NSMB.com Team

Stephen Matthews – Easter in Kamloops

Posted by Stephen Matthews on 2012-04-16

With the exception of buying a plane ticket to greener pastures, a roadtrip to Kamloops over Easter has always been the first chance to escape Calgary’s seemingly endless winter. Calgary’s a great gateway city to a lot of amazing activities, but for sports enthusiasts like myself it is just that, a gateway city. It seems that no matter what activity I’m looking to do, I’m a minimum 100km from it – and to Kamloops it’s about 600km.

  Eerie place, but good trails.

We were a crew of Hurtin’ Albertans, with the exception of one. Sam Finn, Jordan Boratynec, Canadian racer Luke Stevens, and myself hit the road at 6:00am, to make the most of our 72 hour adventure. Luke wasn’t “Hurtin’” by any means; he’s spent the entire winter in New Zealand training for the UCI World Cup series. He mentioned that day 1 in Kamloops was day 83 of his season, I thought to myself, “it must be nice”. It quickly became apparent that he’d learnt a few things down in NZ: how to live in a van; eat eggs like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast; and go exceptionally fast (although he already had that one pretty dialed).

  Luke Stevens can cook eggs. Since getting back from NZ all he can talk about is new inventions, and how to be more efficient on the road. A worldly man, at only 18 years old.

By noon of the first day, we were set up with locals Ace Hayden, John Rempel, and Graham Agassiz for an afternoon of dust. The trail conditions were all time! We were blessed with tacky dirt at the higher elevations and classic Kamloops dust lower down. Considering we were technically on a half-day, we certainly made the most of it. Non-stop laps on Rio, Valleyview, and various hits in the valleys, we put our bikes away with the sun.


  The trails were loose in Savona! Luke Stevens flies off a quick rock drop into dusty singletrack!

  Great way to end the night, sending some of the classic Valleyview lines.

We didn’t exactly wake up to a laid out chocolate Easter egg hung on Sunday, but rather the foul stench of kneepads and last year’s 5.10’s. This was an exploratory day, riding new trails for us out west and charging the Wild West of Savona. We ended the day with a session in the hills of Valleyview, riding some classic and daunting movie lines until night fell.

  We couldnt have asked for better weather. BC, beauty.

Our final day had to be over by 2:30pm in order to make Calgary at a reasonable hour. The morning started with a call from Matt Hunter, who expressed considerable interest in some gravel pits laps first thing in the morning. None of us had ever hit the Barnhartvale pits, but after one lap down, we couldn’t get enough! Our original plan was to ride Rio all day and then hit the road, but that quickly changed as we found ourselves rotor deep in sand. Our crew had put off cooking breakfast until noon just to keep lapping the pits. We logged 2 Rio laps in the early afternoon, but to be honest I think we all could have agreed that rotor deep carves were just as good.

  Just last week I was skiing powder at Lake Louise. This was better. Way better.

Matthews knows how to get the season started off right. Have you dusted off the sled yet? Found yourself in something rotor-deep? Dig in below...

All the Options You Could Want

Posted by Paul Stevens on 2012-03-19

  "Where we're going, we don't need roads" Todd Hellinga sculpting his own trail. Photo ~ Paul Stevens

Winter has been hitting Whistler in full force recently, and it doesn't look like it'll stopping any time soon. The snow report in centimetres has just been reflecting the number of hours in a day. We have been getting more of the white stuff in the face than Charlie Sheen that time he went to Vegas. This onslaught of snow has somewhat quietened my cycling-related internet voice. I have been enveloped by Whistler winter, and I have been loving the skiing! It is great to have some time off the bike, to exercise different muscles, and to switch the brain into a different mode, where you can sculpt your own trail as you ride it. We have been getting some awesome days in the resort, and some amazing touring outside of it too.  

  Trading metal edges for rubber side-knobs, Toby Pantling leads Paulo through the Squamish Moss.

  Making the most of longer days: Paulo getting high on the crack.

I grew up in England, where a severe lack of the aforementioned white stuff (no, not the Charlie Sheen stuff, pretty sure there's plenty of that) means less of a contrast between summer and winter. There doesn't seem to be so much of a divide. In Winter, shorter days and miserable weather reduce the riding hours, but the biking doesn't stop. Winter riding in England usually involves setting off in the dark, spending half your paycheck on petrol, driving for two hours to your riding spot, then proceeding to get piss wet through and covered head to toe in mud, before coming home to clean your bike in the dark with fingers that feel like frozen sausages. So winter riding from Whistler is really just like being back in jolly old England, except post ride, people think it's okay to have tea without milk in it, and there's no such thing as jaffa cakes. 

  I can't help but wonder if Reuben looks at this picture and wonders how much longer those branches would have held his weight...

  Enjoying another below average snow day.

Don't get me wrong, I love riding in the wet, and I have been riding bikes right through the winter, but it is great to explore the other options that the Canadian winter brings. This winter so far has brought enough snow to make the skiing amazing, but generally not so much that the trails are covered in Squamish, and a lot of the time even in Pemberton! I feel pretty fortunate that we have these options. Skiing on the doorstep, or, if the snow isn't great, jump in the car and go ride bikes! And now that the clocks have changed, and the days are lengthening, it is more than feasible to squeeze skiing and biking into one day, a sure sign that spring is on its way!  

  Snow on the trail? I guess that means another powder day tomorrow then...

Paulo's winter training secret involves strapping on the planks and smashing the white stuff – and we can't blame him, living in Whistler. Have you been hitting the slopes without your bike this winter?

Mason in New Zealand - Part III

Posted by Mason Mashon on 2012-03-07

   Quick motivational read.

Another classic case of knowing someone who knows someone, and there I am stood upon a platform 110 metres above a canyon. I’ve got a hardtail strapped to my waist, and 16 inches of platform in front of me to roll the bike off of. After a few minutes of rigging and gaining composure, I threw a quarter of a pedal stroke before initiating the biggest front flip I’ve ever done.

I plummeted freefall for 60m before the rope of the giant swing gained tension and I continued my acceleration into the canyon below. I’m not going to lie, it was nerve-racking just trying to get the bike off the platform, but once you’re gone, it’s a pure adrenaline rush. They pulled me back to the platform after my swing had come to a stop, and then asked if I’d like to have another go. Obvious answer. This time I tee’d it up without a bike, and just threw a classic gainer into the chasm that is the Shotover River canyon. It was nothing short of awesome, and if you’re ever in the region, a jump on this swing is highly recommendable.

My exploration of the trails and tracks around Queenstown continued, but on this particular occasion a reunion. I met up with McGazza on the last few days of my stay in New Zealand. Kelly was in town helping out with the Wide Open product launch, and doing some filming, so we felt it would be appropriate to snag a couple shots together. We cruised up the one of the local downhill tracks over on Coronet peak. With the snowlines still lingering, we stuck to the lower reaches. Zoots track is a fairly popular shuttle trail, with high-speed turns, and lots of creative little line options. Though it’s fairly short, it only takes two minutes to rally the shuttle back to the top. Queenstown Bike Taxi runs a regular shuttle out there, so for a couple of bucks you can get your fix for cheap. The Bike Taxi not only runs on Zoots, but a variety of different locations in the region most days of the week including Wynyard in town, and Dirt park which is near Wanaka (~40 km’s from QT).

A few clicks down the road from Queenstown are a couple of designated mountain bike trail centers. Offering up a cool collection of fun tracks that all connect really well, you can put together some fun combos. Maxime and I ventured out to a spot called ‘12 mile’ one afternoon, as he insisted that this spot he knew would be perfect for some all mountain shots. It certainly lived up to my expectations. Traversing the shores of Wakitipu, we were able to get some wicked views. The trails aren’t incredibly challenging to ride, but the surroundings are what make this place special.

The last day of riding and shooting in QT couldn’t have been more perfect, with temps sitting around 20 degrees warm and sunny, making for ideal tacky trail conditions. I met up with the Wide Open crew at Skyline to tag along and grab some shots with their crew. Brook MacDonald and McGazza were in attendance as well as one of NZ’s up and coming talents Connor MacFarlane. We spent some time shooting in the deep woods of the bike park, and on a few of their beautifully manicured turns.

  Brook MacDonald

After a couple of hot laps without the pack, we loaded up and headed over to Wynyard to session at Mini-Dream. Ideal conditions and perfectly buffed jumps and landings, the boys started to throw down some moves. We shot a couple more turns at the bottom of Wynyard and then called it a day.

  Kelly McGarry

  Brook getting full whipped.

  Brett Frew – Met this guy my first year in Whistler. Him and his roommates didn’t like our sound system. Good to catch up with him while I was there.

  Tire folding traction.

  Kelly

  Eventually Kelly roosted his tire right off the rim.

  Connor MacFarlane

To be honest, I feel that I only scratched the surface of what NZ has to offer. But at the same time, I think that this little sample I had will be enough to pull me back there in the future. I couldn’t have asked for much more given my short stay. Seeing old friends, meeting new friends, exploring new places, watching the All Blacks win the world cup with the locals, and most importantly riding bikes made this trip what it was. Great.

Special thanks go out to the Canadian Freestyle ski team, and the Wells family in Wanaka. Tom Hey, Jo Boyer, and Ryan Purcell for their awesome hospitality. Fraser Gordon and Indri Clendon for lining up sweet activities. Kuwaru Jet Boats, Shotover Canyon Swing, Queenstown Bike Taxi. Brad Rowe at Skyline for getting me into their wicked bike park. Caleb Smith at Spoke Magazine for his amazing moustache. Maxime and Florent (the frenchies) for always being down to ride.

Next stop, Indonesia.

Well, that's a wrap on Mason's escape to New Zealand for the shoulder season – but it seems he didn't stop there. Any words for Mason? Drop him a line below...

A Long Overdue Recon Mission

Posted by Stephen Matthews on 2012-02-14

Have you ever lost something special? Or been at the end of pointing fingers to a devastating mistake? April 2nd, 2011 marked the day I lost Joe Schwartz’ hand pump. A tool he had bought 15 years ago, before the days of Kranked, New World Disorder, and a successful mountain bike career.

The trip last year was a kickoff road trip to the Sunshine Coast, where we would have the pace for 2011 set for us by The Coastal Crew on their home tracks. After an unbelievable day of shuttles, a jump jam in The Backyard, and a beach bonfire, it wouldn’t be until we reached Horseshoe Bay that Joe realized we were missing his pump, the one I had last used to inflate a tire in Dunkerton’s yard.

  Photographer Reuben Krabbe looks like he has his dukes up and ready to rumble with Joe. Maybe Reuben wanted to check out a camera Joe bought 20 years ago...

A few somber weeks passed, until one day was brightened with positive news from Dylan. The pump was there, perched safely outside the Dunkerton workshop. Immediately we began talk of a recon trip... as if we really needed an excuse to go back. Our schedules conflicted, and planning fell through, but it would be in February of this year, that our entire group managed to board the ferry for Langdale again, with Sunshine in the forecast.

  Keith White and Joe Schwartz showing me that moss covered stunts doesn’t rule them out.

  Seb Kemp and I watched the sun set and the waves roll in over speciality coffees from Park Royal, oh his lovely girlfriend was there too.

  My first real time riding Cypress, Cam McRae showed me what Mystery DH was all about. Nice weather for February, thanks the tour Cam!

The Sunshine Coast came at the latter half of a spur of the moment road trip for me. I boarded a plane Sunday morning and managed to fit in rides in Port Moody, SFU, Seymour, Cypress, and a night in Whistler before we boarded the ferry Tuesday morning at 9:30am. Busy schedule to say the least, but that’s how to make the most of life. Once over on the Coast, we found ourselves with perfect riding conditions, a great group riders, and cozy accommodation. I thought to myself, is this place always this awesome?

  Up the Creek Hostel in Roberts Creek is a mountain bikers paradise. The owner, Martin loves riders, and his more than willing to accommodate to our breed of derelicts.

  Paul Stevens gives thumbs up to some shuttle engineering and a shining sun.

By day 2, we had completely forgot about the recon mission for Joe’s pump. With countless laps out of the Roberts Creek area under our belt, and catching up with our Coastal friends, we were distracted and completely ok with it. As we loaded up for another lap of loam explosion, the calm quiet air was broken with the roaring sound from a motor. With a crack and a bang, Dylan Dunkerton came flying out of the bushes, mounted on his bright yellow steed. The valiant ginger knight had determination in his eyes, and was in pursuit of the completion of our quest. He promptly pulled up to the group and nobly presented Joe with a gift. It was his prized pump.

  Here’s the magical moment.

The joyous occasion was celebrated with Cariboo beers and reflections of this weeks trail rides. As we de-constructed our bikes to fit inside vehicles, Joe lent me a set of allen keys to remove my front wheel. The set was all loose, and the Giant Bicycles logo was nearly worn away. As I turned the Boxxer maxle, he boasted about owning this particular set for over 10 years. Can you believe this guy? I returned them immediately.

  Everyone loves the last gap to berm. I could shuttle this trail all day.

Well that's it for my west coast escape this February. Check out some videos below. Thank you NSMB and all my friends who made the logistics of the trip happen, it was incredible!

  Last year we had an incredible session in The Backyard with The Coastal Crew, Mike Hopkins, Joe Schwartz, Peter Matthews, and myself. Video ~ David Peacock


  Absolutely getting slayed by a hiding tree stump. Thank you Contour for sponsoring NSMB in our embarrassing moments!


  Here’s Paulo capturing some of the moments with myself and my brother Peter Matthews through his Contour Cam!

Stephen's a humble man for putting his crash vid in at the end there. What even happened? Speculation, thoughts about lending tools and pumps, or any other words for Stephen below...

Story+Photos: Mason Mashon's Deep Winter

Posted by Mason Mashon on 2012-01-29

NSMB Team member Mason Mashon rides Whistler all year long. This year he was invited to participate in the Deep Winter photo contest. Three days of shooting, a flurry of editing and compiling, and on to the screening. While a winner was crowned on the final night of Deep Winter, the People's Choice award is still up for grabs. Show your support for Mason by voting for him HERE. Read on for Mason's recap of the his experience and a pile of wicked shots.

Accepting the invite to the Deep Winter Photo Challenge had me ecstatic. I’ve been patiently waiting for my opportunity to partake in this 3-day saga of bell-to-bell shooting and editing. This would be my time to shine.

In the days prior to the contest, it became apparent that this year the contest wouldn’t live up to it’s name.  Dry conditions and no snow in the forecast meant that an extra level of creativity would be summoned to barter with. Little did I know that this would throw my brain into overdrive and turn me into a full-blown insomniac. I was running ideas through my head, over and over, then a new idea would slide in, and the cycle continued. I started the contest with a 2-hour sleep. It was on, and the clock was ticking.

Sunshine hasn’t really been an option in the past for this contest. This year however, it opened opportunities to utilize natural light, and draw a lot more color from the characteristic black and white pallette we’re used to. I exercised my experience, and got right down to business with my esteemed team of skiers and snowboarders.

We worked tirelessly around the clock, chasing the sun’s overlay on the terrain, and scraped the mountain dry of what snow was left lingering. We worked efficiently under the umbrella of my loosely organized day plans. Each day on the hill was a success.

I wanted to incorporate some lifestyle moments that a dry spell opens opportunity for, so I included a series of shots where the riders were using different methods of ground transportation (namely bicycles and skateboards). Using a few tools of the trade, we pulled off the shots I had envisioned. The other lifestyle I wanted to show was hockey. We set the stage at a local pop up ice rink, and played shinny for a few hours to wind down the final hours of shooting. The casual nature of the final shoot only temporized the daunting task that lay before me.

I had fifteen hours to compile and edit my photo choices from a 2600 deep selection, I had to hastily chose the right ones that would best fit the story I wanted to tell. Narrowed down to a handful over a hundred, I fired up final cut with just over four hours until it had to be handed in. It was 10 a.m., I hadn’t properly slept all week, and my eyes were glazed over from a sleepless night of touching photos. The anxiety was redlining.

Planning ahead would be my saving grace, as I had pre-marked all the slide changes on my Final Cut time line. It was just a matter of smashing the photos together in the proper sequence. Sparing no time for revision, I moved like a robot. I felt as if I hadn’t blinked in hours. Maybe I didn’t. I rubbed my eye sockets and pressed on into the dying minutes.

I made it to the venue to hand in my show with not a minute to spare. Zombie-like but freakishly awake, I sat and tried to relax for a brief moment. It was done.
With only a few hours between handing in the project and the night’s screening, I managed to close my eyes for a couple of hours. I thought the anxiety had disappeared, but it was only a temporary digression. Thankfully I didn’t have to go first.

Six photographers and their teams lined up one by one, and unleashed a visual stimulus that is often hard to digest at first glance. Strong narratives and stunning images were displayed for the sold out audience. Each team had put together such amazing works. It was humbling to be appreciated beside this amazing group of talent. What I like most is that an event like this brings together our community and really shows the everyday beauty of this place we all love. It’s inspiring, and I loved every minute of it.

Though my body had suffered some serious degradation over those four days, if I had the opportunity to do it again, I would. It’s a real test of your creative integrity, and even though I didn’t find the crown on top of my head, it was a learning experience of epic proportions. Maybe I’ll get that email again, and fall into that stream of consciousness that doesn’t let you sleep for an entire week. I’m up for the challenge.

- Mason

Vote Mason for the Peoples Choice award HERE. Any words for our year round Whistler loc? Shoot below.