When all is said and done, UNREAL could measure roughly 200,000 square feet of action sports facilities, with much of the area dedicated to bikes. UNREAL founders Goe Novello and Jerrod Hoskins are currently navigating permitting and construction, getting input from legendary slopestyle athletes, and pushing to open portions of the park by spring 2027.
200,000 square feet of progressivity
“The indoor building is approximately 160,000 square feet, with roughly another 40,000 square feet of outdoor riding area currently contemplated,” Hoskins told Singletracks. “At that scale, UNREAL should be among the largest purpose-built indoor action-sports facilities of its kind.”
On the UNREAL website, Hoskins boasts his new adventure as “North America’s largest indoor bike park.” On a world scale, he thinks it will be among the largest as well. But according to Hoskins, it isn’t so much about the size of the facility. He mentioned that there are many facilities with pump tracks, jumps, and other indoor training features. Instead, Hoskins hopes the quality of the interior design will set UNREAL apart.
“What we’re trying to do differently is put all of those pieces together under one roof in a facility designed specifically around progression and action sports.”
As a mostly indoor facility, the term “trail” isn’t quite fitting for UNREAL. Hoskins said that the philosophy of the “lines” at the bike park is progression. “I don’t want someone walking into UNREAL for the first time, looking at a giant jump and thinking, ‘Well, I guess this isn’t for me.’ There should always be another step.”
Hoskins explained that for mountain bikers in particular, the progression system will be pretty straightforward. Riders can expect progression-oriented mountain bike terrain and jump lines, essentially starting small and working up to larger features. Different airbag landing options are also in the mix, providing a softer landing, especially for those who want to progress with tricks.
And the jumps and other features will get fairly large. While he wants a place for riders of all levels, he also wants the scale of the jumps to be evident. “We want experienced riders to walk in and immediately realize this is not a children’s indoor recreation center with a couple of bike ramps added to it,” Hoskins explained.
Hoskins didn’t exactly specify height and distance in specific numbers, but mentioned “high-level slopestyle features.” This is where UNREAL has been getting input from professional freeride and slopestyle athletes like Brett Rheeder. Specifically regarding Rheeder’s input, Hoskins said they are considering a pro line that would serve as a magnet, attracting various pro slopestyle athletes to train at the facility.
Along with jump lines, Hoskins mentioned pump tracks and a BMX race training area. He said that UNREAL will have a four-rider race-training format rather than trying to squeeze an enormous full-size BMX track indoors. Perhaps this could also serve to revive interest in four-cross racing.
UNREAL will also feature outdoor dirt jump lines and pump tracks.
More than bikes
“Bikes are obviously a massive part of it, but UNREAL is much bigger than just a bike park,” Hoskins said. The facility will also include rock climbing, a gym, martial arts facilities, a skate/scooter park, a golf simulator, axe-throwing, restaurants, and more. Hoskins explained that the hope behind UNREAL is that people will want to stay for the entire day, not just a few hours to ride.
UNREAL will feature social and spectator spaces where people can hang out and watch. Hoskins feels this will be a perfect place for parents to watch kids ride or watch pro athletes practice new tricks.
“You could be eating lunch or having a beer and watching somebody throw something ridiculous on a bike below you.”
A place for the pros
Hoskins and Novello hope UNREAL will become a place pro mountain bikers seek out for freeride and slopestyle training.
“Canada produces an absurd amount of talent in freeride and slopestyle considering the climate our athletes train in,” Hoskins said. “The problem is obvious: when winter arrives, serious progression becomes much harder. UNREAL gives those athletes the possibility of having a legitimate year-round progression facility in Canada.”
In the long term, Hoskins sees UNREAL as a practical solution for winter training for athletes in the Northern Hemisphere. Already, we see many of these riders head to places like New Zealand when winter weather hits the north. Although it may not be as warm outside, an indoor facility in Calgary might be more practical and a bit easier on the wallet.
And they are already building relationships with riders of that caliber in Canada, as well as looking to the next batch of developing riders. They are hopeful about the relationship and input from Rheeder, but already have a strong list of ambassadors supporting the project — Ben Thompson, Mia Moore, and Connor Hoskins, to name a few.
They also have mountain biking’s hype man, Brett Tippie, at their disposal. “He’s going to be an important part of bringing our event calendar and the personality of the place to life.”
But it won’t be without its challenges. Earlier this summer, we reported on a BC indoor bike park that closed its doors for the summer season. Simply put, fair weather conditions caused numbers to dwindle. We wondered if Hoskins and UNREAL feared the same.
“Our answer isn’t to compete with the mountains in July,” Hoskins replied. “I’m not trying to convince somebody that riding indoors is better than spending a beautiful summer day riding in the Rockies. UNREAL can serve a different purpose in summer. We have outdoor dirt jumps and pump track riding planned. We can host camps, competitions, training programs, kids’ programs, and events.”
And that is a major part of the vision. Yes, UNREAL wants to be the place where the pros go to train. But Hoskins emphasizes the importance of providing a place that gets kids on bikes and helps them fall in love with riding.
Who knows, maybe the next “Brett Rheeder” will have their roots at UNREAL.
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