IMBA recently updated its list of Epic trails, adding new criteria for judging Epic trails both past and future, and we were surprised at some of the trails that are no longer on the official list. Trails that previously appeared on the Epic list but no longer qualify have been given the consolation prize of appearing on the new “Hall of Fame Epics Rides” list, which you can view here.
According to IMBA.com,
IMBA has returned the Epics to the original intent of the designation—demanding, singletrack adventures in a natural setting. The 2013 class of Epics celebrates true backcountry riding experiences that are technically and physically challenging, more than 80 percent singletrack and at least 20 miles in length. All of theses Epics feature offer amazing opportunities to interact with the natural world.
So which trails have been retired? Here are some of the most surprising to us:
- Alafia River
- Bootleg Canyon
- Copper Harbor Trails
- Douthat State Park
- Forks Area Trail System (FATS)
- Kingdom Trails
- Monarch Crest
- Oak Mountain
- Ray’s Indoor Bike Park
- Syllamo
- Switchgrass
- Tanasi Trails
- Telegraph Hills
- Tsali (this one doesn’t appear on either the Epic or HOF Epic list, so we’re not sure what happened to it)
Some of the retirements are obvious given the new criteria (for example, Ray’s Indoor Bike Park certainly has less than 20 miles of trails and it’s not a “natural experience”), but others–like Monarch Crest and FATS–are not so easy to understand.
Which Epic retirement is most surprising to you?
