Simon French of Dirt Art, Maydena Bike Park and More - Mountain Biking Straight out of Tasmania #84

Trail EAffect Episode 84 Simon French of Dirt Art and Maydena Bike Park in Tasmania

Rounds One and Two of the Enduro World Series kicks off in Tasmania for 2023
Simon French Back Story
Dirt Art Trail Building Company
Maydena Bike Park Story
- World Heritage Site / Area
- The History of this site / tourism venture by the Government
- Hosting National Championships at Maydena Bike Park
- The Trail Experience at Maydena Bike Park
The Planning that went into Maydena Bike Park
- Permitting and other hurdles
- Other adversity faced during the build of the bike park
How Simon dealt with all the adversity when planning and building out Maydena Bike Park
What it took from a logistics and man power perspective to build out Maydena Bike Park
Getting additional land access for beginner trails and skills areas
Lessons, Bike Rental, Uplift, 2 restaurants, and everything else needed for a full-service experience
Travel Tips for those looking to travel to Tasmania
Logistics and Trail Building when building around the world
The Australian Riding scene
The break down of employees within the companies that Simon is involved with
Building in the “Walking” / Hiking Trail area – 100 km Trail Projects
Using Helicopters to deliver materials to remote project sites
Simon and his current trip to Whistler / Crankworx
- Working with Global Partners in the industry
- Networking with the rest of the industry in the northern hemisphere
The National Ski Area Association Downhill Bike Park Summit Conference
The advantage and disadvantages of building a bike park that isn’t part of a ski area
The advantage of having the Mountain Bike Community feel at Mountain Bike Specific Parks
Trail Communities and what they mean to Simon
Meetings and what it took to introduce the Maydena Bike Park Concept to the locals and community of Maydena
- How it has changed Maydena as a community
Reflecting on where Mountain Biking was in the 90’s vs Now
Off on a tangent about Kids Bikes today
Words of Wisdom by Simon
- The Mountain Bike Experience at Bike Parks
Trail Building is a legitimate industry and the wages in the industry
Closing Comments

Links discussed in the show:

Dirt Art: https://www.dirtart.com.au/

Maydena Bike Park: https://www.maydenabikepark.com/

Elevation Parks: https://www.elevationparks.com/

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Links:

Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com

Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com

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