Board of Directors

I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, but left the hard-working folks of Steeltown for The Shore in March of 2020; these mountains have since been my home. Cycling has always been a cornerstone of my life. No riding, though, has been so rewarding or fun as dropping into a chute of dirt, root, and rock

The Shore’s trails are built upon many histories, layered like the soil below and intertwined as the roots embedded therein: enduring First Nations’ habitation; colonial settlement; old growth forestry; residential development; and recreation. Just as these histories are ever-present and interacting, each trail has its own unique origin and past that continues to change and develop with the builders, riders and seasons.

Legends of mountain biking who still ride and build on Fromme, Cypress, and Seymour made North Shore riding world-famous. To keep these trails world-class, sustainable, and accessible requires a commensurate community effort—the NSMBA exists for this purpose. As President, alongside our dedicated directors, volunteers, and staff, I aim to make these trails (present and future) trails for all, and trails forever.

jamesnadel@nsmba.ca / Q&A with James 

I’ve been living and working on the North Shore for the better part of a decade, and am proud to call it home and raise my family here. In my professional life, I’m the host of the Front Lines MTB Podcast, a bi-weekly show aimed at Trail Advocates, Builders and Non-profit volunteers and employees. In addition, I work as the Community Manager at Trailforks, where I work with over 1400 Trail Associations all over the world.

I’m passionate about trails and the people who recreate on them. Like public libraries, trails are not only a crucial community asset, but a public right. But unlike our roads and social services, I believe they should always be maintained and managed by the community. Having community members maintain an integral community asset, provides us with the opportunity to learn, grow and socialize; ensuring a legacy of stewardship for generations to come. Like everything it starts with the youth. The future of Mountain Biking, and the trails in general, will be determined by the generation that follows us but like building or maintaining a trail we can still play a huge roll in pointing that path in the right direction.

brent@nsmba.ca

I was born and raised in Vancouver and have been riding on the shore since I was a kid. I can be found, more often than not, smashing out a loop on our local hills. I spent 10 years away, living in the San Francisco Bay Area for work, then moved back to Vancouver 2 years ago. I always knew the shore was a special place, but it was my time away that made me truly appreciate the amazing trails in our own backyard. Seeing first hand the challenging and legally precarious state of trail systems in places like California, made me realize the importance of strong advocacy and community building work. Moving back home has been phenomenal, and it is a joy to take my children (ages 7 and 11) down trails that I rode down as a kid.

For employment, I’ve been a software engineer and business leader for most of my career. I’m currently running a small company called ChopShop (https://chopshop.co) that helps people and businesses make great video content. Before that I worked in San Francisco at Twitter as a software engineer and then as an engineering manager, building the advertising platform.

I’m super excited to be on the board and I look forward to chatting on the trails.

colin@nsmba.ca

I started mountain biking over a decade ago when I moved to Vancouver from Ontario for grad school. Considering the major falls, bruises and tears that first year, it’s surprising it’s become such a big part of my life. But the community, the trails and the adrenaline rush just can’t be beat.

I moved to North Vancouver four years ago specifically to be closer to the mountains and now I use the trails on the North Shore almost every day to ride, run or walk my dog. I’ve been so impressed with the work the NSMBA has done over the past several years, I’ve decided to get more involved. My day job involves permitting and managing environmental aspects for the development, construction and operation of renewable energy projects in Western Canada, which involves a lot of regulatory work, government relations, stakeholder consultation and First Nation relationship building. I plan to transfer these skills as your new Director of Advocacy.

isabelle@nsmba.ca

I moved to Vancouver from Winnipeg in 1989. In Winnipeg, I was an avid runner and sailor so Vancouver was a natural fit for the water but I never knew I would love the trails as much as I do. Trail running led to Knee Knackers trail race, trail knowledge led to hiking and climbing and the local North Shore mountains led to backcountry skiing and snowshoeing. I moved to the North Shore in ’93,  and for the last 15 years, the majority of my time is spent on my mountain bike, with my dog, my neighbours or my friends. Now, most vacations up and down the coast include riding, my wife rides with all her friends, and it’s one of the few things that makes me scream and laugh like a 7-year-old again.

In the last 5 years I’ve joined the NSMBA and helped out building trails but feels like it hasn’t been enough. I’ve realized trails don’t build themselves. As a Director of the NSMBA, I want to grow the membership and the rider engagement that will allow all existing and newly introduced riders to enjoy the use of the trails forever.

My background is in Sales, Product Marketing, Consulting and designing superior Customer Experiences through technology. I’m looking forward to continuing and contributing to the excellent work the NSMBA has delivered to date and going forward.

ken@nsmba.ca

My mother was a ski instructor in the Laurentians well into her seventies, so the mountains have always been an integral part of my life. I wanted more than Quebec could offer, so in 2007, I followed my dream to live on the west coast. 

I sold my house, law practice and everything I owned, which would not fit into my station wagon to make my way to Whistler. It was here where I fell in love with mountain biking and subsequently my wife, who I met through weekly community social rides. 

My passion for biking has grown to cyclocross, road riding and squeaky dinosaur bells on my now eight-year-old daughter’s mountain bike. When not riding, I work as an employment and labour lawyer in Vancouver. 

The best way to get to know your community is through volunteering. When I lived in Whistler, I was a social ride guide (I got my PMBIA Instructor level 1) and later the membership director for the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association (WORCA) until my daughter was born. I was also a volunteer ski patroller for Blackcomb Mountain for 14 years, a Weasel Worker during the 2010 Olympic alpine events and a director with the Whistler section of the Alpine Club of Canada.

We moved to Lynn Valley in 2019, just before the pandemic. A perfect excuse to work and school from home, getting all of us out into the mountains every chance we get.

I am excited to be part of the North Shore Mountain Bike Association board, sharing my passion for people and promoting environmental stewardship through sport.  

steven@nsmba.ca