Dear Pedro

To the Dear Wade Winner

Words by Satindar Dhillon.

Date: 2009-03-12

Dear Pedro,

The original intent of this letter was to express my resentment towards you for winning the Dear Wade contest from Big Mountain Bike Adventures and NSMB.com. Consider the situation I was in: I shell out my hard-earned cash to go on the Big Mountain Costa Rica trip, you waltz into your office in your DH gear, take a photo, scribble down 100 words and email it to Wade Simmons and somehow you’re on the same trip.


 In Costa Rica plants grow like cannabis in a BC grow op and during the rainy season water falls out of the sky constantly. As a result, trails require countless days of labour. Thanks to Paulo and his crew, Big Mountain enjoys private trails. Photo ~ Chris Winter.

Well isn’t that just brilliant? Free trip to Costa Rica for Pedro Brajal from Portugal! Yes, I was bitter. Very, very bitter my friend. I decided I would write a Dear Pedro letter consisting of 100 of the harshest words I know. Yet somehow I changed my mind by the end of the trip.


 Enjoying the late afternoon light just up from Big Mountain’s hotel in San Jose. Photo ~ Pedro Brajal
 
My bitterness didn’t fade a bit until I landed in Costa Rica. When I left home it was dark, cold, wet, and generally miserable mid-winter weather. Costa Rica greeted me with warm temperatures, sun, and blue skies. I got picked up by our driver Nene, one of the most hilarious people I’ve ever met, and we headed up to the hills to the plushest hotel I’ve ever stayed at, La Condesa where I met up with the rest of the crew. Solid crew. Looks like this is going to be an amazing week. There’s no time to be bitter. Let’s build up these bikes and get ready to shred down some Costa Rican trails tomorrow!


 Costa Rica’s mountains are bigger than you think: Cerro Chirrpo sits at 3,820 meters (12,532 feet) while the highest volcano is Irazu at 3431 meters (11,257 feet). In other words: big-ass descents.  Photo ~ William Gould

So now we’re all unpacking and building up our bikes and I notice that you and your friend from back home, Miguel, are chilling and sipping beer instead of working on bikes. I ask you why and you explain that Wade brought you a 2009 Rocky Mountain Flatline that’s ready for you to ride for the week. Not only am I feeling bitter again, I now have a serious case of big bike envy. Thanks a lot buddy. At least Miguel can relate. What was his reward for telling you about the Dear Wade contest? His bike gets lost in transit from Portugal. I really sympathized with him when he told me that I have no idea how much he hates you. High-five Miguel!


 On a clear day from this vantage you can see the Caribbean and the Pacific from one spot, the only place in Central America where this is possible. Wade and Pedro before dropping in to one of the bigger descents of the trip. Photo ~ Paulo Valle

It wasn’t until later in the evening, and after a few cold Imperials cervezas, that my bitterness towards you subsided. Why be bitter? I was in Costa Rica enjoying a delicious meal with Wade Simmons, Paulo Valle, and a crew of riders who are passionate enough about mountain riding to travel to Costa Rica to cure their mid-winter trail deprivation ills. I started feeling a little looser and it became obvious how stoked you were to have won the contest and be on the trip with us. Did seeing how stoked you were only add to the awesomeness of this trip? Yes! Cheers to Pedro!


 Chillin’ in the jungle on yet another 6000-foot descent. Photo ~ Pedro Brajal

Remember the group shot of Guaro we took in your honor? You professed your love for Andrew Shandro after that one. That’s okay bro. I completely understand what it’s like to have a man-crush. Oh, and you weren’t the only one confused by all that talk about snorkeling.


 The opportunity to ride with Wade for 9 days is absolutely unreal - your riding improves just by following him. That’s if you can keep up. Photo ~ Pedro Brajal

The next morning I walk out of the hotel and there’s Wade dressing you with even more free gear. You’re standing there grinning with your new Bell helmet, Sombrio gloves and Sombrio jerseys, Dakine pack, Oakley goggles, and who knows what else. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Wade had pulled out a Rocky Mountain sponsorship contract for you to sign. Absolutely ridiculous Pedro. This was no time for me to be jealous though. Miguel’s bike had arrived and it was time to ride!
We didn’t have to ride for long to get a feel for your riding abilities. You rip Pedro! Paulo and Wade took us on some fast, steep, loose, and tough technical sections and you conquered them all with serious speed and grace.


 The riding in Costa Rica is technical with natural challenges like eroded riverbeds, slick volcanic mud, steeps and roots…and super-fun natural wall rides. Photo ~ Pedro Brajal

My favourite was definitely Paulo’s private trails dropping into Providencia. Fast, tight, steep, flowy, and just scary enough to keep us screaming the whole way down. I’ll never forget watching you crash on the hardest section of the Ridge trail. We were all worried that our beloved Pedro would be out of commission and we’d spend the rest of the trip mourning your loss. Then Miguel jumps on a rock and yells down at you, “Hey Brajal, how does it feel knowing that you’re responsible for bringing the entire ride to a halt?” What a guy. I guess he knows you well enough to know that you’d be smart enough to make the Flatline take the brunt of that crash. Nicely done Tuga.


 Wade went straight from the Urge Kenya event to twenty days of guiding in Costa Rica. The guy deserves a good massage, even from a little grom. Photo ~ Pedro Brajal

Well that week definitely ranks as one the best experiences I’ve ever had on or off a bike. I couldn’t send you any harsh words because I feel just as lucky as you for having gone through the Costa Rican experience that we had. Paulo and Big Mountain Bike Adventures really designed and executed an amazing trip for us. We blazed trails and experienced the real Costa Rica which is something that the millions of tourists that travel there will never know about. Nobody could have done it better and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of riders to do it with. Hope to ride with you again soon Pedro!


 Ah…the end of a great day of riding.  Photo ~ Pedro Brajal

Pura Vida!
Satindar Dhillon

P.S. Does your gut still hurt from the Lon incident at Volcan Irazu?  Mine does. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard in my life. That Lon is such a crazy fool! Love that guy!


  Lon was so inspired by the Irazu Volcano that he streaked towards the crater in intoxicated happiness. Photo ~ William Gould


Big thanks to Dakine, Sombrio, Bell, Oakley and Rocky Mountain for kitting Pedro out.

Want to hit Costa Rica with Wade and Big Mountain next year? They’re back at it February 19-27 and February 27-March 7, 2010.
Check it out here. 

Anything to say about man-crushes, nude volcano ceremonies or riding with Wade in Costa Rica? Can someone tell us more about Lon and his bare loins?  And what's this about snorkelling?  Tell it like it is here...

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