Dave Camus
We’re so very fortunate to have people like Dave in our mountain bike world. He’s a grafter fuelled by passion. Bolehills BMX track in Sheffield owes a lot to him and his group of buddies however it is only a drop in the ocean for what he’s involved in.
Be more like Dave.
Photos by Charlie Clark and Richard Baybutt
What's the story behind you first finding a passion for bikes?
So where I'm from originally (Selby) is pretty flat so I didn't really get into 'mountain biking' until I came to University in Sheffield - I'd go to Dalby and smash round the red route on a Saturday morning on my jump bike with a college mate and his dad, but that's about as close as I got. However, there was an abundance of disused sand quarries about 2 miles from my house, so me, my brother and a few mates would go up probably 3-4times a week, spade tucked in the backpack and conjure up lines and hits to create. It was kind of like a mini redbull rampage in there with cliff drops and stepdowns and huge stepups. It was in the golden era of NWD and all we wanted was to send bigger and bigger hits. I think we must have got kicked out of maybe 4 or 5 quarries eventually by the landowners, but the passion for digging and building stupid stuff never stopped.
How did you first find Bolehills and how did you then start getting involved with the place?
So I came to uni in 2009 after being shown round the city by a friend who lived around here, one of the first places we went was Bolehills and Wharncliffe, and after that introduction you can see why I never left. Since starting at uni I always rode up at Bolehills, back then it was spearheaded by Malco, and they raised a load of cash and extended the backset to what now is the 4th Jump. I was pretty stoked on what they were doing, so always was up there lending a hand, and we built a set of pretty sick (read sketchy) dirt jumps in the middle of the backset and 3rd straights. I got more and more involved, until the president of the club was ready to pack in at around 2014, at that point the track was pretty hanging. I figured I'd crack on and renovate the place, so in September of that year I started out a load of dig days and we probably spent 6 months cutting back the weeds and grass, pulling bricks out, and raising some cash through Ride Sheffield (local trail advocacy group) putting money in ourselves, asking round riders to put a few quid in, I think in the end it was about 3k we raised. We then just cracked on we just always kept it maintained and messed about with features so what was different about a bit bigger scale maintenance? We had about 250 ton delivered over the course of the spring, and 80% of it shifted by hand, and the rest with a bobcat. Must have had 50 people barrowing and shovelling on the hottest Saturday and Sunday of the build. It basically went from the most haggard track in Shef to a brand new track, full sub base and top surface all the way round.
Before we get carried away how would you describe Bolehills for those that don't know it?
I've definitely got carried away already! It's probably the most unique track in the country - not quite a BMX track, not quite a pumptrack, not quite trails. Probably more of a jump spot nowadays, but public and anyone, whether balance bike or MTB or BMX can rock up and ride. I'd like to think there is something for everyone, even if they haven't ridden jumps. It's been there nearly 50 years now, in various guises. Always ran by volunteers, on a shoestring budget, but always manages to bring riders from all over the country because it's just that good.
What's taken place in the last year or indeed over the pandemic at Bolehills?
To bo honest it's just been the usual thing up at Bolehills - we always do a certain amount of work over the winter, raise a bit of money and keep it going. Spring 2020 though we basically weren't allowed to do any work down there due to the pandemic (council rules!) and obviously the bike industry has gone crazy - so everyone was riding it everyday. I've never seen it so busy. Then we had an insane winter with like 3 or 4 bouts of snow, which is the worst thing for it as it just gets hammered by being ridden regardless, kids sledging down the lips, all sorts. Spring '21 it was horrific. Worst it's been in 10 years probably. So we figured that most people that had started coming or even had been coming for a while, just thought it was a free, paid for by the council facility. So we put a sign up explaining what we did and how it was volunteer run and funded, asking basically for another £400 to buy another load of dirt just to scrape by for this year (as we were late starting digging due to lockdown 3.0). We had about £400 to spend so it was going to be another year of just making it work. The response from that though was insane - so many people and businesses putting their hand in their pockets to keep it going - I'd say at least 70% of what we raised was just 10-20£ singular donations. We made enough to buy £2000 worth of dirt and surface to create a whole load of new features and resurface basically the entire track, plus a load more just to do all the boring stuff that you don't think about like wooden steps, signage, that sort of thing. I guess as well the other hardship of it was that at that point it was 'rule of 6' so a core group of 6 of us (plus a few rotating helpers) moved about 120ton by hand over the course of about 6 weeks. Apparently that's about 1200 barrows between us. We worked on evenings, normally working at least an hour or two into the night. It was crazy looking back. Started off twice a week on evenings, and by the end of the 2 months it was like 5-6nights a week. I think it properly broke us. I've never done so much digging/pushing a wacker plate in one winter. It totally blew up though, BBC news did a video article for Look North, and stuff has just being going from strength to strength. It's never been better down there.
It's rider run and rider funded, how do you go about fundraising?
Over the years we have sold T-Shirts and that has basically solely funded the track. This year we asked for donations, and because I think people have a bit of spare cash from being stuck inside for the last year, and we didnt have any tshirts to sell at the time, it all worked out. We've got some rad new designs sorted with Banana Industries (biggup to them) in the pipeline though, so keep your eyes peeled.
Once you have the funds how do you go about coordinating and working with a big crew to sling some dirt?
To be honest we have an amazing dig crew of about 6 of us, and it's been really great just to have 6 people you're really tight with and know what they're doing for the technical work. When we've needed big dirt tonnage shifted, both Uni clubs have pulled through and offered their services, having loads of them rotating out to fill and push barrows. There's a load of kids that ride down there too who I think definitely have become more rounded people by hanging out and grafting with older lads - it's a proper community down there, whether digging or riding. Everyone feels like they have a bit of ownership of the track too.
There's always been a strong scene there which only seems to have been emphasized in recent months, you must be incredibly proud to be a part of that, what's your take on it?
Just riding the white waves isn't it. It's just built over the course of the last couple of years - you put energy and time into something you're always going to get radness back out. Big shouts to Charlie Clark / Mat Massini / Ben Dransfield for capturing the magic and sharing it with the world too this year - made a big difference to showing how rad Bolehills is to the world through Instagram.
The track at Bolehills itself has seen many iterations over the years. What's your take on how it's evolved and changed?
Honestly, change is everything. It saddens me a bit that these tarmac pumptracks are being built everywhere- they're so great and sustainable but there's no heart or soul, it'll be like that forever, and eventually, people will move onto other stuff. That's what great about Bolehills, it's never standing still.Theres always digging to be done in the winter and stuff to get involved in, and progressive lines to build. Everyone can come down, do some digging and have their say on what might work or would like to see.
How do people get involved if they aren't already?
Come to a club night. Come to a dig day. Meet people, have chats, and you'll be welcomed into the fold. One of our core dig team members , Amedeo, literally moved to england to ride from Italy - got offf the plane and next day he was at Bolehills dig day, loads of enthusiasm. He'd not even got a DJ bike but he came and grafted so hard then, and ever since. He went from barely being able to ride around the track to shredding the backset in a year of riding jump bikes. Basically proves that anything is possible with the right amount of enthusiasm. Be more Amedeo.
Outside of Bolehills how would you recommend someone gets involved with their local scene?
Find out dig days in your local area, speak to people in the woods that are digging if they want a hand, go to events, chat to people. Generally be an all round nice human being. People like that are the kingpin of riding and keeping the scene going. If you're not digging you're basically not a mountainbiker.
What does the future hold there?
Ah so much stuff in the works. Massive pumptrack enlargement (giggitty) over the Winter planned, loads more berms, kids pumptrack area fully separate from everything else, linkup lines, Dirt Jumps... a lot of work to do over a few months. and that's just this year. I guess we will have to do something great for the 50th anniversary in 2023.
What are your own personal future goals?
Ride more ramps. Dig more ramps. Scare myself doing stupid stuff. Don't end up in hospital.
What’s your proudest moment you've had there?
Just all my mates/dig crew smashing it through this winter and making Bolehills the best it's every been. Huge shouts to my bro Joe Camus, without him grafting basically every night it'd never happen. Baybutt for being the nicest man in Sheffield and making the stoke rise and doing all the arty stuff, Lorenzo for being there digging since 1983 and still going strong, Hannah for being the gnarliest girl to ever grace bolehills, and my man Amedeo for coming to Shef and grafting like hell. That crew have put more into Bolehills and Sheffield scene than most have in a lifetime.
Outside of Bolehills what other riding escapades do you get up to?
Well I am Brand Ambassador for local brand Cotic Bikes, and ride around enduro races and events for them, swing a spade around the valley sometimes. Been a wharny regular this year, don't think I've had many weeks this year not riding in there, so much to go at. We decided in march to ride all of the trails in there top to bottom in one ride. About 9500ft in the end, 38 trails? There's a few more popped up since then so I'll have to have another go at it before the clocks go back.
Final words of wisdom?
Get a spade in your hand this winter, chat to people (in real life not on the internet), and put something back into your local scene. It's bloody worth it.