bike culture and a little bit of the old-school way."
More details about the 2024 Westside Wheel Up are viewable at https://www.trailforks.com/event/14414/ or the event's Facebook page.
