Vincent Drolet and Laurentides Trailbuilders

Do you know Vincent? This talented rider who shreds the trails in the Laurentians.

No? Ok, yeah that was too general, lots of good riders in the Laurentians, wait...

If I tell you that you won't come across many riders in the Laurentians with such a beautiful moustache?

If you ride in the Laurentians, I'm pretty sure you know him... Or at least you've ridden his signature.

Still not ringing a bell?

Well, I'll tell you about Vincent,

So I'm going to tell you about Vincent and his trailbuilding project in the Laurentians.

While respecting local trail organizations and networks, Vincent is bringing a breath of fresh air to the design and conception of trails in the Laurentian region. Active since 2019, his group Laurentides Trailbuilders aims to build expert level trails and especially to help local organizations with the maintenance of the various networks. Well connected to the pulse of the community and its core members for several years, last summer (2021) he organized several trail work parties to revive and develop the Laurentian trails. The formula is simple, you join the private facebook group Laurentides Trailbuilders, the chores are announced, you show up on site. You have tools? good, bring them! If you don't, we'll put them in your hands and you'll give the trail a makeover in a great atmosphere... Nothing more satisfying than riding a trail you've just cooked, right? The chores are done in a nice and light vibe with riders like you who care about mountain biking in the area. You can already enjoy some of the accomplishments of the group and its members such as the Gyromite at Mont Loup-Garou Park in which the Laurentides Trailbuilders gang gave a lot of arm juice.

With chores requiring the purchase and ongoing maintenance of equipment and fuel for the machinery, Vincent is in the process of creating an NPO to direct funds and make trailbuilding events more official.

This summer you will be able to find Vincent and his team working hard on Monday nights in the various networks in the area to perfect the trails to the delight of all the riders in the area.

Just like mountain biking, the art of trailbuilding comes with its own rituals and Vincent wants to bring a special attention to it with a search for different sponsors. Whether it's for energy drinks, end of day beer, tools, signage or some other form of assistance, the nonprofit is going to need funds and sponsorships to make life more enjoyable for the builders.

Are you in a field that can help Laurentides Trailbuilders and have sponsorships to offer? Contact Vincent, you'll see he's a great guy!

Having recovered from his injury last summer (I won't go into too much detail, but it involved a fractured tibia and fibula in the 1837 at Mont Sainte-Anne) Vincent is gearing up for a busy summer with new trips, enduro races, trailbuilding and travel... We'll keep you posted on his travels ;)

Photo: @alexeroot

We'll post the different chores planned this summer through our networks to keep you connected to the different ones, because we care about the trail networks in the region!

Happy trailbuilding!