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Help Save New Zealand’s Most Iconic Jump Park: Gorge Road

Gorge Road is undoubtedly one of the greatest dirt jump parks in the world. It’s so dense with jumps, it doesn’t appear to be real. Since its establishment almost a decade ago, the massive football field-sized bike park is an absolute playground for freestyle riding.

The spot in Queenstown, New Zealand is so appealing because of its immense variety. A home for everyone, Gorge Road offers lines and jumps for everyone from groms to pros. Beloved by slopestyle greats lik Cam McCaul, Brandon Semenuk, and Brett Rheeder, Gorge Road made an appearance in Ant Hill’s film NotBad.

Despite being such a prominent fixture in not only the Queenstown riding community but the industry as a whole, Queenstown Lakes District Council has announced plans to destroy the park according to a petition by local Lowell Smyth.

Using "infrastructure" as the basis for the decision, the loss of the park would be mourned by riders worldwide.

“Gorge is more than a set of jumps. It is a work of art, a labor of love, a training ground for some of the world’s best athletes, and a place for young and beginning riders to discover and progress in a new sport,” Smyth writes in a statement on the petition. “More than anything, it is a home that brings together people from all over the world. Its value to the bike community, and to the character of Queenstown, cannot be overstated. Help us save the best jumps in the world!”

The decision has not been finalized yet, with the opportunity for the council to reconsider. Until then a petition has been circulating to show the landowner the greater value of the park to the community. Speculation is high—thanks to collaboration between the council and Queenstown Mountain Bike Club—that the park will be relocated. Hopefully a positive solution will be achieved and we won’t bear witness to another situation similar to the tragic handling of the Post Office jumps.

About The Author

stash member Katie Lozancich

TGR Staff Writer and photographer. Fond of bikes, pow, and dogs. Originally from Northern CA, home for me has ranged from the PNW to a teepee in Grand Teton National Park.