FROM MOTO ISSUE 110 – April 2011
Intro by Ed Haythornthwaite. Photo by Blake Jorgensen.
WHO IS BRETT TIPPIE?I am one of the Rocky Mountain Froriders, but I still don’t know if I’m a mountain biker that snowboards or if I’m a snowboarder that mountain bikes! Hmmm…need more field testing!
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?I live on the edge…of North Vancouver.
WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE?Director of Good Times/Pro Mountain Biker/Announcer/Coach/Guide/Brand Ambassador/Carpenter.
WHAT DO YOU DO?I hang out shredding the mountains on my bike/snowboard/snowmobile doing lefts and rights, test products, do R&D, shoot photos, do some coaching, and tell a lot of dumb jokes…and sometimes some good ones.
WHAT’S THE WORST JOB YOU’VE EVER HAD?Right out of high school I was a ski hill liftie telling people to “Have a nice run” while I stood there and watched them do laps. I swore to myself ‘never again’.
WHEN DID YOU BIN THE DRUGS AND GET BACK ON THE BIKE?Went to rehab in 2007, attended Crankworx, met the lady of my dreams, rode bikes together, had a baby, got sponsored again, and now I ride every day.
WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE?BC rocks.
WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE?North Vancouver, Kamloops, Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish, Utah, Switzerland, Southern France, Northern Italy, Morocco, New Zealand, Turkey.
WHEN ARE YOU HAPPIEST?When I’m with my family or riding, or riding with my family. I’m happiest in the mountains with good people.
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY?Litter, shorts that hook your seat, and excessive speeding tickets.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?Perfectly tacky, magic moist dirt, velcro soil singletrack that I’ve never ridden before with brand new rubber and clear goggles, nipple deep, dry powder, my family and friends…and sex. Not in that order.
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?My Grandpa Tippie told me to “Live life like you want to remember it.”
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER GIVEN?I regurgitated a quote, “He didn’t know it couldn’t be done, so he went ahead and did it.”
WHAT ARE YOUR EXTRAVAGANCES?Chocolate ice cream, BFG All–terrain tires for my 4×4 (I like to do a lot of burnouts!), and I’m hooked up with Smith Optics so I treat myself to fresh lens every time I even think there might be a scratch.
WHO DO YOU ADMIRE?My parents, my girl Sarah Fenton, Craig Kelly, Shaun Palmer, Glen Plake, Geoff Kyle, Nico Vouilloz, Gee (Atherton), Claw (Darren Berrecloth), Richie (Schley) and Wade (Simmons) and Peaty.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE?My daughter Jessamy. I would fight a Grizzly bear with a toothbrush for her.
WHAT WOULD YOU NEVER THROW AWAY?I have trouble throwing anything away, but I guess my sobriety or my frisbee…or a boomerang!
WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST FEAR?I have an eye phobia. Actually, I’m scared for my eyeballs. I used to be afraid of being average or normal, but now I know better.
WHAT WAS YOUR LUCKIEST ESCAPE?Too many to list. Maybe getting the nod from my girl to blow off valentine’s dinner to go shralp 30cms of powder at the mountain last night? Or falling off a 42’ cliff, or beating up bouncers in Vegas, or whizzing by bears at Mach 9 on the bike, or messing with Richie Schley’s hair products, or getting into a playful battle of the wits with Rob Warner, or hanging by my teeth off a buddies pant leg off of a 300 foot bridge in my twenties? Oh, I don’t know.
WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO IN THE MORNING?Wakey wakey, hands off snakey, 100 push ups and check the weather.
WHAT’S THE LAST THING YOU DO AT NIGHT?Facebook and check the weather.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM MEAL?A Zen burger, one with everything.
WHAT THINGS DO YOU ALWAYS CARRY WITH YOU?My past, my wallet, cell phone, and keys with a blade and a mini flashlight.
DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?Yep, I regret I ever went to the dark side and wasted years of my life when I coulda been riding.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON THAT YOU’VE LEARNT?To recognise patterns and look ahead.
IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH THREE FAMOUS PEOPLE (DEAD OR ALIVE) WHO WOULD THEY BE?Gary Larson (the cartoonist from The Far Side), Robin Williams and Hugh Hefner.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE RIDER?Steve Peat is the man.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BIKE PRODUCT OF ALL TIME?At the moment my new Rocky Mountains with RRP Neoguard mudflaps, but back in the day I was really stoked to get my first set of Marzocchi Z1’s and Race Face Turbine cranks that wouldn’t break.
WHAT’S YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE BIKE PRODUCT OF ALL TIME?Long stems.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MOTTO OR SAYING?It used to be “Tequila tonight, tomorrow we ride!” but now it’s “You know you’re getting old when you have a house party and the neighbours don’t even realise.”
WHAT SAYING DO YOU USE TOO MUCH?“There’s three kinds of people in the world…those who can count, and those who can’t.” I should avoid clichés like the plague.
WHAT BIKE ARE YOU RIDING AT THE MOMENT?2011 Rocky Mountain Flatline WC and Slayer with Race Face everything, Marzocchi’s and Hayes brakes, and then Giro and FiveTen on my head and feet and Smith on my eyeballs.
WHAT WAS THE LAST MAGAZINE YOU READ?Heavy Metal.
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO AT THE MOMENT?To the rain hitting the window, which is making me wonder where the freezing level is. (snowboarding the top 1500 feet of the local mtn’s right now, and riding the bottom 1800 these days). Oh, music you mean, maybe? Umm, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and TechNine are in my truck right now.
WHAT ONE THING WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF?I’d like to highlight my hair, because some hairs are more important than others! Ha ha. Winning the lottery would be a nice change too.
WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES?I have a history of putting fun before responsibility (procrastination is like masturbation…in the end, you’re only screwing yourself!). I also don’t have much style in the air and I’m a compulsive socialiser.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU?Being a good dad and husband, riding for fun, and spreading the love of riding and adventure to the people. I am proud and thankful to have all my original sponsors and look forward to another four decades of giving ‘er!
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR MOUNTAIN BIKING?Bikes and bikers are only getting more wicked. It is the coolest sport in the world and will only grow in popularity. Most sports require one ball, mountain biking requires two.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?It’s many people’s fantasy to hear what people would say at their funeral. At my funeral I’d like to hear people say, “Hey look! He’s moving!”
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