It’s That Time of the Year: Support Santa Cruz Trails & Win An Ibis

March 18, 2025 – Today, Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) announced its first bike sweepstakes of 2025 with longtime partner Ibis Cycles (Ibis). The nonprofit has teamed up with the local high-end mountain bike brand to raise funds for the beloved Flow Trail in Soquel Demonstration State Forest and give away any mountain bike in the Ibis lineup to one lucky trail supporter. The “Dig Demo” sweepstakes runs from today, March 18, until Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Interested parties may learn more about the sweepstakes and enter to win the Ibis mountain bike here.

10 Years Later, Flow Trail’s Getting a Makeover

Funds from this sweepstakes support real-time trail improvements on Flow Trail in Soquel Demonstration State Forest. Flow Trail opened in 2015, and receives around 50,000 trips per year. It is, simply put, one of the most iconic trails in the Bay Area mountain bike scene. SCMTS and Ibis teamed up to fund the initial build 10 years ago, and in 2025, their partnership will fuel the next generation of upgrades to the classic trail.

“We’re going back to our roots with this work,” said Matt De Young, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship. “Flow Trail is our legacy trail, and while the initial build provides thrills and fun, this new evolution of Flow will bring the trail to modern standards with bigger features and improved ride lines.”

SCMTS’ professional Trail Crew will be out on Flow Trail with heavy machinery (like mini excavators) throughout the 5-week campaign, and complete major trail improvements, including:

• Rebuilding berms throughout the trail

• Building or rebuilding jumps that have deteriorated since Flow Trail’s original construction

• Realigning segments of trail to improve the overall riding experience

• Repairing braking bumps

• Resurfacing sections of trail tread

Dig Demo with SCMTS

In addition to professional trail work, SCMTS will also host ongoing volunteer events in Soquel Demonstration State Forest as a part of this fundraising campaign. Volunteers are welcome to sign up for weekly “Demo Days” events on select Fridays as well as a large-scale Dig Day on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The Dig Day is one that folks won’t want to miss – in addition to a day of fun out on the trails, SCMTS will also host an end-of-season celebration to close out the Dig Day season with a bang.

“Flow Trail’s become a can’t-miss destination here in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and we’re thrilled to once again team up with SCMTS to bring upgraded features and fun into Soquel Demonstration State Forest,” said Tom Morgan, President at Ibis Cycles. “Each Ibis bike is inspired by the world-class riding that takes place here in Santa Cruz; our partnership with SCMTS is our way of giving back to the trails that support us every day.”