Payson community builds state championship mountain bike course in five months

PAYSON, AZ — In Payson, one young man took on the challenge of building a state championship mountain bike course in just five months and turned it into a community-wide mission.

Rickus Grobler, a passionate rider with trail-building experience, was tapped to lead the project ahead of the NICA Arizona State Championships.

What started as a massive undertaking quickly gained momentum, as volunteers and local businesses stepped in to help shape the Ubuntu Trail, now a 2.8-mile course packed with berms, tabletops, and technical features. The course becomes a four-mile loop by adding in connector roads.

Built just in time for race day, it’s more than a trail; it’s proof of what can happen when a community rallies behind a shared goal.

Grobler, who immigrated from South Africa, took his Oath of Allegiance to become an American citizen in February of last year.

Because he took the lead in designing and building the trail, town staff encouraged him to name it something meaningful to his native heritage. Borrowing from a phrase derived from Zulu-Xhutu, the word “Ubuntu” essentially translates to “I am because we are.”

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