Your community is already composed of dedicated individuals who occupy a variety of important roles. Without realizing it yet, these individuals already hold a unique status derived from the slang of the Dig It Trailbuilders Alliance.
This slang names and characterizes various potentially active and already engaged actors in your community, allowing anyone to better understand our trailbuilding ecosystem. Furthermore, it helps anyone involved in trailbuilding-related activities to better understand their unique status. We may have missed some terms because we are only starting to expand our community network.
In that regard, we don’t pretend to know everything about trailbuilding. We are just a group of like-minded individuals who share a common passion for trails and want to unite Teammates searching for hidden gems in the woods. Dig It Trailbuilders believe that everyone knows their own geological region better. By sharing our knowledge, we will all become better at shaping dirt and building rock-armored ground, contributing to better trailbuilding, sustainability, and community organization.
Feel free to contact us to suggest slang that better represents individuals in your community, or to propose new contents for the Ressources tab of this website.
ADOPTER : A Teammate who adopt-a-trail and assures it’s perennity. A associate who is in charge of a specific trail (adopter can adopt more than one trail / a crew can adopt a trail).
ASSOCIATE : Chapter Operation’s fellow active member, who runs the board of administrators of the Chapter (see Fullpatch).
BARISTA : A Teammate or Hangaround tasked with coffee duties during morning sessions (often underestimated, this pivotal role significantly enhances troop productivity, help create smooth vibe and fight against Hangover symptoms).
BREWMASTER: Someone who brews home beer and shares liquid gold with fellow Teammates (see Jimbeer).
BUILDER : Someone who builds trails (see Digger, Trailbuilder or Shaper).
CAPTAIN or CAP’TAIN : An experienced trailbuilder who is giving advices and helping others. Often identified with a Orange cap.
CARPENTER : An experienced volunteer who excels at erecting wooden structures.
CEREBRO or CERE’BRO : A Trailbuilder who usually teams up with the same tighter group of Teammates who organize ‘private’ trailbuilding sessions.
CHAPTER : A town, a cycling club or a crew that organized trailbuilding in it’s community.
CHAPTER OPERATOR : The one guy who runs the show in a specific town (can be called Chap Op). A Chapter may be run by a board of Fullpatchs and/or Associates.
CREATOR : Someone who built a entire trail (from scratch, mostly by himself).
CONFERENCE : An union of differents Chapters who are working together (conferences are bigger than divisions). Example : Evergreen MTB Alliance, Washington States, USA or VMBA in Vermont, USA.
DIGGER : Someone who builds trails (see Builder, Trailbuilder or Shaper).
DIVISION : An union of differents Chapters who are working together (divisions are smaller than conferences). Example: QVDM (5 tightly-knit resorts surrounding Québec City that support each other, but keep their own identity).
FLAGGER : An experienced Trailbuilder who designs future trail pathways.
FOUNDER : A Leader who initiates the opening of an official Chapter with the Dig It Trailbuilders Alliance, or who had already established an official trailbuilding-related organization within their community.
FRENCHIE : “A Green Trailbuilder who is new to mountain biking and modifies the original pathway of trails, creating smoother, easier, or more flowy lines, often avoiding obstacles or technical features. This individual may be referred to as a ‘Frenchliner’, a ‘Noob’, a ‘Newbie’, or a ‘New Biker on the Block’.”
FULLPATCH : Chapter Operation’s fellow active member, who runs the board of administrators of the Chapter (see Associate).
GARDENER/CLEANER : Someone who cleans the surrounding of the trailway.
GODFATHER : Local legend. Someone who is around a Chapter for decades (see OG).
GREEN : An emerging Trailbuilder who is making positive contributions within the community (antithesis of a Newbie).
HANGAROUND : Someone who supports the organisation, but doesn’t volunteer in trailbuilding operations.
HUB : A place where volunteer Trailbuilders are welcomed/recognized/patronized (see Spot).
JIMBEER: Someone who brews home beer and shares it with fellow Teammates (see Brewmaster).
LEADER : A well-established or experienced Teammate who organizes and leads trailbuilding events in their community, following approval from the Chapter Operator.
LIQUIDATOR : A Teammate or Hangaround who ensures there is a sufficient supply of juices, RedBull, water, or cold beers. An old legend reports that a ice-cold beer can, hidden in a frozen creek near a trail, could save an exhausted Teammate or rejuvenate a tired soul.
LOCAL : Someone who knows a specific network of trails and share his knowledge (or not).
LOOSE CANNON : A trailbuilder who alters initial trail features or pathways, who builds without permission and/or supervision, and who makes weird or unwanted changes in various locations.
NEWBIE : Someone who is new to trailbuilding, potentially claiming ‘bragging rights’ about their knowledge, despite limited experience. May be written as ‘Noob’ or ‘NewB’ or ‘New Builder on the Block’ (referring to the unwanted 90s boy band named ‘New Kids on the Block‘).
OG : Local legend. Someone who is around a Chapter for decades (see Godfather).
PARTNERS / PATRONS : Businesses that contribute to the effort by becoming an official Dig It Hub/Spot.
PITMASTER : A Teammate or Hangaround recognized for their BBQ skills (who sometimes grills in the forest or after trailbuilding events).
PROFILE : A Teammate’s personnal account on Dig It.
SOLDIER: A Trailbuilder who always shows up to events, regardless of the weather, or who is always ready for any project.
SHAPER : Someone who excels at building nice jumps or berms.
STATUS : The official title attributed to a Trailbuilder by the Chapter Operator (can change over the years).
STRIKER : Someone who executes a Strike (leads a project from beginning to end).
SPOT : A place where volunteer Trailbuilders are welcomed/recognized/patronized (see Hub).
TEAMMATE : An active volunteer Trailbuilder and who creates a profile on Dig It.
TIMBERMAN : Someone who opens up a flagged patway (future trail).
TOOLMASTER : A highly skilled Teammate who excels at using and maintaining a variety of tools. A Teammate responsible for storing, repairing, and sharpening tools.
TRAILBUILDER : Someone who builds trails (see Digger, Builder or Shaper).
TRAILHEAD : A place where trails start (parking lot/official trail center).
TRAIL HEAD : Someone who think about trails all the time. Someone who digs often. A real passionate Trailbuilder.
UNDERCOVER / ROGUE BUILDER : Someone who is digging on prohibited lands or without permission, posing a potential threat to your organization or the entire Dig It Alliance.
VOLUNTEER : Someone who is actively involved in his community, someone who believe that everyone’s involvment will make things better for future generations.
Look for the DIG IT / Support Your Local Trailbuilder sticker on business door.