I’ve really been enjoying the Dual Focus series from Red Bull this summer. The series highlights how winter sports athletes spend their offseason, and how it translates to their respective sports.
The most recent episode features pro skier Michelle Parker and her love for riding dirt in the summer months. Parker provides a unique insight to how mountain biking has actually changed the way she views terrain while skiing. Pretty neat.
Lucky for Parker, she’s native to Lake Tahoe where mountain biking opportunities are in abundance, and an offseason hobby has become a full-on passion for her.
It’s really cool to see how mountain biking has essentially been married to snow sports like skiing and snowboarding. That’s most likely because a number of ski resorts have adopted the sport as a way to bring in money in the offseason, but there’s something to be said about how much skiers and snowboarders love riding bikes in the summer.
We all want a way to get that sensation of flying down a mountain even when there isn’t snow, and mountain biking is the closest thing to it.
Mountain biking is poised to continue to grow. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more resorts across the country offer lift-serviced mountain biking trail in the future.