Get permission to build jumps and chances are they’ll still be there next week (Pic: mtb-freeride.com)

It’s a familiar story: Riders build jumps, landowner finds out about jumps, jumps get flattened. It’s all-but inevitable that anything built without the knowledge or permission of the landowner is on borrowed time as soon as the first bit of dirt gets shifted.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. MTB advocacy organisation IMBA-UK is best known for looking at access issues and trail building of a slightly more XCish persuasion, but it’s currently putting together some guidelines for jump architects to help get their projects approved and thus protected.

The guidelines will suggest ways of successfully approaching landowners to gain approval for jump spots and will identify what is, or is not likely to be acceptable to them. The document will shortly be available from the Trailbuilding section on www.IMBA-UK.com.