Cindy Devine: "Ticket to Ride" - Cultivation of a Champion
Our May 2021 Speaker Series presentation was with mountain biking legend, Cindy Devine.
Cindy shared her journey of becoming a world class athlete and how her active childhood set her up so well to become a world champion. She also reflected on the ways that mountain biking has changed over her years in the sport, and her experience as a female racer in the early mountain biking scene throughout North America. Cindy is a living legend, and we're lucky that she's chosen Rossland as her home!
Cindy shared her story on Zoom on May 19, 2021. Sarah Taekema-Slot, Rossland Museum Research Manager, hosted the presentation.
THANK YOU TO THE TRAIL & DISTRICT ARTS COUNCIL AND GABRIELLA’S RESTAURANT FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM!
About Cindy Devine:
Cindy Devine - “Queen of the Downhill” - is a local legend. By accident, she found herself in the heart of the Canadian mountain biking scene in Deep Cove, BC and quickly realized she had a knack for the sport. After only 3 years on a mountain bike (and many wins already to her name), Cindy won the first official World Championship downhill title in 1990!
By 1992, Cindy had captured one Gold and two Bronze World Championships Downhill medals, three Kamikaze Downhill titles, 3 Canadian Downhill National Championship titles, and the classic “Desert to Sea” 150-mile mountain bike race win (Palm Springs to San Diego). To this day, Cindy is celebrated for her role as a racer, mentor, ambassador, and for elevating the sport of mountain biking in Canada.
Fellow Canadian mountain biker Elladee Brown wrote that “Cindy’s world-class accomplishments, professionalism, and sheer talent provided inspiration and motivation for many other successful Canadian mountain bikers […] Ask anyone in this country about Cindy Devine – everyone, and I mean everyone, will agree that she was the first mountain biker from this country to bring the sport to another level. Her notoriety as a racer and ambassador has influenced so many people to experience the sport in this country…she is an integral part of the history of mountain biking in Canada. Her career will forever be remembered in Canada, and throughout the world.”
Cindy retired from racing in 1994 as 5-time undefeated Canadian National Downhill Champion. She continues to stay involved in mountain biking and has also returned to her rehabilitation medicine career with a successful consulting company here in Rossland.
A video recording of Cindy’s presentation is here:
Cindy’s presentation also included two video clips that may be easier to watch directly, so are included below.
1) Canadian Tire Mountain Bike Championships 1989 at the Kelso Conservation Area in Milton, ON.
Races shown are the Banff Designs Uphill Sprint, and the Koala Springs Dual Downhill featuring Cindy Devine vs. Elladee Brown.