P.O.R.C. GETS THE CHOP

Penshurst Bike Park (formerly Penshurst Off Road Cycling, aka PORC) is sadly no more. Opened by Mike Westphal in 1991, it was a staple of the South East England mountain biking scene for nearly 30 years. Running on Mike’s boundless enthusiasm and energy, there were a few bumps along the way, but PORC provided a great venue for countless young riders to sharpen their skills and test their racing and dirt-jumping mettle. Located in Kent, it was one of the first bike parks in the UK and hosted regular races and events. Steve Peat and Rob Warner (pictured) both raced there in the early days, and many successful racers and dirt jumpers have called it home since. Daryl Brown is one of them.

“PORC shaped my career, from riding for fun aged 13 to practising for the biggest slopestyle comps around,” he tells us. “I’m sad to see it go and want to say a massive thanks to Mike for all he’s done for the MTB community.” “It was a cornerstone of mountain biking back in the day,” recalls Warner, “and one of the first places I raced properly as a pro. Over-jumping the tabletop at the bottom was one of my first near-death experiences!”

Mike says the drip-feed of legal fees over years of dealing with the local council contributed to the closure, but “the coup-de-grace was being sued by British Cycling [over an injury at a race; the case is now settled ~ Ed] and losing our insurance cover, which made it impossible to carry on”. Most of the original site has been sold, but Mike does have some remaining land, which could be put to MTB use should anyone have a suitable idea. To be continued?