As a newcomer to Sun Peaks, learning the ins and outs of all the sports on offer in the area may seem a daunting task. With mountain biking, downhill and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and more, the list of recreation available is long. 

But with each sport, Sun Peaks packs a punch in instruction. There are coaches for each and every activity, and learning opportunities are abundant. One such option is Sun Peaks Resort’s Never Ever Days, which offer newbies a chance to learn the basics of summer and winter sports.

Over the summer, the Sun Peaks Sports School held three Never Ever Days for mountain biking, and have two planned for the coming ski season. I attended the third 2026 Progression Park Never Ever Day on Aug. 18 to brush up on my mountain biking skills, and here’s what I learned.

Getting started 

Each two-hour mountain bike Never Ever Day lesson costs $50, and includes equipment rentals with a mountain bike, gloves, knee pads, elbow pads and a helmet, plus a Progression Park ticket. 

The best way to register for the lesson is to contact the sports school by phone at 250-578-5474 or by email at sportschool@sunpeaksresort.com. Each lesson includes waivers and information forms, including emergency contacts and health restrictions. 

About an hour before the session, riders head to the rental shop to try on gear and prepare for the lesson. Rentals included in the ticket were located at Elevation Bike, Ski & Board where the staff there were ready for our group with bikes and gear already waiting for us. 

Before the lesson, the group meets at a shared location, like the base of the Sunburst Express, where coaches Alex Brett and George Terwiel, walked the group through the lesson and measured each rider’s experience before getting started. 

Hitting the park

The group first rode around the village base, learning how to stay standing on the bikes whilst coming to a smooth stop with our front brake, back brake and both. Once we grasped these skills, we split into two groups and headed up the bike park carpets.

Our group started by learning speed control, riding laps on the Level Up Trail and worked on stopping and starting again from different speeds. Each lap went quicker and quicker until we were comfortable. 

After mastering speed control, we learned how to corner around turns keeping that steady pace. The Level Up Trail is perfect for beginners because it’s wide with only a gentle incline that allowed us to take baby steps to perfect each new skill. We continued to do laps while Brett coached how to enter a corner, keep your eyes on the exit and your body will follow. That one helped me a lot.

At around 5:30 p.m., the lesson was over and I felt quite comfortable to continue riding without any coach support. We were able to keep our rentals until 7 p.m. and our ticket lasted until the end of the day.

After the lesson, I felt quite comfortable to continue riding without any coach support and ended up learning a lot more than I had anticipated.

Some helpful tips for first-timers: bring water and ensure that your rental equipment fits you correctly. 

My helmet was a bit tight and ended up causing a minor headache after a few runs. The rental shop workers are there to help, so communicate any issues you may feel in your equipment. 

The Never Ever Days for the winter season are scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 3, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 4, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration opens soon here.