Sometimes I freak out about how rad things are. On a ride in Iceland with Shandro, Schwartzy, Sterling and Mitchell we were riding super fun trails over this landscape that felt like another planet – the ground was steaming. It was like ‘what’s happening here?’ Or riding with a dozen friends in BC’s Chilcotins can be the best ride ever. It’s about being with the right people in cool places.
What are your goals this year?My riding goal this year is to ride better, longer, faster trails more.
The Lone Wolf video that you did with Specialized marked a bit of a turning point. It had a different feel, a different type of riding. Can you tell us a bit about it?That vid came together at the last minute, as they do. I had been wanting to shoot in that area for quite a while and then I had some time and just went for it. I didn’t expect the reaction it received, I just wanted to go ride somewhere cool that people would want to see. Most bike videos only include one aspect of the ride, the shredding part. It was crazy to hear how much people enjoy seeing all the other parts.
The way it was filmed it gave you the feeling that you were on your own, but we’ve heard rumours that you were not alone! So what was it, massive production crew or just you and the bears?Man, you got me. I had the bears shoot some backup angles. Paid them in shot bloks.
As a sponsored rider, how have you seen the media landscape change over the years? The internet and mini web film/edits are vitally important now to riders, maybe more than getting a shot in a magazine or a part in a big film. It is so much more immediate.We have definitely reached the age of instant gratification! As a kid I remember waiting for the new films to come out, just itching to see what was in there and then watching it over and over, memorizing every shot. As a pro rider I resisted the web video shoots as long as I could, but I can’t now. It’s what sponsors want, and what people want to see. I didn’t like how people would say “it’s just for the web” as if that were some reason to produce some shitty content. But the flooding of video content has also done something great. Creativity has gone through the roof! There are still loads of crappy videos, but the good ones are so much better. I’m still bothered by the way videos seem to have a two–day shelf life, but I hope that will change.
Where do you see your riding heading? You are only 28 years old. Will it be more big mountain epic stuff, more freeride?I ride my DH bike just as much as my AM bike, and I don’t want to stop filming the big moves and putting together freeride segments. But I love making movies, and there are so many sick stories to be told and cool places to ride that an AM bike can take you. It feels new, like the sky’s the limit, because the bikes are so adaptable it has expanded the territory. I look forward to doing more epic stuff for sure.
How do you see mountain biking changing, and how has it changed over the years?It feels like it’s changing fast these days, or maybe I’m just paying more attention. Of the two elements that make up our rides, both are shockingly better than five years ago. Bike builders are making bikes way more fun to ride and trail builders are blowing my mind these days, some new trails around here are absolutely wild. It feels like a perfect storm. The lines between disciplines are getting very blurry. I’m just hoping more wheel size options come out soon!
