Professional Builder Profile Interview: Max Van Wie of Backslope Trails in Vermont
Photo by Eric Teed (@eric_teed_photography)
One of the benefits of attending the International Trails Summit last week in Reno was the opportunity to connect with so many different trail builders who started their own companies. I talked with those who’re mere months into their startup and have no other employees, all the way to those who’ve now been doing it for years with numerous office staff and dozens and dozens of hired trail builders. Whether you started three months ago or eighteen years ago, everyone has an origin story.
I am always fascinated to learn about the “spark” … that “a-ha” moment when people decide to turn their dream into a reality. It’s also interesting hearing the lessons learned along the way. When we start something, we often only know what we know at that moment. We don’t know many things, like HR, hiring and firing, insurance, creating a company culture, etc. This is why I love this series. We get the opportunity to peek behind the curtain to learn not only about a company’s origins but what they’re learning and what kind of wisdom they can pass on to others interested in venturing out on their own.
Our latest interview is with Max Van Wie of Backslope Trail Building LLC, based in Johnson, Vermont. I’m excited to bring this interview to you. Enjoy.
Photo by Eric Teed (@eric_teed_photography)
Sean: What are you currently doing?
Max: Currently, I’m in Canton, North Carolina building a mile of trail at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park. I’ve been migrating down south from Vermont the past few winters looking to expand my building season. My friend Peter Mills, owner of Elevated Trail Design, offered to sub me out a section of trail this winter. Everything kinda lined up perfectly with housing and scheduling, and now I’m building down here for a few months. I met Peter a few winters back when I was in Tennessee working on another trail system. We rode his backyard setup a few times, and based on that, I could tell he was the real deal. Building with the dirt down here is something else. I’m pretty stoked.
Sean: What prompted you to take the plunge in launching out and starting your own trail building company?
Max: Ever since I started trail building during summers on a hand crew in the Catskills, I dreamt about doing my own thing. I remember over eight seasons ago talking to my brother about starting a trail business together. We would talk while filling and carrying buckets out of the quarry pit. Our dream then was to buy a bunch of canvas wall tents to create a nomadic crew of badass builders who would work projects all over the country and keep costs super low because we wouldn’t need to worry about machines or housing. That was the first time I really remember talking out loud about creating a business. The plan has changed a bit, but the dream never did. I really wanted to own my own company.
I’ve run trail crews for non-profits and built for a few trail companies in Vermont and Tennessee, including IdeRide Builders and Sinuosity Flowing trails. Throughout my time working and learning with these companies, I was always pretty transparent about my goal of starting my own company. I think this really helped me maintain a good relationship with those guys even when I eventually stopped working for them and started Backslope Trail Building.
Sean: What’s been the craziest story or a-ha moment so far?
Max: One project comes to mind immediately for providing many “a-ha” moments. It was the first large-scale public project that Backslope would build; a large pump track with an integrated jump line on the hillside behind the pump track. I had the opportunity to work one-on-one with the local non-profit SLICK (Saranac Lake Innovative Cycling Kids). I gave them the design in the winter after walking the property and watched as they successfully found all of the grant and fundraising money to turn the design into a reality. Together with my master trail building friend, Andrew (Snorx) Gogan, Backslppe saw the project through every step of the process. It was a million little “a-ha” moments that all came together to show me that Backslope could take on any project. It took me a bit to realize it, but this really built my confidence as a trail entrepreneur.
Sean: What was the biggest obstacle you faced when starting?
Max: Easily, the consistency of work and the potential financial instability that comes with that, especially employing one of my good friends. I dealt with this a lot mentally, just worrying every step of the way about the next move and the next project. Something that I had to learn quickly was how to transfer from one job almost seamlessly to another. Having a week or more off in between is not really acceptable when you have someone on payroll. That means preventative maintenance in the off-season whenever you can squeeze it in. You need to have everything lined up to start work on another project and have everything hauled to that site right away. Having a bunch of smaller projects also makes this more difficult because you aren’t ever in one place for very long. There are a lot of moves to make throughout the season.
On the issue of work inconsistency, I do really need to acknowledge IdeRide Builders and Sinuosity Flowing Trails. I worked for these guys and left on good terms. They both told me that if I ever needed work for Andrew and me, I could work something out with them so we wouldn’t be out cold. That really saved me on one occasion and gave me peace of mind while trying to piece together the first full season.
Sean: What advice would you give to someone thinking of venturing out to start their own trail building company?
Max: You should work for a company that knows how to build proper sustainable trails first! I think a lot that goes into building trails correctly is overlooked. It sometimes seems that anyone with a bike believes they know how to build a trail. In Vermont especially, there are a lot of companies that people are starting who have maybe only built in their backyard or have done one season on another crew. I respect the entrepreneurial mindset, but I think that it’s pretty essential to pump the brakes and learn the basics first. Some guidelines like IMBA trail standards may not be concrete rules but should be understood on some level before taking public or private money to build a trail. Don’t get me wrong, I love backyard setups, but I don’t think anyone is breaking out the clinometer in their backyard.
Working for another company allows you to learn from professionals and make mistakes without completely wasting a community’s single chance at a trail or a private individual’s money. I believe educating yourself through classes and working for professionals will result in better trails for communities and a better chance at a successful business when someone eventually ventures out on their own. It may seem like builders are just moving dirt into berms and jumps, but there’s a lot more that goes into it to build sustainably.
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That concludes our interview. If you have a story to tell, click the button below and drop me an email.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
