Black Swamp Riders: A Timeline History
2020
- Gino Torio, Black Swamp Riders founder, receives a phone call and is asked to start up an Ohio NICA mountain bike team in the Northwest Ohio/Toledo area.
2021
- Black Swamp Riders enjoys the inaugural season with 20 student-athletes in grades 6-12.
- Practices are held twice a week and alternate locations between Beach Ridge Trailhead, Oak Openings Metropark and Ottawa Jermaine Park in Toledo.
- The team dinner tradition begins at the first race with awkwardness and ends in a bonded community beginning to form.
- NICA Race venues include:
-- John Bryan State Park
-- Bailey’s Trail System
-- Chestnut Ridge Metropark
-- Camp Tuscozoar
2022
- BSR begins its second season as part of Ohio NICA. The team has grown to 35 riders in grades 6-12 while many interested elementary aged riders are turned away.
- By the end of the season, the Toledo area team is looking for alternatives to the long drives into southern Ohio race venues.
- Exploring the option of racing in Michigan begins with team members participating in a new league during its last race of the season.
- In November, the tradition of BSR athletes & families traveling up to Traverse City to participate in The Iceman Cometh Challenge begins.
- Race venues include:
-- Freer Park (NICA)
-- John Bryan State Park (NICA)
-- Paint Creek State Park (NICA)
-- Chestnut Ridge Metropark (NICA)
-- Camp Tuscozoar (NICA)
-- Lakeshore Park (MiSCA)
2023
- In BSR’s third season, the team officially joins the MiSCA league (Michigan Interscholastic Cycling Association), the logo is updated, and the membership opens up to elementary riders.
- There are now over 40 participating athletes in grades K-12.
- The team dinner tradition continues to be a friendship builder, this time with the team rallying around a frisbee in a tree.
- The move to MiSCA is widely regarded as a positive decision by the participating families because the league offers a such a great experience.
- MiSCA Race venues include:
-- Owasippe Scout Reservation
-- Addison Oaks County Park
-- Merrell Trail
-- Heritage Park
-- Lakeshore Park
-- Stoney Creek Metropark
- After the close of the 2023 season, Black Swamp Riders partners with The Right Direction, a 501c3 charity introducing and encouraging youth in action sports.
2024
- Black Swamp Riders continues to grow! There are now 56 registered athletes participating.
- BSR presence at the Barry Roubaix Gravel Race is the newest tradition to find the team.
- Shivers Ice Cream comes on as a sponsor. BSR families often stop by after practices. You can check out all the flavors at Shivers too, at 2425 Key Street in South Toledo.
- The team begins creating more structure for elementary riders at practices to increase skill development after many coaches participate in the MiSCA coach training events. The young riders begin to develop skills faster than coaches expected.
- The team expands its practice locations late in the season by including Heritage Park in Adrian, Michigan. The team uses this site to increase elevation at practice and give those who race a better feel at a MiSCA venue.
- MiSCA Race venues include:
-- Merrell Trail
-- Addison Oaks County Park
-- Owasippe Scout Reservation
-- Maybury State Park
-- Stoney Creek Metropark
-- Heritage Park
2025
- For the first time ever, Black Swamp Riders close registration in June with 33 coaches serving 63 riders made up of 42 families. The excitement over the growth of the team is palpable within the community.
- The team increases its internal structure and begins to delegate volunteer roles. These roles include team manager, elementary head coach, high school head coach, safety lead, and sticker lead.
- A parent meeting is held at the first practice and families respond positively to the new organization of the team.
- Sponsorship this year includes Monkey Loob and Commercial Comfort Systems.
-- Monkey Loob is a wax type dry lubricant – a formula developed by Lyndsay Stiles, one of BSR’s coaches. Monkey Loob keeps our rider’s chains cranking! You can find this product online and in local retailers – you’ll be amazed at how capable it is.
-- Commercial Comfort Systems is a full-service HVAC contractor located in Perrysburg. Their sponsorship helps keep our athletes cool all season long by providing us funds used to purchase a team tent. Look to CCS for all your HVAC needs.
- Black Swamp Riders partners with NOMBS (Northern Ohio Mountain Bike Series) to host the inaugural Battle of Toledo race over Labor Day Weekend. Much hard work was done to prepare Ottawa-Jermain Park trail to be race-ready, and the event was a success bringing riders in from near and far!
- BSR is able to be scored in all categories of MiSCA team competitions due to meeting criteria of both genders racing in elementary, middle, and high school.
- The team participates in its first parade as a part of the Bowling Green Holiday Parade.
- MiSCA Race venues include:
-- Merrell Trail
-- Addison Oaks County Park
-- Owasippe Scout Reservation
-- Warnaar Trail
-- Bloomer Park
-- Heritage Park
2026
- Gino Torio passes the torch to Adrian Jazwiecki Fate as Team Director.
- The team structure is expanded and revised to include Community Coordinators (Marketing and Social) and Biking Coordinators (Skills, Practice, Coaching, Safety, and Race).
- The Black Swamp Riders community is looking forward to the best season yet! Join Us! We're pretty sure you'll love it!
- We are again partnering with NOMBS to bring you the Battle of Toledo on September 6.
- MiSCA Race venues include:
-- Stoney Creek Metropark
-- Merrell Trail
-- Addison Oaks County Park
-- Owasippe Scout Reservation
-- Heritage Park
-- Bloomer Park