Photo by: Ryan Flett

A few months ago I showed people how to build a large booter when there was little to NO dirt in the area but never showed the photo of when I hit it. These 2 were shot by my good friend Ryan Flett and have totaled over 70,000 views on pinkbike.com

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Garbo DH

I know that it’s a bit late, but the past few weeks have been pretty busy with getting the bike all tuned up again after a long 2 weeks of abuse from the bike park. As well as unpacking and packing to head back up to whistler for some end of season training and riding time in the bike park before school starts again. Crankworx 2010 was an awesome time lots of friends lots of amazing riding and even better racing. But definitely taxing on the body, with countless laps in 30 degree plus heat you feel like your done riding even after just a few days. First up was the Garbanzo DH I had raced it in the previous year so I knew what I was in for, this is the toughest race I have yet to do as it in from the very top of the Garbanzo lift all the way down to the village. I came into this race hoping to do fairly well and top 20 was my goal for the event, on the Friday before the event I worked on the course with my coach Mark Bunyan from Mad March Racing. After that I was stoked on the race and couldn’t wait until race day, and was just hoping the weather would hold up for the event. Race day came and the course was running good but very slick due to rain from the previous night, I ended up having a decent race run which I myself was happy with. In the top section I nailed all my lines and pedaled every where I could, even ended up having to throw my goggles due to the rain and mud. Everything was going as planned until I entered Duffman, the wooden bridges on that trail were so slippery and I should have entered there slower I ended up losing my bike off the side of the bridges multiple times. With that behind me I was able to sprint my hardest to the finish and ended up with 20th out of 66 riders.

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Feelin’ Good.

You know when you’re riding down a trail and things are feeling so good, you’re one with the bike and feeling like the your flowing down the trail like running water? That’s happened to me a few time this year, more than any other year come to think. The bike and I are one with the trail, and I really mean that. I can feel every bit of it underneath me, and I can almost see, just by the feel of the ride, how my bike is reacting to the ground it was specifically designed to handle. I am riding on perfection.

photo by: Margus Riga

The RPT’s (Revelations Per Trail) have been much higher lately. I get those when I’m ripping a trail enough to the point where it becomes a meditative state (Yes this happens to me sometimes, yes I’m from Nelson BC, no I don’t smoke a lot of weed) It’s because this year I’ve taken more time to just ride my bike for myself. When I was young I didn’t take much time to just go out and ride, it was more about making a career out of it and only going out if there was something to film. Now I make sure I take the time to ride with friends and leave the obligations behind. It’s the way it is meant to be. I don’t live in a big populated area, I don’t have chair lift or training facilities, I just have an F-250 and lot of great friends.

photo by: Margus Riga

Photo by: Margus Riga

As a Pro rider, we sometimes worry so much about being the best or the business side of it, that we forget just how rad of a sport mountain biking is, and I think that can slow us down. A while ago I was at a point where nothing was exciting me and I was starting to loose my stoke for life, It wasn’t until about 2 years ago that I realized this and just went out for as many fun rides as I could that I became a better rider. Early this year I took some time off to ride only for myself and it has made such a difference in not only my ability but how much I LOVE riding bikes and living life.

wall rides are fun!

We are so lucky to be able to ride bikes. Very lucky!!! Don’t ever take it for granted. over 99% of the world doesn’t get to experience what we do when we ride out bikes. Teach others to ride, build trails, keep shredding, have fun and get some RPT’s notched on your belt, or chain, knee pads, or whatever. ”

teaching the kiddies

shredding with friends

peace!

Sometimes I think it’s killing me. But more often I like to think I’m killing it.  Plans change as fast as the weather. One minute its raining and the next its shining. In either case its all good.  It’s hard to keep a balance between working, riding, and riding to promote myself. And it keeps getting harder. Especially since there are no definitive lines between the three. Working means not riding, but still promoting. Riding means riding, working and promoting. Promoting means working and riding. Working in a bike store, as a bike coach and being a rider certainly keeps me busy. It seems that I never have a full day off without some sort of project I need to work on. But then again I don’t have an office or a suit, so perhaps I have a lot of days off? I’m not complaining by any means. I’m extremely grateful to have a life filled with passion and aim. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to work on media projects with Sun Peaks Resort and Lone Wolf Productions. The kind of projects that help me fill in those definitive lines and remember how much I love doing what I do. Killing it.

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I just got my cast off this morning! So happy you don’t even know. Look at that tan line! It will be awhile before I am riding but I must say I am pleasantly surprised that my arm was not ridiculously small…the time in the gym has paid off so my comeback should be quick! The bones still look pretty broken on the x-rays but they should be good to go soon….I have to keep it immobilized in a splint for a couple more weeks but I am fine with that as it is best they heal how they should and I was lucky to avoid surgery- no need to mess it up now. My arm can breath and it feels greeeeeat.

I can definetly say that I will not be racing Red Bull 5000 down. I thought that it may have been a bit unrealistic but I wanted to stay positive and keep an open mind…it was/is good to make a goal and a deadline nevertheless. Don’t worry there are plenty more tangible goals in sight.

Monday I am headed to Quebec to do the World Championships coverage with Brett Tippie and Pinkbike! So excited!!

As I find myself continually sitting on the couch watching the world go by, I reflect on one of the best years riding thus far.

Waiting for instruction from Todd on what to do next. Photo Todd Hellinga

Do I say that each year? Yep… and it just re-enforces that riding is something that I am going to continue doing once my leg heals. I have about two weeks until I can put weight on it and then I have to get the strength back on it before I can ride again. Time is all I need…

The following are some shots from a 3 day trip I took with Todd Hellinga and Seb Kemp, stopping in Lillooet, Sun Peaks and Silver Star. The trip culminated with NSMB Airprentice in Silver Star.

This is a lot steeper than it looks. And much less smooth than we had originally thought. Photo Todd Hellinga

Some rare tacky berm action at Sun Peaks. Sun Peaks is one of my favorite places to ride. Photo Todd Hellinga

Going to try and get back on my game to spend the closing weekend in Whistler. I just got wind that Dirt Merchant is being re-worked, and I want to be able to throw some laps in.

Cheers!

Arriving at Lorna Lake in style

Early Monday morning, as the dust was still settling from Crankworx, I found myself flying into the remote Coastal Mountains for one the most amazing bike trips of my life.

I was joining Chris Winter from Big Mountain Bike Adventures as a Tail Guide for an ultimate Bike Trip/Product Launch.   He was flying  7 media publications, 2 heads from Specialized Product & Marketing and renown photographer  Sterling Lorence deep into the South Chilcotins for one unbelievable Big Mountain experience that I was stoked and honoured to be apart of.   No one knew of a product launch so epic, and the best part was…it was all girls!!  (Well besides Chris and Sterling.)
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Well the last few weeks I would have to describe as pedally.  I’ve spent quite a bit of time on my road bike and xc bike, putting in some miles and giving my legs something to talk about.  More importantly, I finally made it back out on my DH bike after what seemed like forever.  My shoulder has been holding me back for a little while now – injured my rotators a few weeks ago and have been trying to let them heal up since.  I was hoping to be back in the saddle and ready to go by the Canadian Open but no such luck.  I rode a couple of days in Whistler during Crankworx to test it out and knew pretty quickly that I wasn’t quite there yet.  So it was back on the xc bike for me…

Bryden and I headed out to Squamish and spent one of those very hot days pedaling up hills on the Test of Metal course.  That course isn’t really the funnest riding around but it definitely makes you work for your milage and we were both feeling ready for a workout.  So we spent a good 5 1/2 hrs riding around sweating… it was fun in that hot sticky kind of way.

By the time we were done the sun was setting and we were happily exhausted.   Not quite the adrenaline rush of the Canadian Open, but a great day nonetheless!

Congrats to Michal Prokop for taking the gold at Crankworx in the Giant Slalom. Michal tamed the fast track and world class field, taking out Danny Hart in the final while sporting RaceFace SIXC Handlebars and other RaceFace hardware. Check out Michal at the next World Cup in New York and the Worlds in Mont St. Anne.

Another big shout out to Remy Absalon on taking the title at the Crankworx Enduro. Remy took on the amazing course and world cup class field and pulled away on his RaceFace SIXC bar and DEUS crankset. Remy told me after the race that the SIXC bar ‘is the perfect handlebar’, I really cannot disagree with Remy on that one! Good luck to all our riders as they push through the final races of the season and head toward the MTB Worlds in QC.