In the beginning...

In 1998, mountain biking was already an internationally recognised sport in its own right. It was already an Olympic medal sport, had an international governing body (already for 8 years in the US!), dozens of national governing bodies all over the world, movies, magazines - heck, in 1998, Ned Overland's pro career had been over for two years! But Thunder Bay - with such great mountain bike terrain - still had no real mountain bike series of which to speak. Sure, there were races every once in a while, but there was little care put in to them, and the attendance reflected it. Mountain biking, for all its successes, was still considered a 'fringe' sport, the ugly cousin of road and touring.

The local high schools had a great mountain biking series - but it ended in early June. Some students would scratch their racing itch during the summer months by travelling south of the border to compete in NORBA and MNSCS races. They would return from these intensely fun, big, well run, well marked, competitive races with tons of prizes only to get depressed by Thunder Bay's meagre offerings.

So, in 1998, a group of high school-aged riders started a ten-race points series with local shop sponsorship, and called themselves 'The Black Sheep' after the 1970's TV show about WWII fighter pilots (and because it sounded cool). It was an instant success. How could it not be?

Fast forward TWELVE years . . .

The Black Sheep has changed a lot over the years. Although cross country MTB events are still our most popular, we run a successful downhill race series, and for the first time in 2009, we added two "Super-D" races to the event roster. Super D is a short, predominantly downhill (with some uphill sections) cross country race on slightly more challenging terrain than a typical XC race (but easier than DH terrain).

Black Sheep started as a racing club and racing still runs deep within our membership. Our 2010 event schedule includes 16 series races and multiple Squadron events. However, it is important to note that our series races are also great fun. They provide members with opportunities to chat with other cycling enthusiasts, to grow as riders, and to enjoy post-race draw prizes. We also run a number of less competitive events and activities (including Sunday pre-rides/group rides) where the focus is having fun, encouraging fitness and development of cycling skills, and learning about our local trails. One of our goals is to ensure that a Black Sheep member won't have to race to feel like a member of the Club and will receive great value for the membership fees they pay.

We've worked hard to make the 2010 season a great one and we hope you enjoy it. As always, we're open to advice and suggestions for improvement so if you have any, please direct them to the appropriate member of the Black Sheep Leadership Team below.

Join us! Visit the Membership page or contact us at:

Black Sheep Cycling Club
Suite # 308
307 Euclid Ave.
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7E 6G6

Or call our hotline at 624-4270.

The Black Sheep Leadership Team

The Black Sheep Leadership Team (Executive and Coordinators) is a group of volunteers dedicated to the practical and operational affairs of the Club. That includes everything from critical (but somewhat mundane) requirements like budgets, banking, insurance, risk management, and memberships, to much cooler responsibilities such as course setting, trail maintenance, and running events. The Black Sheep Leadership Team loves biking and racing, wants the sport of cycling to flourish in Thunder Bay, and knows the Club is a key to achieving this vision.

After a few lean years, we are pleased that a number of new individuals have stepped up to assist with Club leadership. However, there are a couple positions still vacant. If you're interested in assisting, please contact Mike Del Nin.

The 2010 Black Sheep Executive:

President: Mike Del Nin
Vice-President: Karen Lacosse
Secretary: Maeghan Tofinetti
Treasurer: Mark Plata
XC Co-Directors: Kevin Paradis and Will Takacs
DH Co-Directors: Chris Lacosse & Terry Melnick
Sponsorship Director: Mike Del Nin
Communications Director: Vacant

The 2010 Blacksheep Coordinators:

Course Preparation & Maintenance - DH: Chris Lacosse & Terry Melnick
Course Preparation & Maintenance - XC: Gerald Hamm
Group Rides: Matt Lapointe
Special Events: Maeghan Tofinetti
Squadron - Kevin Paradis
Timing and Results: Duane Wallace
Volunteers: Vacant
Website: Will Takacs

The Blacksheep Leadership Team is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting, usually held in November.