AIRprentice Sweepstakes

In case you missed it, we were actually looking for two riders at AIRprentice 2010.  Unfortunately there were three we wanted.  Matt Montandon was a unanimous choice but we were all unsure about whether to choose Ian Morrison or Paul Stevens to be our big mountain/DH rider for 2010.  So we let them duke it out with blog posts.  Paul was looking good until he was swallowed up by a crater in the Whistler Bike Park – but instead of bowing out he actually elevated his game.

With the blog score finalized at 4 to 1 – and those were 4 very high quality blogs as well – Paul Stevens has been chosen as our guy.  He’s got bikes, parts and every bit of kit an nsmb rider is blessed with.  Now let’s get to know Paul a little bit better.

How did you come to be a Brit riding and working and living in Whistler B.C.?
 
Ever since I watched the Whistler sections of Earthed 1 I wanted to come out here. Once I started tasting the riding the BC had to offer, I started doing everything in my power to stay here!

  Is there really a trail through there?  Paul gets to know his Demo in a harsh environment.

What were you doing back in the UK before you came here?
 
I was studying when I first decided to come to Canada, then finished university and worked Landscaping and in a bike shop in Bristol to save money to move out here.

  Paul is a rider who seems to be able to do it all.  And he’s particularly comfortable defying gravity.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?
 
I always start the day with a cuppa tea. You don’t want to see me if I don’t have tea!

Cam McRae: Tell me about the local riding community and how you infiltrated it so completely?
 
Paul Stevens: Whistler is a unique town. Living in other towns, you have to spend time sorting out the riders, and the people you actually want to spend time with, from a pool of generic homosapiens, most of whom think mountain biking is donning the spandex for a Sunday jaunt along the cycle path. Whistler is different because people move here for the riding. You just have to walk through the village, hang out in a bike shop of your choice, or sit at the bottom of the bike park, and you will run into every type and ability of rider.

Having said this, there are few riders who excel at all kinds of riding. Living here for a few years now has allowed me to find these riders, and shred with them as much as I can, pushing my own limits in every aspect of the sport. I try to ride a bit of everything, and the people around me doing the same thing definitely help me with that! 

  A little late season training.

With three days open for riding how would you fill your schedule?
 
This should be easy to answer, as I have 3 days for riding each week! But usually it is pretty weather dependent. An ideal 3 days goes like this:
 
Day 1: Early start to pedal up the Westside while it’s still cool and the dirt is fresh, XC riding for a couple hours. Home for lunch, then meet a bunch of friends for some cruisy laps in the bike park, trains down the mellower trails followed by a shred down RDS to round off the big bike riding. Stop at Dusty’s for a (mandatory) beer, then home. Roll down to the pump track later to meet the same crew, reminisce about the awesome RDS lap and watch the clouds roll in…
Day 2: Wake up to heavy rain on the windows, pull on the rain gear and head up Garbanzo solo to slide around and get gnarly on the wet roots and rocks. Don’t see anyone but the lifty for hours. Come back soaking wet but satisfied! Weather clears up in the afternoon to make the trails perfect. Pack up the overnight bag because it’s going to be a full moon tonight! Assemble the crew and drive to the South Chilcotins. Ride late into the night and camp under the full moon.
Day 3: Jump in the lake to wake up, then prepare for the big day! All day ride at Spruce, epic scenery and trails, the best way to finish the 3 days. Exhausted but the happiest man in the world. Drive home. Sleep.

What are some of your favourite laps of the bike park, trails in the valley and elsewhere in the corridor?
 
This list could be as long as your arm! A few of my favourites in the park are In deep, Joyride, renegade, rock city, most of the techy ones! Throughout the valley, Pura vida, Kashmir, Yummy Numby, and a few that have to remain anonymous! Elsewhere in the corridor, Hoods in the woods and angry midget in Squamish, Gravatron and resurectum in Pemberton. The list could go on… 

  So smooth he doesn’t upset the wildlife.

Who is your favourite unsung hero in Whistler?
 
Dylan Wolsky. Remember that name! The guy shreds hard on any bike, and has the ability and fitness to podium at both downhill and XC races.

To many fall is the best riding season on the west coast.  What are your plans for the rest of the season?
 
I agree, fall is an awesome time for riding! I have a couple of trips planned for the fall, more riding in the Chilcotins, big bike trip to the Kootenays, and a few Whistler epics that have only recently become ridable as the snow has taken so long to melt! Also I will be shooting with Taylor Loughan in Whistler and Squamish for his new movie “You like this?”.

You’ve had your new demo for a few days now.  How do you like it and the components?
 
The Demo is awesome. The back end is very active and so short that you can push it through corners and rough stuff with ease! The components so far are flawless. I have used Sram componentry in the past and loved it, and my feelings haven’t changed! Maxxis tires are also an old favourite, it is great to have their predictability on a new bike.

  Insert cheesy caption that includes ‘on track’ here…

Who are some of the people you ride with?
 
Todd Hellinga, Dylan Wolsky, Katrina Strand, Adam Mantle, Steve Reid, Kevin Landry, Fanny Paquette, Carlos Zavarce, anyone who loves to shred whatever bike is under them!

Do you like the direction mountain biking is heading in?
 
Definitely. The evolution of “all mountain” bikes is great for the sport. You really can buy a very good one bike quiver now, which encourages a lot more people into the sport. World cup and world championship coverage seems to be getting much better for viewers, which can only be a good thing. Also I really feel like people are realising that you can still go big on a bike that also has the capability to win world cups. You just have to stand at the bottom of the bike park now and watch the bikes coming down to see this! Freeracing is the new black.

Anything else you’d like to share with the world?

Yes, this video because this will never fail to make me laugh. Thanks Carlos…

---

How did we do?  We would have been stoked to have Ian AND Paul but we couldn’t take them both.  Welcome Paul to team nsmb right here…