How to Rip Like A Rider From B.C.?
I’ve been thinking this week that we live in fairly depressing times. It’s very easy to consider us in some kind of end-of-days horror show with no end in sight. Any more about e-mails and “voter fraud” and I’m just going to crawl into bed for a few things…where Stranger Things has me too scared to sleep. I’m not sure what to do in order to turn this frown upside down. But I’m going to try. Let’s talk about something happy for a change.
Uncle Dave
Four of us journeyed to your part of the world this past September and had an awesome time in Whistler (in the valley, not in the park. We’re all old XC guys who like to pedal and suffer) and Squamish.
At night, between mouthfuls of food, we’d discuss how… the skill set of BC riders is light years ahead of us. We rode Rupert and that last chicken line….we looked at that and quite honestly my boys retracted in to my abdomen and none of us rode it. What’s the secret? I tired drinking water but all it did was wake me up in the middle of the night to go pee. It was humbling.
Sincerely,
Quietly Impressed
Dear Quixote:
Oh man! I just about snapped my spine, throwing my shoulders back with all the pride that I just felt! Thanks!
There’s no secret really. Just find a mountain somewhere, and then make sure it is steep and covered in rocks, roots and shit. Locate it somewhere that sees heavy amounts of rain for six months of the year and is adjacent to a large City full of disposable income and bored kids. In ten to fifteen years, you too will have people visiting your home terrain, wondering how it’s possible that all the locals can ride that stuff so easily.
However, I know we talked about being happy and positive, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point out the downside to this situation. Unfortunately, once you’ve created this world class riding destination and grown your sport into the mainstream, one of the neighbourhood crazies may begin using your words and images to forward their ridiculous agenda. Honestly…what the hell? My own mother doesn’t put in this much effort to show people photos of me. Why are you so obsessed? Should I be worried? And please, cool it with the hashtags and the non-sequiturs. And is it too much to ask for a link and a photo credit?
Sorry,
Uncle Dave
Uncle Dave’s Music Club
Over the last few years I’ve struggled with this thought: Am I happier now that an infinite variety of music is just a click away, or was it better when it took some effort to discover new things? This question seems to answer itself. I mean, who isn’t happier with a larger variety of awesome things? But the price of that is that the discovery of new things is less meaningful. There are far few occasions where something emerges that you never expected was possible and just blows you away.
I mention this because the band I’m going to talk about today straddles this idea for me. The Walkmen were the first band that the Internet truly introduced me to (via an amazing CBC Radio 3 online profile), and one of the last times something blew me so thoroughly away, from out of nowhere. We just expect shit like that to happen nowadays, so the combination of new world presentation with old world expectations was a profound experience.
The Walkmen are, unfortunately, no more. They live on via Hamilton Leithauser’s solo career/collaborative work, which we may talk about at some future date, but this is one band whose demise truly saddened me. The combination of Hamilton’s throat-tearing squawk, with the manic animalesque drums, and the sheer other-worldy New Yorkishness of the whole clan, doesn’t seem possible from anybody else. So, from 2004’s Bows + Arrows is The Rat, basically A Streetcar Named Desire in song, and something that should resonate with the oldtimers. Don’t get me wrong, this is a terrible video (maybe just listen to it here rather than watch the video?). But hopefully the music is interesting enough to encourage you to hunt down their other albums. And no. I’m not talking about the bloody Canadian Content shitheads The Watchmen.
Our Steve Smith fundraiser continues as long as we’ve got stock – with net proceeds going to the Stevie Smith Legacy Fund. We’ll make the donation for you and send you two sticker packs to share with your friends. We’re even going to throw in a new NSMB.com sticker pack
Get your diecut vinyl #longlivechainsaw decals with Steve Smith chainsaws – all four for $10 including world-wide shipping and a donation for Stevie.
Maybe listening to Dave’s music will help you ride the like a B.C. rider?
Comments
peterk
8 years ago
just be glad you don't go through tires, rims, suspension bushings, and brake pads as often as shore riders.
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Mike
8 years ago
Broken frames, broken bones, bruises, scratches…
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AlanB
8 years ago
I still have a collection of rims from the 80's & 90's with holes worn through from rim brakes.
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Nat Brown
8 years ago
That's quite the cluster of links to Monica Craver tweets about Uncle Dave right there. For those that haven't clicked through, each word is a separate link!
I think it's great that you question aspects of mountain biking here, to a mountain biking audience. And, you do it despite the above demonstrated fact that some anti-mountain biking people mindlessly post title images to a small echo chamber defined by lack of critical thought. It's important to question what we do. It is positive.
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DJ
8 years ago
i only heard about her on these forums and just recently, but reading those out of curiosity, wow. so good it seems like maybe a couple of your buddies are putting you on. could anyone be that nuts and spend that much time being nuts? like, foolishly, embarrassingly nuts.
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Dirk
8 years ago
Unfortunately, yes.
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Nat Brown
8 years ago
The world is full of all sorts. She doesn't get mentioned in articles or comments that frequently, but she's certainly infamous in this crowd for reasons you've discovered. Occasionally there are comments here using an unregistered name 'terrafirma', which is suspected by some to be her.
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Mike
8 years ago
And for sure she's reading this. Hi Monica! Have a blessed day!
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Wacek Keepshack
8 years ago
Maybe she thinks it's a good way to find wood?
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Andy Eunson
8 years ago
On the other hand when your typical Shore rider goes to places like Moab, we are superstars. I think what we find so easy in Moab is no trees and gobs of traction.
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Morgan Taylor
8 years ago
Except of course when the exposure is turned up… then the trees are my security blanket!
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Pete Roggeman
8 years ago
I agree. Also, high speed corners littered with…kitty litter. Always takes time to get used to.
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Morgan Taylor
8 years ago
Absence makes the heart grow fonder…
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Tehllama42
8 years ago
High speed corners with kitty litter consistency loose over impenetrable hardpack is my jam. Not be choice, just by geography.
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DMVancouver
8 years ago
It's all about what you're used to. Riding mainly on the Shore, I'm relatively quick on steep and awkward, but I am easily beat on fast and smooth trails by those who come from areas with trails like that.
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Dirk
8 years ago
Ya…I wish I'd talked a bit more about BC in general vs. just the North Shore. I was a bit selective with my reading comprehension.
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