Virgins of the
North Shore
Paul Hilling
As the evenings draw in and the weather takes a turn for the worse, I find myself sitting at home and not getting out on the bike as much as usual. It’s at times like this, that I sit back and think of how the year has gone, where I have ridden, new places I have visited, trails conquered and people I have met.
Virgins in the wild
L to R Tristam Hammerton, Gaz Winson, James Fisher, Alex Kemp and Zak Burnet.
Thinking of people, I ran into Cam McRae this August whilst riding up on Grouse. I promised to send an article to NSMB about the group of West Coast ‘Virgins’ who were with me at the time, including their thoughts and impressions of B.C. and the Shore. Now, as I sit here editing a short video diary of the event, it seemed like a good time to put my thoughts on paper.
So where to start? Well, a bit of background info would be good to set the scene. I have had a connection with B.C., Vancouver and the Vancouver Island since the mid nineties and have ridden the Shore (and various other places in B.C.) many times. I have even had the privilege of riding with the likes of Wade Simmons, Richey Schley and the guys from Norco and Rocky Mountain on occasion. On my return home to the UK, I would always enthuse about the riding
in B.C. and the Shore, even to the extent of building ‘North Shore’
trails (with the help of friends) on the hills I ride at home. It
was this catalyst that lead a group of guys from my local bike store -
Freeborn - to join me in one of my trips to B.C. |
 Atypical Virgin behaviour James Fisher |
In late August, ten of us headed out from the UK planning to spend a week in Whistler, a couple of days on the Island and then a final week on the Shore.
After the logistics of getting everyone to Whistler and getting the bikes set up for riding (many thanks to the guys at Fanatyk Co. for their help) it was off to Thrill Me, Kill Me, just to get a benchmark as to how well the Virgins would adjust to riding in B.C. (taking into account that the highest hill we have at home is about 900 feet and a typical run downhill would last no more than a minute). They all came through well, so day two was off to the Bike Park. This totally blew their minds and pushed the boundaries of their riding.
Within a week of riding in Whistler, the standards of all of them had improved immensely and, apart from one injury (torn shoulder muscles), they all survived their first week. “A good job done by the Bike Park team”, as one Virgin stated. But the best was yet to come.
The Virgins had seen many of the NSX series of videos (we even ran into Digger whilst we were riding) and were keen to try the likes of Upper Oil Can, The Circus, Boogie Man, CBC, Ladies Only and Pink Starfish to name a few. So, CBC on Seymour was the first stop, leading us into other trails further down. Lucky for me a few old friends from the Island joined us for this ride, along with the guys from Norco. For the Virgins this was mind blowing, with some of them discovering new levels of riding ability. The shear scale of the trails and stunts, just on Seymour, definitely humbled even the more talented Virgins, “You guys in B.C. have a whole different level of riding ability”, they remarked. |
 Cherry popped? Rider - Tristan Hammerton |
The last week past off well, without any major injury (except some sprained
pride). We experienced various weather conditions from hot sunshine to out and
out rain. Boogie Man is great in the wet. As mentioned before, on one of the
days out on Grouse we ran into Cam and the crew from NSMB, who showed us the
likes of Air Supply including the 'Slocan Swiveller.' Many a photo was taken
so we can build something similar back home. I would have ridden it, but alas
a broken back in April whilst riding on the Island has put paid to anything
serious this side of Christmas. Although a couple of guys did try it with moderate
success
Within a few days all the Virgins had gotten into a groove and had started to
push their personal limits on the trails, even with their limited experience.
By the end of the week riding Upper Oil Can, Pink Starfish and Boogie Man were
becoming the group’s favourites. Plenty of video footage was shot during
the week, which will go towards a great couple of nights review and ridicule.
Virgins in the Village (Whistler Village)
Nick Jenkins (L) and Paul Hilling
Heading back to the UK, “tired and emotional” (English joke here) the Virgins had a chance to reflect and give their views. The whole experience had left them in no doubt that the Shore and B.C. is the best place to ride in the world. Some of them were humbled by the intense nature of the trails and were left wanting on the fitness side. Others found that their skills had improved so much that they were now completely different riders. All of them said that they want to come back and some have already booked for next year. Overall, the Virgins were overwhelmed by the trails, impressive infrastructure around riding, the people who helped them and gave them support, plus the positive approach people have to what goes on around The Shore. One Virgin said, “it was everything I expected and more”.
Now back in the UK they all miss the riding in B.C., but for any of you who read this and remember running into a group of Brits from the Freeborn / Ellsworth set up, plus of course myself, many thanks for all that you did for us and for breaking in the Virgins.
“H” the Architect
