Kamloops Quiz

Paul had a delightful introduction to our Kamloops trip in the first instalment of this photo blog, read about it HERE. Seb Kemp, Reuben Krabbe, Joe Schwartz, Paul Stevens, and I were part of a roadtrip for a story in Dirt Magazine.

Reuben Krabbe was gracious enough to lend us a swath of his photos for NSMB viewing, so we turned this project into a 2 part series questionnaire between me and fellow team mate, Paul Stevens.

    Post race drinking at phat wednesdays can sometimes lead to a whole lot more than a hung over Thursday morning. Case in point, Barnhartvale gravel pits. Photo Reuben Krabbe

Questions for Paul

    1.    Were you on board with the organization of this trip from the beginning?

As with many of the best trips I have been on, my (last minute) involvement was the result of a drunken post-phat wednesday conversation, an even more drunken phone call to get the time off work, followed by a lot of high fives and some more drinking. So I think I would probably say no to that one.

    2.    In a past article I referred to working with Reuben Krabbe like dealing with a “mad scientist”. In 3 words could you describe Reuben Krabbe?

Unpredictable artistic genius

    The closest thing I have ever had to a powder day on bikes. Gravel pit roosting. Photo Reuben Krabbe

    3.    One morning at The Amsterdam Restaurant, you were quite peeved with not automatically receiving milk alongside your tea while sitting with a bunch of coffee drinkers mocking you feverously. At that given moment, who did you hate more, our cute yet forgetful server or your friends?

Ah it makes me angry just thinking about that milkless tea! Right when all I needed was a good cuppa as well. I was pretty upset, but the heckling that followed, combined with you lot being significantly less cute than the server, means I would have to say my friends won the hatred stakes that morning.

    My friends making up for a badly served tea in the morning, with a perfectly served beer in the evening. Photo Reuben Krabbe

    4.    We hit super dank and wet weather in Kamloops, had you ever ridden Harper in the rain before?

I had never ridden anywhere in Kamloops in the rain before, so it was a really different  riding experience this time round! The dusty clay-like dirt there is like buttered glass when it’s wet, which made it pretty interesting trying to ride Harper with Reuben’s 50lb flash bag! It was cool to see Kamloops like that though, because it is usually so iconic for all the dust and the desert climate.

    Harper was interesting to ride in the wet, but the jumps were still good to go, albeit minus the dust trail that usually follows. Photo Reuben Krabbe

    5.    What was the highlight of the trip?

When I asked Reuben at the top of Barnhartvale why he had brought a pack with him for this run, and he casually replied “Well, I have to put my clothes somewhere” before stripping down to his birthday suit and absolutely shredding the gravel pit!

    6.    What was the lowlight of the trip?

Milkless tea. She would have been in serious trouble if she wasn’t so cute.

    The 4.30am start, and even the milkless tea, were worth it for some of the results we got. Photo Reuben Krabbe

    7.    Later in the summer, you worked with Dylan Sherrard in the Deep Summer Photo Challenge over Crankworx. Was this trip to Kamloops the first time the two of you had ridden together?

Yeah, I have been a fan of Dylan’s super smooth and steezy riding style for a while, so it was awesome to finally ride with him, and watch how comfortable the guy is on big jumps and drops. Shredhard is an awesome rider and a sterling chap. It was great to be guided around by him and the other Kamloops locals to ride all their favourite spots.

    Making the most of some early morning sun, before the clouds closed back in. Photo Reuben Krabbe

    8.    Would this trip have been better with a 24” rear wheel as shown in early NWD films?

As much as I would love to have run one, even freeride superstar Joe Schwartz wasn’t rocking the 24”, so I would have to say that although freeride’s not dead, the 24” rear wheel freeride bike just might be.

    Gnarcroft is big, whatever size wheels you are on. Photo Reuben Krabbe

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Share the radness below. And perhaps you can help heal Paul’s milkless tea wounds.