Why did I start Conifer?

The easy answer…For the kids.

As my boys fell in love with mountain biking, I did all over again. We spent countless hours exploring local trails, lined up for a few races, and spent as much time on our bikes as we could.

Not long after, we moved home to Maine, back to the same town I grew up in. Gorham already had amazing trail infrastructure, and Maine is home to some incredible riding. But after looking for opportunities for my own kids, it became clear that something was missing. Riders who wanted to take the next step had few guided opportunities to do so. Youth racing opportunities close to home were limited, structured coaching was hard to find for young or old, and often beyond what many families could justify.

I didn’t see it, so I decided to build it.

In 2025, I launched a youth mountain bike program called Shred Ready through Gorham Recreation. The response was incredible. The kids had a great time (honestly, so did the coaches!), and people started asking what came next.

That fall, we took the kids to the Mountain Bike World Cup in Lake Placid. Standing trackside, watching the best riders in the world, I looked over at my oldest son. He wasn’t just watching the race anymore. He was imagining himself in it.

Every kid deserves the chance to dream that big, and the opportunity to chase those dreams.

His dream inspired my own, and Conifer Mountain Bike Academy was born.

Hi, I’m Will Tole, Founder and Executive Director of Conifer Mountain Bike Academy. I’ve told you a bit about the birth of Conifer, but it didn’t begin with a business plan. It was shaped by decades of riding, teaching, coaching, and learning from the people I’ve had the honor and privilege to work with along the way.

I don’t think coaching philosophies are something you sit down and write. I think they’re shaped over time; through experience, mistakes, successes, and the people you come to admire.

In my early twenties, I was given the opportunity to rebuild a struggling mountain bike program at a summer camp in Pennsylvania, home to about 400 kids. With it came the privilege of leading and learning from a talented and globally diverse coaching staff. Winters helped to develop my coaching, working alongside some incredible coaches and instructors in Colorado and Canada.

After holding a few different titles in the industry, I returned to coaching at Sunday River Bike Park and completed PMBIA instructor certification. I found that many of the principles I’d developed over years of experience aligned closely with the same progression based coaching models used by professional mountain bike instructors around the world.

For years, many riders (myself included) learned through a “just send it” mentality…trial and error, often with unnecessary injuries, frustration, and setbacks along the way. While experience will always be one of our greatest teachers, I believe good coaching can shorten the learning curve, build confidence, and help riders develop skills in a safer, more intentional way. Anyone that’s knows me has probably heard me say it a thousand times: you can’t learn anything new when you’re intimidated.

Every person is different. Different motivations, different strengths, different fears, and different ways of learning. Some people need to see it. Some need to hear it. Some need to feel it. My job as a coach, and one of the things I love most about coaching, is to understand the person in front of me and find the explanation, progression, or experience that helps things click. The point is this. Mountain biking is a dynamic sport, so is the process of teaching it.

The principles that shaped Will as a coach have become the foundation of Conifer Mountain Bike Academy and the standard we expect every coach to uphold.

We meet riders where they are, develop skills progressively, build confidence through measurable progress, and create pathways that allow riders to pursue whatever dreams drive them.

Most importantly, we’re not teaching mountain biking to people…we’re teaching people to mountain bike.

Whether someone’s goal is to ride their first singletrack, keep up with friends, race at the highest level, or simply become more confident on a bike, our goal is the same: coach the person in front of us. Provide the support, challenge, and inspiration that helps them become the rider they aspire to be.

Conifer Mountain Bike Academy offers progressive mountain bike programs for riders of all ages and abilities. From youth camps and after school programs to private instruction, guided rides, and race development, each program is designed to develop skills, confidence, and a desire to keep riding.

Do I need mountain biking experience?
Not at all. We welcome riders of all experience levels. Our goal is to help every rider build confidence and enjoy the journey.

Do I need my own bike?
Yes. Riders are expected to provide their own bike and helmet. Specific equipment requirements may vary by program.

Is mountain biking dangerous?
It can be. Mountain biking has inherent risks. Our goal is to teach riders how to recognize risk, manage it, and make decisions that reveal skill, not hide it.

Do you teach adults?
Absolutely. While youth development is our primary focus, adults are just big kids. Conifer Mountain Bike Academy offers instruction for riders of all ages.

What if I’m not very good?
Perfect! Everyone starts somewhere, and no one is expected to have it all figured out. If you want to learn, we want to teach.