How long have you been competing or partaking in your sport?
I’ve been mountain biking since the late ’80’s. My first mountain bike was an Avanti Montari. When I went to university and didn’t own a car I found it was a really good way to explore the Canterbury Port Hills and generally get out and about doing missions. Things started to ramp up when I built one of N.Z’s earliest pump tracks (the Firepit) and then later on Kelly McGarry and I built a series of dirt jumps. Over the past few years there has been more of a focus on guiding and coaching and taking my family on backcountry missions.
Where do you call home?
Home is Nelson, top of the South Island.
Favourite event or place to practice your sport?
I really like Nelson as it has such a variety in types of terrain, from the steep tech mountain bike trails 10 minutes from home to the backcountry adventure rides like the Heaphy and Old Ghost Road.
What is your focus within your sport (what sub-discipline of your sport do you do most)? Why do you like that aspect the most?
At the moment I am really enjoying teaching kids to ride bikes. I find it really rewarding to see kids progress their skills and gain confidence and turn into future shredders.
What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while doing your sport?
Some people might think paddling down a grade 3 white water river with your bike strapped to your boat was pretty strange. Even stranger was discovering the river was dammed through a massive rock fall from the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016. This meant the river had turned into a massive lake and we then had to navigate down a brand new rapid which made things fairly interesting when paddling a blown up pack raft around lots of sharp rocks. Waiau-Toa Odyssey - Full Film.
Do you have a local claim to fame (fittest, fastest, funniest, smelliest, etc.)?
Unfortunately, I have a bit of a reputation for injuring myself sometimes doing some pretty benign things. Also, pushing my gravel bike to the limits.
Do you promote an annual event or are you involved in a charitable cause?
Coaching kids is a way of giving back to the mountain bike community and progressing the future of the sport and working for Krankin Kids is a great platform to do this.
Anything else you would like to add about yourself or your sport?
It’s a pretty exciting time to be involved in mountain biking in New Zealand. When I am mountain bike guiding over the summertime, our visitors are constantly impressed by how many mountain bike trails we have and the quality of them. It seems like every town that we visit is building new trails. The future is looking bright for mountain biking in N.Z.
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