Retired racer Dave Wiens has been appointed Executive Director of the International Mountain Biking Association. IMBA is the peak global body for trail access and other mountain biking issues.
IMBA has operated in over 30 countries and was active in Australia for some years with a Nick Bowman employed full time as National Director for several years, but the organisation has been struggling for funds and support in recent years.
Wiens joined IMBA's board in January 2016 and was elected chairman in November.
Besides his off road racing career, Wiens is the founder and executive director of Gunnison Trails, a non-profit organization based in Gunnison, Colorado. He is a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and also is an ambassador for the accessories brand Ergon.
Wiens said his priorities as executive director include reaching out to younger riders, who tend as a group not to be joiners, he noted.
“It's no secret that IMBA has had its challenges. IMBA's membership, while strong, hasn't grown a lot. We know there are way more mountain bikers than there are IMBA members. And the landscape is changing as my demographic group is getting older and we approach advocacy and joining groups in a different way than younger folks do,” he said.
The new appointment is effective immediately.
