The story behind Trailtech
The Trailtech story begins with Cody Ferris Heath. He was born in the USA and moved to Europe in 2009. After first working as a subcontractor for another trail company and then founding a short-lived trail/snowpark company with a partner, Cody founded Trailtech.at in 2017, a company that focuses exclusively on high-quality trails. Since then, the company has evolved into a network of passionate trail builders with one common goal: to raise the level of trail building in Europe.
Hey Cody, can you tell us how you got into mountain biking?
Even as a child, bikes were my favorite toy. I got my first BMX when I was five, a cool chrome-colored Diamondback. I remember starting out on the street and using my usual "equipment", a board and a brick, to build small jumps. This led to us jumping over mounds of earth with my friends from elementary school, and despite a few heavy falls, we were always drawn back to the bikes. It was our shared identity even then. I got my first mountain bike when I was eight, a rigid black Trek Antelope 800 with neon splashes of paint. That bike made me fall in love with mountain biking, and a few years later my mother and I got matching Specialized Stump Jumpers. The enthusiasm remained, and eventually I got a proper MTB, a yellow Cannondale with Rockshox Judy front suspension. During this time, I started exploring jeep tracks and old motorcycle trails and eventually built my first off-road trail next to the very steep road that led to our property on the hill. Our MTB adventures were unfortunately quite limited as there were hardly any purpose-built trails in our area, but we still always had fun on two wheels.
Cody and the bicycle, love at first sight
What brought you to Europe?
My passion for snowboarding brought me here. I discovered the endless potential of the sport in the Alps during a backpacking trip with a friend after I finished school. When people asked me what I wanted to do after graduation, I often replied (half-jokingly), "build parks in the Alps". After college, I was a bit disoriented and living with my parents again, so I applied for an internship at a snowboarding magazine in Austria. I remember them asking me how soon I could come to Austria, and within a week or two I was there living my dream! By fate, I ended up at Snowpark Ischgl and was riding every day. They realized I was good at working (and riding) in the snowpark, so I became the point person for designing, building the rails and working with the groomer. It was an incredibly fun few months, and at the end of the season I met my future ex-wife. The internship ended and I had to go back to the US, but I knew I would be returning to Europe soon. Back in the US, I refreshed my park skills with a job as a snowpark groomer before coming back to Europe in the spring of 2009 and staying.
What made you decide to start building trails in Europe?
When I started living in Europe, my main focus was on working in snowparks. At that time, the parks in Leogang, Steinach and other places were being built. It was also the time when the Nordkette Singletrail was opening - I was stoked that a bike park was opening nearby! So I attended the opening, rented a downhill bike and some pads, took the gondola up and ran down the entire trail muttering to myself.... "What is this?".... In fact, I didn't really start mountain biking here until my very supportive mom was finally able to bring my Kona Stuff back from the US on one of her visits. Reunited with my bike, I started regularly using the gondola in Sterzing, Rosskopf and riding down the mountain on my own in all weathers. I was very popular with the locals!
In the early days, most of the "trails" I rode were hiking trails that had been part of the mountain for a long time, or new mountain bike trails that were nothing like the trails in the USA. At first I was excited about the old trails - "legacy trails" I called them. I love history, so I had fun riding these trails and learning about the builders and the history behind them. But I realized that these trails were not always suitable for mountain biking. I realized the need for berms, stunts and other features that were suitable for riding on a bike. I realized the potential of the terrain and infrastructure to build proper and unique mountain bike trails and networks, so I decided to start building trails the following summer.
How did you proceed?
When I first tried to build mountain bike trails, I had a hard time finding suitable partners or companies in my region. A friend from the US moved to Europe to work with me, but it didn't work out. I tried my hand at guiding, built a few "pirate routes", but it didn't really take off. Finally, in 2015, I started working for one of the few existing trail building companies in the area. However, their building practices didn't match my idea of quality trails. At that time, mountain biking was growing and resorts like Muttereralm, Sölden and Nauders were investing in the sport. The Muttereralm approached me to build a trail as we were already working together in winter. This opportunity led to me working with Simon, a friend who had worked with me in snowparks over the last few years. We founded the company Brain Terrain and together we built the First One trail in Mutters and the Ohn and Eebme trails in Sölden - lines that still exist today and are popular with riders, although they have seen a lot of rebuilding and wear and tear over the years. After a chaotic summer in 2016 in Sölden, Fendels and Nauders with Brain Terrain, Simon and I went our separate ways and I founded Trailtech.at.
The new start was complicated. In the off-season, I bought a truck and an excavator and asked Michele, our current graphic designer, to work with me to develop a brand based on quality mountain bike experiences. Eventually we found a name, developed our identity, got our first orders, and I hired a few people. The following season (2017) we got small subcontracting jobs in Lienz and Grossarl. Besides building, I was trying to network, attending IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) workshops and attending trail provider meetings to meet people and learn as much as I could about trail building. That's where I met Gary Hampson and Mark McClure.
Getting to know Gary was a blessing! Today, he is one of Trailtech's heads of design, planning and construction. Finally, Trailtech landed the first planning project at Baumgartnerhof at the end of the 2017 season. Our first real "Trailtech.at" construction projects were realized in 2018: first the trails we had planned at Baumgartnerhof, then a section of the flow trail in Bad Kleinkirchheim, and then back to Baumgartnerhof to complete the construction year. It was on these projects that the quality of Trailtech stood out and people started to take notice of us. It was these trails that brought us to the attention of Markus Pekoll (former Austrian champion and World Cup downhill rider, current bike coordinator for Styria and German-speaking commentator for Redbull Bike). He was in the process of looking at various trail companies for a big project in the Schladming Bikepark the following year. It was clear that together with Gary and the crew we were raising the bar for quality trails in Austria, and Markus could see that. In fact, our first trail, Flowgartner, was awarded 'Trail of the Month' on Pinkbike, the largest MTB website in the world, in August 2024!
And the rest is history!
The Trailtech.at team in 2018
Which project has taught you the most?
Sölden was probably one of the projects from which I learned the most. It was a complex project and we were thrown in at the deep end with little experience. For Sölden it was the first big foray into trail building, so it was a challenging year for everyone involved. There were several parties: us (Brain Terrain), Allegra, the local team and one or two small subcontractors. It was a challenge to figure out who was good at what, who worked well with whom and how we should divide the tasks. It was difficult to work in such a large group (over 30 builders were constantly on the mountain from May to October), and there were many bureaucratic, logistical and environmental challenges. There was also a lot to learn on the trails. I learned how to drive an excavator, manage a large team and design on the fly. I also realized that I had a lot of knowledge but little practical experience, as I had never managed a large team or built and designed many trails before. Another important lesson was coordinating different personalities and skills among the builders, partners and clients. Fortunately, there were some very experienced people on the mountain (Patrick Koller, Jason Wells, Jill Van Winkle, Chris Bernhardt) to learn from and I am very grateful for what I learned that season.
Which project are you most proud of and why?
The Jumpline in Reiteralm, the Flowline in Schladming, the Trailpark Lannach and Baumgartnerhof. The trails in Baumgartnerhof were among the best flowlines at the time, although they had to follow the "straight - left - straight - right - straight" principle. Nevertheless, we managed to make them varied and entertaining.
I am also very proud of Schladming, as there are sections that have not required any maintenance for five years. It is also one of our biggest projects to date and stands out despite very difficult hurdles in the construction process.
Lannach was great because we planned it in the spring, built it in the fall and exceeded our own expectations in every respect. This project set a new standard for urban bike parks in Austria.
The jumpline in Reiteralm is special because I designed and built it myself. It was our first real jump trail, where I was able to implement the type of trails that I enjoy the most and that inspire me the most: lift-accessible, gravity-oriented jump trails. I'm also very happy with the result - both visually and in terms of ride feel. Three years with almost no maintenance and it's still going great.
An important lesson I have learned over the years is that it is practically impossible to build the perfect trail. What counts is to question yourself: to be proud of your work, but also open to criticism and continuous improvement. I am now proud of each of our projects and very grateful for every learning experience.
Can you give us examples of Trailtech projects that have had a big impact in the region?
There are different ways to define impact - whether it's changing people's lives or delivering financial ROI. Both are important in my opinion, and different projects have impact in different ways.
Projects such as the Baumgartnerhof or Lannach have changed the local mountain bike scene and established the sport of MTB (or a source of income) in the region, giving positive impetus to the community in a very tangible way.
Our Flowline in Schladming has created a completely new market in this bike park. Before this trail was built, there was no offer for beginners or families. Now, according to the operator, 90% of the bike park's customers ride this trail! This has of course changed and multiplied summer tourism in the region, which now has more summer visitors than winter visitors. That's huge!
Of course, there are also smaller projects with a big impact, such as the small trail circuit and the pump track that we built at the forest playground in Lans near our base in Innsbruck. The kids who learned to ride or improved their skills there are now the ones making big jumps in the bike park, riding in style and even winning races. Seeing that inspires me! That little track we built there got a kid excited about the sport, and now they have a hobby that will stay with them for life. That is a real influence for me.
BUT - in my opinion, our greatest contribution is that we always strive to improve the quality of our trail building and our techniques and never settle for mediocre quality. This is how we set new regional standards for high-quality trails. If we do a better job, other builders will do a better job. This makes us all happier every time we swing our leg over the bike and ride a purpose-built trail.
