A film of a world-renowned mountain biker who took on one of Mount Prevost’s most difficult downhill trails is expected to be released by early June.
Rick Martinson, president of the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society, told North Cowichan’s council at its meeting on May 21 that Jackson Goldstone, considered by many to be the fastest downhill mountain bike rider in the world, roared down Mount Prevost’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz” trail in October in a film by Red Bull Films, which films surfing, biking, motorsports, skating, and other sporting events.
Martinson said Goldstone won two world cup races in 2023 in his first year on the mountain-biking circuit and Red Bull wanted to film him on a new trail somewhere that tested his abilities, and he chose Mount Prevost’s Puttin’ on the Ritz trail, after which the film is named.
The Puttin' on the Ritz trail is known for its challenging and exhilarating downhill terrain.
It’s described as having a mix of high speeds, jumps and technical sections and is known for its steep and fast areas.
Martinson said Shimano, a renowned Japanese manufacturer of cycling components, including a wide range of mountain bike parts, contributed $50,000 to the CTSS to enhance the trails on Mount Prevost for the filming.
“Jackson’s got over 300,000 media followers and this film will get really wide attention,” he said. “I saw a bit of a preview of the fantastic views from Mount Prevost of him riding [down the trail] and that will bring some notoriety to Mount Prevost.”
The CTSS has been working for a number of years on a number of the trails on Mount Prevost to have them sanctioned, which means the trails are built and maintained according to specific standards and regulations, and they have been drawing the attention of competitive mountain bikers from around the world ever since.
The society also oversees trail operations on Mount Tzouhalem and Maple Mountain, and their trails have also proven to be an attraction for international mountain bikers.
North Cowichan Coun. Chris Istace, who is a mountain-biking enthusiast, pointed out that Whistler’s Finn Iles, who has won several notable awards and accolades, including the Junior DH Overall World Champion in 2016, chose the trails on Mount Tzouhalem earlier this year to reveal a secretive bike design he had developed, and built by one of the largest bike manufacturers in the world.
“They flew in journalists from across the world and they set up a special secret reveal on Tzouhalem where all these journalists got their first sight of the bike,” Istace said.
As well, Istace pointed out that the mountain bike trails on Cowichan’s mountains are drawing internationally competitive mountain bikers to move here because of the cycling opportunities.
He said Vaea Verbeeck, the top free-ride female in the world who competed in New Zealand last year, is one of them.
“She’s the most elite in the world, and she moved here so she could train year round,” Istace said.
Istace said that Jenn Jackson, the mountain biker who won the Pan American Championships in April in Finca La Lucha, Costa Rica, has also recently moved to the Cowichan Valley so she can train all year round on the local trails.
