08/21/2008

2006 is rapidly drawing to a close, and we here at nsmb thought it would be cool to end the year with a look at some of our favourites from 2006. One thing that's really interesting to see - how everyone put their favourite two-wheeled moments into words. Anyway, hope they bring back some good memories for you, introduce you to things that you might not have known about, and ultimately, stoke your desire to ride. Because at the end of the day, that's why we're here...

Thanks, happy holidays to you and yours, and get outdoors. We'll see you again in 2007.

- the nsmb.com crew

Daniel Crowe-Hutchon - nsmb.com team grom

My favourite place to ride my bike  
Over the summer I rode in quite a few awesome places. But over the years I have come to the conclusion that my favourite place to ride my bicycle must be the Sunshine Coast. Every chance I get, I ride my bike to the ferry, jump on the ferry and go shred the coast. I usually ride with a guy named Dylan Dunkerton, he rides a hard tail and shreds! He usually picks me up from the ferry on the Coast, and we shuttle the mountain and take pictures all day.

So green it's hard to believe... sweet SSC trails || Photo: Dylan Dunkerton

Every time I go there, I am astounded how different it is from the crazy city. There are nowhere near as many riders on the Coast as there are on the Shore, so the trails are pretty prime, and always super fun. The trails and the locals are awesome! You can ride one trail that is really loamy for the top half of the mountain, and then link up into another trail that has lots of stunts and jumps to play on. The trail builders there are really skilled and dedicated to the trails, and all shred hard. When I ride places like Whistler, I always like shredding trails like A-line but they never compare to the feeling I get when I ride the SSC.

Cheryl Beattie - nsmb Women's Lounge / BB Mod

Favourite trail in Kamloops - Rosehill. Rose Hill is my all time favourite trail and I have to give it some big shout outs as the bulldozers rear their ugly buckets to destroy it.  

Favourite trails outside of Kamloops - Gillard. Gillard in Kelowna was the only road trip I got to make this year, other than Silver Star and Whistler. I had a wonderful time riding the Gillard trails and trying out some really unique stunts on Boss Hog. I recommend hitting up Kelowna if you are an intermediate rider who wants to push their skills on some fun stunts.  

Favourite competition - Elevation. I loved the Elevation concept last year and was happy to see it go off even bigger this year. The riders brought less complicated tricks and opted for some way bigger transfers and style. I liked the event and was happy to see Berrecloth do so well in the contest. 

Favorite trick in a contest - 360 over the road gap at Crankworx from Berrecloth. I know we’d all seen it before but his 360s over the gap are dreamy. I could watch it all day and he has them so dialled he can do them all day.  Favorite male Mountain bike rider - Matt Hunter. He is the golden child in Kamloops so we've got to love him. His section in Roam was amazing and he is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.  Favorite female mountain bike rider - Marla Streb. Everyone knows I love Marla. What woman in mountain biking hasn’t read her book?  Favorite BMX ripper - Chris Doyle. I live for the big turn-downs in BMX and no one does them like Doyle. He won me over this year with his huge transfers at Elevation.  Favorite piece of gear - My Dainese Safety Jacket. I am an avid armour advocate. I have been dubbed the little plastic warrior out here because no matter how hot it gets, you won’t see me without my upper body suit. I take a lot of flack for wearing too much gear and not going as big as the gear I wear, but I am in one piece.

You spin me right round, baby, right round... || Photo: David Ferguson

Favourite Bike Park - Whistler on a weekday and Silver Star on a weekend. I love Whistler but I am not a fan of the crowds. I like to take my time and enjoy myself, so when I have been to Whistler on a busy day and people are running me down, I’d rather be at Silver Star. I like the variety at Whistler of jumps and gnar, and I think Silver Star stepped it up huge in 2006 to give people a less-insane version of the great Whistler. I also love getting freezies in the lineups at Silver Star when it’s hot. 

nsmb's Corey Anderson doing his thing on one sweet-ass ramp at Silver Star || Photo: Stuart Kernaghan

Favourite video - Roam. The first time I watched Roam, I don’t think I was in the right mood and it didn’t leave a major impression. Then we had our premiere here in Kamloops and I have never been so happy watching a bike video. Roam is beautifully shot with some of my favourite riders in the most beautiful places in the world.  

Favourite Bike - Giant Glory DH. This was my steed for 2006 and I loved it. The squishy 8.8" was totally manageable and well suited for the kind of park or Kamloops riding I like to do. The bike performs the best when it’s wide open and fast but it likes to get up in the air, too. 2007 brings me a Giant Glory FR, so Giant must be doing something right for me. 

It was sort of like this, but the forks were different || Photo: Stuart Kernaghan

Eamonn Duignan - nsmb.com team rider

It seems almost surreal that I am writing about my favourites of '06.  It seems like yesterday that we were doing top to bottoms in the Whistler Bike Park, but as Christmas is just around the corner, and with the New Year almost upon us, I guess I have to face the fact that '06 has come and gone! 

Well since I am meant to write about my faves for '06, the absolute first thing that I have to mention is my Sunday. This year, I was fortunate enough to get my paws on an IronHorse Sunday Elite and all I can say is that, if ‘man to bike’ marriages were legal in Canada, I would be one happily married man! This bike kills it anywhere it goes- on the Shore, in Whistler, in the interior. The beauty of the Sunday, not to sound too much like an infomercial for IH, is that she climbs as good as she descends.

Eamonn's bike, all clean and shiny, ready to rip up the parquet || Photo: Eamonn

My other faves for this year would most definitely be my Fox DHX 5.0 rear shock. Compared to what I was previously running (I won’t name names…Fifth), this shock is unbelievable. Also, I have to mention that I was very impressed with my Magura brakes. Can you say modulation?  Lastly, I was also very happy with my X.O rear shifter and derailleur, and the very stealthy-looking Syncros bash guard.

Oh, and of course, how could I forget to mention my stylish and yet functional, argyle socks…an unquestionable favourite for '06!

As far as favourite riding localities for 2006 go, Whistler Bike Park still takes the cake, and I don’t think I have to point out why. I should mention, though, that Silver Star is a very close runner-up for my favourite riding destination.

For local stuff in North Van, I have to say that, just like 2005, 2004, 2003 and so on, my favourite trail of all time is still GMG.  My favourite dirt jumps for '06 go to the *censored* jumps, and my favourite shuttle mountain is Seymour. For favourite bike comps in '06, I would have to say that Crankworx in Whistler is the shit. Just the sheer amplitude of the event is mind blowing! Oh, and the media passes are also a nice perk. Favourite bike vid for '06 is Digger's latest in his North Shore Extreme series. Some personal faves of mine for '06: the ‘Works Yard’ special at the Marina Bar and Grill in North Van - it's super cheap and a damn good breakfast; signing Karaoke at the HKIN Christmas party (I don’t think I’ll be invited back next year), and cruising down Seymour in the team truck trying to pick up prostitutes. Oh, I mean recruiting new team members for the upcoming season. In closing, the best part of '06 for me, hands down would be that I am one semester closer to finishing my degree at UBC and

Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a ... ||

[Yes, Eamonn is sponsored by Iron Horse, Fox, Magura, SRAM, and Syncros. Deal with it. He is not, however, sponsored by either the Marina Bar and Grill or hookers, and gives them props of his own free will. - Ed.]

Sharon Bader and Lee Lau - husband-and-wife team, past president of the NSMBA and nsmb epic ride recounter, respectively

Favourite ride - First real mountain bike ride of the year. Pemberton, May 2006. The ski season just didn't quit. I so wanted to ride, but with snow still falling heavy it made getting on the bike a bit more difficult. It's sometimes tough to identify the true FIRST ride of the year. For us, it was the dry grippy rocky goodness of Pemberton.

This doesn't look very presidential || Photo: Lee Lau

Favourite tale - Comfortably Numb. Only 23kms you say? How bad could it be? We rode Numb in May, and it kicked my ass. I blamed the wet roots and crappy tires. I believed this until we rode it again in August. When I had new tires and it was dry. A definite must-ride in Whistler!

Section of Comfortably Numb || Photo: Pat Mulrooney

Favourite trails - Chilliwack. A high ridge-top ride with a committed climb that will deter many... But to get a taste of seasons, it certainly is a place to see the difference a year makes!

Spring || Photo: Sharon Bader

The same trail, a couple of months later || Photo: Sharon Bader

Favourite ride -The Chilcotins. What can you say. Sure, the drive is long, but the trails are fast and flowy and the VIEWS!

Vince enjoying a poster-boy moment descending off Cluckata Ridge.

Favourite tale - Vancouver is home to many a unique rider. One stands out more then the rest... Wouldn't you if you could do it all on half the bike?

Kris Holm on Grumpy Grouse

Favourite trail - One we planned to do this year, but didn't get around to it... Here is a pic from a previous ride on this epic trail to remind us to do it next year.

The Plains of Abraham and Mt. St Helens

Trish Petrella - nsmb web monkey

Favourite ride/trail - Mt Wilson (north-east of Los Angeles, CA). In May, a friend and I had the chance to go down and ride in SoCal with a bunch of guys from the magazines. Every ride on that roadtrip was amazing, but Mt. Wilson was definitely my favourite. One hour fire-road climb up, and almost three and a half of singletrack descent. AMAZING!

Not exactly what comes to mind when you think of LA, is it? || Photo: Trish Petrella

Favourite attempted (but not achieved) trick - Back Flips in Woodward West’s foam pit. As much as it would have been rad to actually manage to do one, the trying was ALL the fun. If you ever get a chance to spend some time at a foam pit, DO IT!

Like a midget drowning in blue sugar cubes - Trish in the foam

Best surprisingly awesome bike park - Blue Mountain, Collingwood, Ontario. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a bike park in Ontario, but Blue was fantastic! The trails were well-planned and offered tons of variety. We may be spoiled in our terrain here in B.C., but those Ontario kids sure know how to make the best of what they’ve got. Favourite mountain bike film - Kranked 6: Progression & Alias Labs ‘The Bike Compilation’. The Kranked series has always been a favourite of mine, and #6 did not disappoint. A Day in the Life is a local film and the first big effort from Alex (Alias Labs). It has a soulful feel, some great music, and some beautiful cinematography. Check the video link or visit thebikepage.com.

Yes, this is Ontario riding | Photo: Trish

Favourite rider/film segment - Ryan Leech in Kranked 6. WOW! Ryan raises the bar every time he films a new segment. Seeing him negotiate that trail on the Sunshine Coast on a full-suspension bike was awe-inspiring.

Remember, kids, always wear a helmet || Photo: Trish

Favourite ‘skatepark Saturday’ location - Richmond skate park. Although it’s older, I love the layout of this park. Plus, it’s often dry in Richmond while it’s raining everywhere in the Lower Mainland. Favourite move in a comp/event - EVERYTHING off that huge finishing move at Crankworx. How cool was it, to sit and watch a slopestyle competition with SO many people? The crowd had an insane energy that would build as we watched the riders negotiate the course on the big screen, and climaxed with everyone screaming their faces off as they finally came off the final drop.

Jerry Willows - nsmb.com team rider, trail builder extraordinaire

Favourite non-Shore trail – Baldface Mtn in Nelson. Over 6,000’ of vertical loam.

Well, maybe not loamy at that elevation but it is lower down || Photo: Jerry Willows

Favourite Shore trail – Too many to list (but this one looks cool. Stephen Wilde thought so, too).

Jerry on a steep section. Steeps, on the Shore? || Photo: Stephen Wilde

Favourite Bike Part – Specialized Demo7 with Fox front and rear suspension.

Jerry-Rig killing it, before the Demo 7 was available to the masses.

Best road trip - the Interior, last summer.

Favourite riders - Bearclaw/McCaul for Slopestyle and Wade/Vanderham for mountain. http://www.nsmb.com/images/trail_tales/moroc/vanderham-tailwhip.jpg

Favourite competition - Whistler Crankworx Garbonzo DH. Can’t beat 17 minutes of pure pain.

Favourite bike related movie for ’06 - NSX 9: Nothing beats Shore riding! Check the vid if you don't believe it.

Favourite non-bike related movie for ’06 - Lucky Number Slevin.

Other interests - trail building and photography.

[Yes, Jerry's sponsored, too. The producers of Lucky Number Slevin gave him major cash to plug their flick. - Ed.]

Trevor Hansen - nsmb.com team captain

Favourite B.C. trail - that one on the far side of the mountain near the spot that you can see the creek and the large trees at. It's long, loamy, slightly left of legal and it rips more than Eamonn's tight pants on Disco night at the Pit.

Holy crap, that looks about as sketch as it gets. || Photo: Stephen Wilde

Fave trail outside B.C. - Is there such a thing?

Fave comp - Ripper Super D with my crew Cam, Jeremy and Colin.

The nsmb boys, chilling at the Ripper comp

Fave rider - Dane Hansen.

Dane Hansen. Trevor Hansen. Wonder if they're related? || Photo: Trevor Hansen

Least favourite moment - front flipping over the bars on Air Supply breaking my hand and ribs.  Fave piece of bike gear - my three dialled-in Specialized rigs: Demo 8, Enduro and Sirrus commuter. Fave move in a comp - The 300-pound drunk dude in the Bearclaw Invitational beer gardens crashing into four 300-pound bouncers then walking away with his beer still half full.

[Trevor - sponsored. Bikes, blah blah blah. And Eamonn probably had to buy him beers to ease the pain. - Ed.]

Stuart Kernaghan, Associate Editor

Favourite ride - I got to spend two weeks in Germany and Switzerland this past summer, and while I was in Switzerland riding with Big Mountain, I had the good fortune to ride Neufenen Pass. The ride didn't start out well - we didn't get the wheels rolling until very late in the afternoon, and were caught in a torrential downpour as soon as we closed the door of the vehicle. The views were spectacular and the rain did let up, but the late departure meant a tough decision: do we continue riding into the storm or spend a night at an alpine hut in our wet gear. Thankfully, we stayed, ate a couple of questionable meals, and got up at sunrise to continue our trek down to the valley floor. Riding these pristine trails as the sun came up on this amazing ribbon of high-alpine dirt, past a 400 year old church, dodging cows, and hitting sweet forest singletrack is an experience that will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. Stay tuned for a write-up on the trip in the New Year.

"We're riding to the bottom of those mountains? Sweet!" Morning on the pass. || Photo: Stuart Kernaghan

Favourite industry personality - Anyone who didn't switch jobs in 2006. Everybody seemed to jump ship this year, leading to a whole whack of interesting new 'opportunities' to re-build relationships with companies you've dealt with for years. Please, everyone, stay put for the next little while. Stop being so selfish and think about the rest of us, if that's possible.

Favourite gear - it's a toss-up for this category between my SRAM X.0 shifters and Bontrager Big Earl tires. The X.0s are the most solid-feeling shifter I've ever used. There's no play whatsoever in the downshift lever, and when you pull the upshift lever you get a solid click. The carbon fiber covers are pretty bling, too, even though mine look a little beat after a couple of crashes. The 2.6" Big Earls on my personal bike have saved my butt more than once on greasy, snot-slippery roots, rocks, and woodwork on the Shore. I've ridden things that I wouldn't have thought possible, thanks to this sweet rubber.

Carbon goodness while it was still fresh. || Photo: Stuart Kernaghan

Favourite move at Crankworx - I was going to call this category 'Favourite move in competition' but the only comp I got to this year was Crankworx, so that didn't make much sense. The nod has to go to Cam McCaul's Indian air / Superman seat grab combo. Maybe not the flashiest move of the day, but the extension and the calmness with which he pulled it off seem to epitomize the both the new school of riding that's emerging and the skill with which it takes to win the big prizes. Hell, his eyes are even closed.

McCaul had so much hang time on this move, he could have done a couple more tricks. || Photo: David Ferguson

Favourite place for post-ride eats - In Whistler, it's got to be the GLC. Cold beers, massive nachos, and a view of the bottom part of the Boneyard. What could be better than having a couple of browns while watching people stack? In Squamish, it's the Howe Sound Brew Pub. Mmmmm, yam fries. 'Nuff said.

Favourite movie sequence - The scene with the riders cruising trails along the coastline in Collectively Kranking Up the Disorder. Love bikes, love the ocean, love smooth rides that just flow effortlessly. It's all there in this couple minutes of film. Just goes to show you kids that you don't need a million bucks and a massive crew to make good mountain bike movies.

Favourite bike park - Bike parks are the way of the future for ski operations, and B.C. is fortunate to have some of the premier lift-accessed riding in the world. Whistler is the perennial favourite of many Vancouverites, but I have to give the nod to Silver Star in Vernon. The lift lines are shorter (except on the closing weekend of the year, when they were a bit ridiculous), the lift fits four bikes, the runs are quite long, the terrain is fun for everyone from beginners to advanced riders, and it has that ridiculously sweet wallride. Imagine you're four years old again, and someone has given you the biggest ice cream cone of your young life. The wallride is even better than that. Now if only Silver Star would do something about those tabletop jumps...

The grey wooden roller coaster - scene of a certain little friend's great triumph || Photo: Stuart Kernaghan

Favourite mountain bike personality - Mark Weir. I don't know everything about him, but from what I can tell, Weir is serious about mountain biking. Up, down, over, under, laying the smackdown on anyone who challenges him, and building a pump track in his backyard. Actually, the guy's a nut. He rode more than a million miles of vert in less than a year, on a Santa Cruz Nomad with only a 40T ring to power him up the hill. He gets bonus points for being a bald guy with wicked facial hair.

Favourite rider - I'm going to avoid anyone obvious with this one and choose a whole group of riders: women who mountain bike for the pure, unadulterated love of the sport. They may have gotten into riding because of a boyfriend, a spouse, whatever, but they discover the magic that comes from hitting the trail. And they keep going back for more, for the simple reason that they love riding. I love running into them on the trail, in the lift line, even online, and I hope to run into even more in '07 than I did this year. In case no one's told you lately, girls, you rock!

This young lady rocked my socks. How cool is this? || Photo: Stuart Kernaghan

Cam McRae - Editor

I wish I could remember 2006 a little more clearly. I had a couple of concussions in the fall and 2006 was my first year as a father of two and frankly, it's kind of a blur. I know I did a lot of bicycle riding on some trails I had never ridden before, and that good times were had, but getting specific is proving to be a bit of a problem. Below is what I could dredge from the recesses.

Contest
My favourite Slopestyle event was the Adidas event in Saalbach Austria. This is a no-brainer for a couple of reasons; it was held in a country where beer and beer-powered festivities are heartily encouraged and it was the only Slopestyle I made it to. It was a great event to be sure though. If the weather had co-operated it would have been close perfect. There were a few features large enough for some wow factor but most were a step back from the edge to allow riders to pull out much of their best stuff. There were no double back flips or double tailwhips but there were plenty of singles and threes and Lance McDermott was pulling flairs and front flips like they were no-footers.

---

Lance McDermott getting bent at the Adidas Slopestyle in Saalbach. Photo ~ Cam McRae

Slopestyle Riders
That leads to my favourite Slopestyle riders of the year. Berrecloth put in another rock solid 12 months - and Cam Zink and Cam McCaul both had breakthrough years - but it was Andreu Lacondeguy and Lance McDermott who stirred the pot the most. These two are going to force the more established riders to crank their game and that's always good.

---

Andreu Lacondeguy brings it in Saalbach. Sequence ~ Markus Greber

Bike Gear
Thinking back I can't think of a product that revolutionized the sport in 2006. I'll probably think of something later. Thankfully since this is the web I can just come in here and add it. There were some items I liked using though. I have a real fondness for Bontrager Big Earl tires. I have used the 2.6 wire bead model and the 2.5 kevlar and they are both fine rubber products. The 2.6 has a nice resilient feel and you can run it at relatively low pressures without worrying about a pinch. It's nice and soft and the tread pattern seems to dig in where necessary. The 2.5 is nice and light and while less burly, still has a lot of bite. The fork that tickled me most this year was the Fox Van RC2. It is smooth, supple, highly adjustable while managing to remain surprisingly lightweight and burly. 2007 looks to be an even better year for forks. Marzocchi's 2007 line looks like their best ever and the Rock Shox Totem is positioned to be a huge hit. When the manufacturers are toe to toe it's always good for Joe Rider. My favourite bike is a no-brainer. The Specialized SX trail is a peach of a bike. It's versatile, relatively light and it can take whatever you can give it. It's the closest I've come yet to that one bike that can do it all - from bike parks to XC rides. Pretty impressive for a ride that Darren Berrecloth spins over the Whistler Bike Park road gap every summer. Some other bikes I liked this year were the Rocky Slayer, the Trek Session 10 and the Scott Ransom. There were a lot of bikes I wanted to try this year but wasn't able to. It's certainly an exciting time to be a mountain bike rider - it's tough to buy a bad bike in a bike shop these days. Walmart on the other hand would be happy to sell you something you'll hate after just a couple of rides.

---

My most memorable ride of the year was the Triple Crown Leg of the North Shore Ripper. Photo ~ Donhok Han

Happening
My favourite event of the year without a doubt was the Triple Crown leg of the North Shore Ripper. Rolling up and over all three North Shore Mountains with Team Shuttlewhore was an unforgettable experience. Maybe I'm not losing the plot after all. I won't get into a long drawn out description because I already did that here - I will say it has all the makings of a legendary event and it'll take a trip to the Shimano factory in Japan to make me miss it in 2007.

People
A couple of my favourite people of the year are the husband and wife team of Lee Lau and Sharon Bader . Until recently Sharon was president of the nsmbA (not to be confused with nsmb.com) and Lee is a past president and he was very involved first husband. Sharon and Lee have totally changed the way the nsmbA and mountain bikers in general are viewed by local politicians and media. Sharon managed to secure lucrative grants, negotiate permits to run all the North Shore Rippers and get people excited about coming to trail days and lending a hand. Sharon and Lee also manage to do more epic mountain bike and ski tours than anyone I know. Their last one is documented by Lee here. I raise a Shaftebury Cream to Lee and Sharon. Richard Juryn has stepped into the nsmbA's Oval Office this year and so far he's getting a lot of people excited.

---

Sharon and Lee's natural habitat - and an example of what B.C. has to offer.  Photo ~ Lee Lau

---

Locale
My favourite place to live is a no-brainer. I love living on the Shore. You can pedal to the trails if you're full of piss 'n vinegar, there are two mountains for shuttling and one that is a mandatory pedal and each one is bejeweled with some of the most audacious and pleasing mountain bike trails that have ever existed. I'm going to be more general in my designation though; I'm stoked to live in British Columbia. We are blessed with what are unquestionably the three best bike parks in the world (Whistler is the undisputed leader while Sun Peaks and Silver Star slug it out for second place) along with epic riding destinations wherever you end up. The word is out on places like Pemberton, Kamloops and Nelson and Rossland in the Kootenays but there is also world-class riding in places like Pemberton, Fernie, Smithers, Merrit, Golden, Revelstoke, the Sunshine Coast, New Denver, Williams Lake, Comox, the Chilcotins and Kelowna. Come for a visit and you will go home smiling - and likely a little beaten up as well.

North Shore goodness; Brandon Sloan riding Salvation on Seymour. Photo ~ Cam McRae  Click to Enlarge.