Mountain bike legend Shaums March will be at the Fozzer of Dozzer to lead a mountainbke instructor course.If you want to become a trail guide this would be a good step in the right direction, plus you get to meet a legend of the sport!
IMBA UK and IMIC partner to bring the International Mountain Bike Instructor Certification to the Forest of Dean on August 20, 21, & 22.
This 3-°©‐day program is the culmination of years of mountain bike instructor training. Originally established in 2003 as the Canadian Mountain Bike Instructor Certification (CMIC) out of British Columbia, the program quickly became the industry standard utilized by resorts and coaching companies throughout the region. Since that time, the CMIC has grown and expanded to become the International Mountain Bike Instructor Certification program with courses offered in North America, Asia, and now the UK & Europe.
Master Coach Shaums March will be leading the course. Shaums, one of the original Red Bull MTB athletes, resume includes 2 Downhill Masters World Championships, 4x selection to USA World Championship MTB Team, 4x Red Bull Rampage competitor, 6x ESPN X-°©‐ Games competitor, Red Bull 5000 Down 2nd Place, & Red Bull Bike Battle 3rd Place.
Shaums’ resume as a coach is equally impressive. Over the past 15 years while not riding and racing, Shaums has run his own mountain bike skills coaching company, Mad March Racing. Students range from beginners and weekend warriors up to World Cup riders including Canada’s Steve Smith, Miranda Miller, & 2010 Junior Women’s World Champion Lauren Rosser, as well as US riders such as Duncan Riffle, Neko Mullaly, Richie Rude, Jr. & Lauren Daney. In fact, during Shaums last visit to the UK, he had an opportunity to work with a young Danny Hart. At the time, an article covering the session ran a caption of a picture of Shaums and Danny stating “The present and future of downhilling together”. How right they were!
From a very early stage, Shaums has also been involved with the CMIC, and includes appearances in their West Coast Style MTB skills DVD’s. After years of working closely with the program, Shaums had the opportunity to take things to the next level. Since taking over the CMIC program, Shaums has extended the availability of the program by adding courses outside of Canada, expanded and revised the coaching material, and included more advanced levels of certification.
The 3-°©‐day Instructor course is designed to train, prepare and certify mountain bike coaches to guide mountain bike groups and conduct beginner level coaching. It focuses primarily on fundamental mountain bike skill instruction. Instructor candidates will learn to appropriately explain, demonstrate, and instruct fundamental mountain biking skills such as body position, braking, cornering, and bike handling skills. Additionally, after completing the course, the IMIC Instructor certification qualifies an individual to:
o Lead individual or group mountain bike rides
o Provide trail side repair support (fix flat, broken chain, shifting adjustments)
o Provide mountain bike instruction on bike basics
o Provide private instruction for beginner level riders
o Organize and instruct beginner level clinics/camps/events
o Provide appropriate bike set up recommendations (bar/seat height, brake/shifter positioning, basic compression & rebound settings)
“Through our work with various mountain bike parks, mountain bike clubs, and bike industry personnel, we had the opportunity to work with some folks from the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Their mission to create, enhance and preserve great mountain biking experiences fits well with our mission to promote safe and effective mountain bike skills training to help successfully grow and bring new people into the sport. Our association with IMBA led us to the opportunity to work with IMBA UK in offering a program tailored to the UK market” according to IMIC Business Manager, Matthew Peloquin. One such benefit is access to £10 million in coaching insurance that comes as part of a current IMBA UK / IMIC certification. Other benefits include online marketing support for coaches, access to standard risk assessment templates, as well as coaching opportunities at IMBA UK events according to Mark McClure, Chairman of IMBA UK.
Requirements include:
o At least 18 years old o 5+ years mountain biking experience
o Basic First Aid certification
o Strong written and verbal communication skills
o Passionate about riding and a strong desire to help others have more fun and progress safely.
o To obtain an IMIC certification, candidates will need to meet the requirements of the certification level, including successfully complete the class, and passing the certification test (written and practical).
Space in the course is limited. Course fee of £500 includes 3 days of instruction, 180 page instructors manual, and IMBA UK membership.
Registration is available at www.imba.org.uk/.
Additional information is available online at www.BeIMIC.com or email at [email protected]
