Glen Jacobs – Globally Recognised Trail Designer to Present at Scottish Mountain Bike Conference

Glen Jacobs, a legend in mountain bike trail design and construction, is today announced as a keynote speaker at the Scottish Mountain Bike Conference 2024 which will be held in the Tweed Valley from the 7-9th November.

Glen has well and truly made his mark on the mountain biking world. He was the globe’s first professional race track designer contracted to the UCI, where his ground breaking work began in the mid-90s, stemming from his involvement in Cairns. His designs shaped the evolution of dual slalom into 4-cross, transforming the competition from a duel between two riders to an adrenaline-pumping race amongst four. His expertise extended beyond trail design to developing World Cup downhill and cross-country tracks, and even scouting ideal locations for these world-class events.

Glen’s impact has not only been involved in designing and constructing world-class competitive mountain bike courses, his transformative approach to destination development has revitalised towns and created thriving mountain biking destinations.

His influence has spanned continents, lending his skills and vision to projects across Europe, Japan, South Africa, Norway, Slovenia, Canada, Australia, and the USA. His unique perspectives were also captured on film in his wildly successful video series, “Mud Cows.”

Glen, on speaking at the Scottish Mountain Bike Conference, says:

‘I’m really looking forward to coming over to Scotland to share my story and how myself, and the team at World Trail, have used mountain bike trails to help transform destinations across the globe. I believe that the best way we can collectively grow this sport is by sharing knowledge and experiences. I hope my story can help mountain biking in Scotland, across the UK and further afield. I have never visited Scotland to ride, so I hope I can be about for a few days to experience the trails and meet the people involved in Scottish mountain biking.’

Graeme McLean, Head of Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS), said:

‘We are really looking forward to welcoming and learning from Glen and are extremely grateful to him for joining us to share his knowledge and experience with our delegates. The main aim of the conference is to hear global examples of good practice and consider how these can be implemented locally across Scotland and the UK. Securing Glen as a speaker will undoubtedly help us achieve this aim.”

Glen has made his mark on many aspects of our sport, not only in Australia, where he is from, but across the Globe. Glen is a true pioneer and a person who really understands the heart and soul of mountain biking. He produced some of the first freeride videos before the word even existed. His influence and style helped create a very different mountain biker, beyond the stereotypical racer of the early 1990s. His Mud Cow videos and the Minjin Tribe Bike Club are landmarks in the evolution of mountain biking.

Glen made his mark on the racing scene Down Under when he brought World Cup Racing and World Championships to Australia. He was also one of the first to recognize the potential and need for professionally designed, purpose-built trails. He has since designed and built hundreds of trails and courses in over 20 countries with his company "World Trail" - including the Olympic course in Sydney for the 2000 Games - and is undisputedly one of the best trail builders in the world.

Glen’s story is a reminder of the hard world that got mountain biking to where it is today.