Photo: Andrea Heath Photography

A rider at last year's qualifier event

Some of the world’s best pump track cyclists will return to Sicamous again this year, with the community chosen to host the 2025 UCI Pump Track World Championships Canada Qualifier.

After a successful first event held last year on the newly constructed Finlayson Park pump track, Sicamous is set to host the competition on June 7.

In the event, riders compete to see who can complete the fastest lap around the track utilizing body weight movements to increase speed over the bumps and around the turns.

Last year's event drew about 500 spectators and nearly 50 competitors as riders competed for qualifying points. The first place rider won an all expenses paid trip to the finals in Durban, South Africa.

Carly Procyshyn, tourism and economic development manager for the District of Sicamous Development Corporation, called last year’s event “amazing.”

After last year’s event, she said Sicamous restaurants and hotels both saw a boost from people coming to attend the event.

“The economic driving point that I really wanted to hit from a tourism standpoint was filling hotels,” she said. “Having our businesses see the economic benefit of investing in events like this that bring people from out of town that are staying one or two nights.”

She said during the weekend of the event, she saw lineups out the door at local businesses.

“They definitely saw the benefit to having this increased traffic in town," Procyshyn said.

Procyshyn promised that with one year under their belt, this year’s event would “grow bigger and better.”

On the Sunday following the main event, top riders offered a free coaching session to help local kids improve and grow their skills.

Riders at the June 7 event will compete for a ticket to the 2025 Pump Track World Championships Final in Monthey, Switzerland, which will be held on Sept. 5.