A day of digging, fresh dirt and community spirit as Helly Hansen Workwear supports the volunteers who keep Squamish’s mountain bike trails running.
words & photos :: Ben Haggar
It’s a crisp morning and the sun is shining off the bright fall colours, there’s fresh moisture in the soil and a dusting of snow on the mountains—the perfect conditions for a day of trail building. It’s Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association’s (SORCA‘s) ninth dig day of the year and it’s likely that the keen volunteers checked the forecast too, as we’re a group of 45 strong (the highest turnout of the season thus far). It could also be that this is the first dig day that dog owners are allowed to bring four-legged friends but more likely it’s that Helly Hansen Workwear is on scene.
As you may have already guessed, Helly Hansen Workwear (HHWW) is the burly trades apparel division of Helly Hansen (HH). Well known for sailing, skiing and outdoor apparel, HHWW focuses specifically on high-performance clothing and PPE for professionals in the trades and light industry to withstand demanding environments while emphasizing comfort, mobility and weather protection.
Many of the technical fabrics and innovations developed across the Helly Hansen brand—such as the HELLY TECH® waterproof/breathable construction and advanced layering systems—are incorporated into its workwear products that just so happen to be perfect for trail building. The HH crew kitted out 10 SORCA event organizers and sponsors, plus their top 10 volunteers, head-to-toe in performance workwear for the event.
Today’s project is Brodown, a critical link connecting mid and lower Diamond Head with fast singletrack, jumps and berms. We head down to the first pin flags denoting an area in need of some love and get to work opening up the entrance to a sweeping downhill corner. Our group of 10 includes Brand Activation Manager for Helly Hansen Canada Courtney Tennant and her husband Jordan who are both avid riders and pros at putting on events for HH. This isn’t their first foray into trail-building days, having supported volunteers with WORCA (Whistler), KBRA (Kamloops) and UROC (Cumberland) with potential to expand support in BC, across Canada and into the US.
We’re knee-deep in red rot from removing an old log and a few of us feel bad (but not that bad) about dirtying up our new gear, but that’s what we’re here for and it’s what these clothes are built for. Tennant comments, “Everything [Helly Hansen] does as a brand is rooted in working with and earning the trust of professionals. Our mission is that ‘we make professional-grade gear to help people stay and feel alive’ and trail builders are a great example of that. They’re out there working hard in all kinds of weather and conditions, so they need gear they can trust and rely on.”
“Our mission is that ‘we make professional-grade gear to help people stay and feel alive’ and trail builders are a great example of that. They’re out there working hard in all kinds of weather and conditions, so they need gear they can trust and rely on.”
I’m just excited to have a pair of work pants that don’t feel like they’re made from cardboard, but each piece of kit is flexible (great for longer hikes into work areas) and durable (see: kneeling on rocks and dirt for hours) while wicking away sweat as we grunt and push the massive log off the trail and into the bushes.
With a long-term vision, Tennant explains that this isn’t a one-and-done event: “There are multiple ways in which Helly Hansen Workwear is excited to support SORCA, and we are exploring the potential of direct cash contributions and plan to hook [paid trail crew] up with our Helly Hansen Pro Program, which will give them access to both our Workwear and Sport product lines. There is always an opportunity for more gear donations.”
BC’s trail networks are built and maintained on the backs of volunteers and HH understands that supporting this unpaid workforce at the grassroots level is key for keeping the stoke alive for builders and trails running well for everyone else. “What I love about this project is how that story comes full circle: the work [trail builders] do creates trails that the wider community can get out and enjoy, giving riders and trail users their own opportunity to ‘Feel Alive,’” adds Tennant.
