Contact:
Jesse Robson, Jesse@ASConcepts.ca
Janice OBriain, Venture Connection, 778.782.8728; jobriain@sfu.ca
Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 778.782.9017; Marianne_Meadahl@sfu.ca

Photos on Flickr

Jesse Robson has adventurous goals. All the Simon Fraser University business student needs to make them happen is some financial backing.

Robson created Action Sport Concepts to develop indoor, recreation and training facilities for urban centres, providing specifically designed features for skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, BMX and skateboarding.

Working with SFU’s Venture Connection, a program that helps nurture student business ideas, he has completed the business development planning for the proposed facility.

He says the West Coast provides a particularly strong opportunity for launching such a facility, due to the large market for action sports in the region.

“There is a recognized need for indoor facilities catering to these sports, where participants can safely practice, gain confidence and most importantly, have fun,” says Robson, who has earmarked a potential site for an initial concept facility in North Burnaby.

“There’s a definite hunger for getting involved in action sports but for most people the proper facilities for training and safe progression don’t exist.”

A skier from the age of three, Robson has spent several years coaching skiing around the world, including six years in Whistler. During this time, he also performed for the Whistler Fire and Ice show, jumping through rings of fire in the weekly event and during celebration events at the 2010 Winter Olympics ceremonies.

Robson envisions a 16,000 square-foot facility with ramps, trampolines, a pump-track for bikers and an “acrobag” for safe landings. Custom dry slope ramps and a tow-in system would enable boarders and skiers to practice tricks onto the bag as well.

Robson signed on with Venture Connection in the spring of 2012 with SFU mentor-in-residence Dave Thomas as his lead mentor, to help in the feasibility and modeling phases. He is now actively seeking investment partners for the venture while doing part-time events and communications work for the Venture Connection office.

“Jesse's interest in action sports follows a strong trend in the market,” says Thomas. “He is well positioned to grow with the market as many 'action sports' become more and more mainstream."

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