The surfers and snowboarders behind Beyond Boarding are connected to the land and sea.
After all, they skim along the surfaces of both pretty much year round.
Starting this week and stretching well into the summer, Beyond Boarding co-founder and 91原创 resident Desiree Wallace along with Landon Yerex from Courtenay will combine their passion for outdoor sports and environmental activism by cycling from Fort 91原创 to Sacred Headwaters, a vital ecosystem between Iskut and Dease Lake.
Their hope is to bring to light the ongoing efforts of First Nations people to keep the piece of land in northwestern B.C. pristine.
The goal of Beyond Boarding芒鈧劉s Cycle to the Sacred Bike Tour is to generate financial and social support for what Wallace describes as 芒鈧揳 group of land defenders,芒鈧� the Klabona Keepers, in the Sacred Headwaters.
Klabona Keepers is an organization of Tahltan elders and families who occupy and use traditional lands near Iskut, known as Tl芒鈧劉ab脛聛ne, the Sacred Headwaters of the Stikine, Nass, and Skeena Rivers.
芒鈧揟hey are three of the most prominent, wild salmon bearing rivers in all of B.C.,芒鈧� Wallace said.
Thousands of people from the northern Interior to the coast depend upon the health of these three watersheds for their livelihood and for the well-being of their families and communities, Wallace noted.
芒鈧揟he Sacred Headwaters continues to be at risk,芒鈧� she added. 芒鈧揥ithout Tahltan consent, the government has given an exploratory permit to Fortune Minerals, a mining company with a plan to turn Klappan Mountain into an open-pit anthracite coal mine, 4,000 hectares in size.芒鈧�
According to Wallace, the project plan includes building 147 kilometres of railway through the headwaters to export the coal, and a 112-km power line linking the mine to the Northwest Transmission Line, 芒鈧搖ndoubtedly causing irreversible destruction of a vital ecosystem and gem of B.C. The Klabona Keepers need this province芒鈧劉s support at large to protecting it.芒鈧�
The fund and awareness-raiser is sponsored by the Norco John Henry Bikes in North Vancouver, and Wallace and Yerex will be aboard Valence road bikes.
A support vehicle will be driven by Beyond Bording co-founder, 21-year-old 91原创 resident Nicole Kilistoff, who芒鈧劉ll be following along in a Delica van converted to run on waste cooking oil.
Together, they芒鈧劉ll be raising funds through an online fundraising platform and hosting film screenings of Beyond Boarding芒鈧劉s independent documentary, Northern Grease, that features the Klabona Keepers to raise awareness and funds along the route.
芒鈧揟he film features professional level snowboarding, cinematography, and storytelling, and promise to hold audience attention throughout each evening of the tour,芒鈧� Wallace said.
The journey will hopefully bring this issue to light, Yerex said.
芒鈧揑t芒鈧劉s so far north, that people don芒鈧劉t know this issue is even happening,芒鈧� Kilistoff added. 芒鈧揓ust getting people aware, is really important.芒鈧�
During the trip, Wallace, Yerex, and Kilistoff will document stories of indigenous land defenders across the province as well as the landscapes they are protecting through photojournalism and videography.
The trip will take roughly a month-and-a-half to complete. Along the way, they芒鈧劉ll will be stopping at various communities to spread their message, and screen the documentary.
芒鈧揑t will be an interactive journey,芒鈧� Wallace said. 芒鈧揥e will be doing photography and videography to showcase all of the beauty that pervades this amazing province, and kind of what芒鈧劉s at risk, and also showcase indigenous land defenders who are working tirelessly to protect the sustenance of life, basically.芒鈧�
On Sunday, July 13 at the Fort 91原创 Community Hall, Kwantlen First Nation members Kevin Kelly, Michael Kelly Gabriel, Michelle Saul, Ritchie Seward, Dennie Leon, and Lisa Thomas blessed the trio with a noon-hour drum send off.
To donate to the cause online, click .
About Beyond Boarding
Beyond Boarding was started in 2011 by a group of snowboarders, surfers, and other 芒鈧搒elf propelled athletes芒鈧� looking to bridge their passion for their chosen athletic hobbies with a zest for social and environmental activism.
芒鈧揟hat is what Beyond Boarding is all about,芒鈧� Yerex said. 芒鈧揗aking positive change and keeping it fun. Making it attractive to young people.芒鈧�
The group produces films, magazine articles, and online content that showcases its athletes leading the shift towards sustainable and humanitarian lifestyles by example.
Visit the Beyond Boarding website by clicking .
