Freeridenz Blog

2010 Mitre10 Wanaka Urban DH Results

2010-10-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday 23rd October 2010
http://www.freeridenz.com/

OPEN MEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Eddie Masters 111 Dunedin 1:20.74 +0:00.00 1
2 Reon Boe 51 Queenstown 1:21.13 +0:00.39 2
3 Joseph Nation 76 1:21.75 +0:01.01 3
4 Jimmy Pollard 1 Alexandra 1:22.26 +0:01.52 4
5 Jed Rooney 116 Oamaru 1:24.51 +0:03.77 6
6 Zac Williams 65 1:25.28 +0:04.54 7
7 James Hampton 79 1:25.31 +0:04.57 8
8 Michael Jachacy 108 Wanaka 1:27.11 +0:06.36 12
9 Matt Wood 67 Dunedin 1:28.02 +0:07.27 16
10 Blair Smith 27 Wanaka 1:28.83 +0:08.09 22
11 Peter Miller 13 Invercargill 1:29.64 +0:08.89 24
12 Dylan Sanchez-Pinsent 113 Dunedin 1:29.74 +0:09.00 26
13 Jack Lister 45 Wanaka 1:30.05 +0:09.31 31
14 Sam Proctor 37 Dunedin 1:30.22 +0:09.48 33
15 Jamie Tompson 97 Wanaka 1:30.56 +0:09.81 35
16 Tyrone Price 78 Christchurch 1:31.15 +0:10.41 36
17 Nathan Hogg 44 Wanaka 1:31.15 +0:10.41 37
18 Stuart Coburn 106 Wanaka 1:31.57 +0:10.83 39
19 Phillip Walsh 68 Dunedin 1:31.74 +0:10.99 40
20 Kalle Oliver 54 Alexandra 1:31.89 +0:11.15 42
21 Ben Wooster 57 Wanaka 1:32.21 +0:11.47 45
22 James Allan 18 Queenstown 1:34.07 +0:13.33 55
23 Emmerson Wilken 84 1:34.08 +0:13.34 56
24 Mikael Alftbers 103 1:34.13 +0:13.39 57
25 Tim Hodges 7 Invercargill 1:34.43 +0:13.68 60
26 Andy Mackay 94 Wanaka 1:34.51 +0:13.77 62
27 James de la Cruz 47 Wanaka 1:34.73 +0:13.99 63
28 Andrew Parsley 39 Dunedin 1:35.11 +0:14.36 65
29 Peter Jefcoate 61 Invercargill 1:35.49 +0:14.75 67
30 Owen Jones 86 Wanaka 1:35.89 +0:15.15 69
31 Darren McCauley 46 1:36.19 +0:15.44 70
32 Tim Norris 56 Westport 1:38.35 +0:17.61 73
33 Peter Campbell 48 Dunedin 1:40.98 +0:20.23 77
34 Michael Dawes 87 Wanaka 1:41.99 +0:21.25 81
35 Calum McLean 42 Invercargill 1:46.94 +0:26.19 95
36 Ethan Kelly 38 Dunedin 2:39.37 +1:18.62 112
DNF Blair Kinlaid 40 DNF
DNF Phil Cochrane 52 Wanaka DNF

OPEN WOMEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Naomi Wilson 105 Queenstown 1:35.53 +0:00.00 68
2 Chrissie Sergeant 104 Wanaka 1:41.32 +0:05.79 80
3 Gemma Harper 109 Wanaka 1:42.92 +0:07.39 84
4 Vikki Peguero 2 Alexandra 1:43.76 +0:08.23 87
5 Shell Cobby 21 Alexandra 1:46.56 +0:11.03 94
6 Hayley Furze 66 Albert Town 1:53.08 +0:17.56 100
7 Shannan Miller 12 Dunedin 1:59.03 +0:23.50 103
8 Liz Cobby 23 Dunedin 1:59.30 +0:23.77 104
9 Roxana Prince 69 Wanaka 2:08.15 +0:32.63 107

MASTER MEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Blair Christmas 30 Queenstown 1:23.35 +0:00.00 5
2 Fraser Gordon 58 Queenstown 1:27.49 +0:04.14 14
3 Murray Nash 28 Queenstown 1:27.83 +0:04.48 15
4 Julian Thompson 99 Wanaka 1:28.46 +0:05.11 17
5 Christian Meuli 60 Queenstown 1:28.52 +0:05.17 18
6 Callum Smith 15 Wanaka 1:28.74 +0:05.38 21
7 Jamie Fraser 41 Bluff 1:30.05 +0:06.69 30
8 Kevin Fife 114 Queenstown 1:30.10 +0:06.75 32
9 Ryan Purcell 85 Queenstown 1:31.87 +0:08.52 41
10 Tristan Muirhead 25 Wanaka 1:31.90 +0:08.54 43
11 Dan Haydon 98 Wanaka 1:32.19 +0:08.83 44
12 Mike Topp 90 Queenstown 1:32.22 +0:08.86 46
13 Martyn Anlezark 6 Queenstown 1:32.27 +0:08.92 47
14 M Kanaora 64 1:32.54 +0:09.19 49
15 Andrew Corish 62 Wanaka 1:33.87 +0:10.52 53
16 Danny Maguire 74 Kaitangata 1:34.05 +0:10.69 54
17 Hugh Nimmo 63 Wanaka 1:34.17 +0:10.82 58
18 Tim MacKenzie 88 Christchurch 1:34.48 +0:11.12 61
19 Jamie Greenway 118 Wanaka 1:34.96 +0:11.60 64
20 Jack Bradbrook 91 Franz Josef 1:35.28 +0:11.93 66
21 Dave Zee 101 Queenstown 1:37.67 +0:14.32 72
22 Tim Davies 14 Wanaka 1:41.13 +0:17.77 78
23 James Bennie 32 Arrowtown 1:42.48 +0:19.13 82
24 Maurcicio Limari 83 Queenstown 1:45.68 +0:22.33 90
25 Craig Tuck 31 Arrowtown 1:53.90 +0:30.55 101
26 Jeremy McNeill 49 Queenstown 2:21.76 +0:58.41 109

MASTER WOMEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Gina Matete 19 Queenstown 1:43.74 +0:00.00 86
2 Natasha Dawes 50 Wanaka 1:45.21 +0:01.47 88
3 Indri Clendon 16 Queenstown 1:46.17 +0:02.43 92

UNDER20 MEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Ben Roulston 36 Wanaka 1:26.12 +0:00.00 9
2 Nick Fisher 22 Wanaka 1:26.17 +0:00.05 10
3 James Hoggan 77 Christchurch 1:26.27 +0:00.16 11
4 Quintin McCrostie 59 Alexandra 1:29.63 +0:03.52 23
5 Cam Johnson 115 1:29.64 +0:03.53 25
6 Robert Howie 26 Invercargill 1:29.86 +0:03.75 27
7 Dan Trewern 107 Dunedin 1:32.28 +0:06.17 48
8 Daniel Bennie 80 Dunedin 1:39.19 +0:13.07 74
9 Adam Hutchison 29 1:42.73 +0:16.61 83
10 George Tilson 17 Ashburton 1:45.88 +0:19.76 91
11 Jake Neaves 81 Dunedin 1:48.99 +0:22.88 97
12 Sam Kirkwood 100 Invercargill 1:49.03 +0:22.92 98
DNF Rupert Paterson 9 Wanaka DNF

UNDER 20 WOMEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Georgie Wight 20 Alexandra 1:37.26 +0:00.00 71

UNDER 17 MEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Dan McCombie 110 Dunedin 1:27.34 +0:00.00 13
2 Troy Stewart 96 1:28.57 +0:01.22 19
3 Elmo Cotter 117 Wanaka 1:30.00 +0:02.66 29
4 Connor Harvey 55 Invercargill 1:30.55 +0:03.20 34
5 Greg Cochrane 24 1:31.46 +0:04.11 38
6 Josh Perkins 75 Wanaka 1:43.68 +0:16.33 85
7 Josh Timu 3 Wanaka 1:45.67 +0:18.33 89
8 Jacob Cornwall 34 Invercargill 1:51.11 +0:23.76 99
9 Toby Lee 5 Wanaka 1:55.89 +0:28.55 102
10 Chris Sope 35 Invercargill 2:03.79 +0:36.45 105
11 Joshua Rogan 92 Wanaka 2:20.75 +0:53.40 108
12 Joshua Knowler 95 2:23.21 +0:55.87 110
DNS Michael Noone 70 Wanaka DNS

UNDER 17 WOMEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Phoebe Coers 43 Wanaka 1:46.39 +0:00.00 93
2 Juliette McMullan 112 Waikouaiti 2:32.29 +0:45.91 111

VETERAN MEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Andy Patchett 8 Queenstown 1:28.70 +0:00.00 20
2 Peter Page 93 Christchurch 1:29.87 +0:01.17 28
3 Willem Groenen 4 Albert Town 1:32.65 +0:03.95 50
4 Graham Dunbar 10 Wanaka 1:32.86 +0:04.16 51
5 Eddie Spearing 71 Wanaka 1:33.57 +0:04.87 52
6 Ewan Straight 72 Wanaka 1:34.21 +0:05.51 59
7 Phil Oliver 53 Alexandra 1:39.91 +0:11.21 75
8 Pete McInally 82 Queenstown 1:40.63 +0:11.93 76
9 Purple Voice 33 Buller 1:41.19 +0:12.49 79
10 Mark Elliott 89 Wanaka 1:47.72 +0:19.02 96
DNF Brett Jarvie 73 Wanaka DNF

VETERAN WOMEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP OVERALL
1 Sally Patchett 11 Queenstown 2:03.95 +0:00.00 106

Czech Republic to NZ

2010-09-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

Ludek Frydrych came from the Czech Republic to NZ to ride some of our finest trails. Below is a few days he had riding around Wanaka.

Day one of my stay in Wanaka began with a warm up ride in the now famous 'Sticky Forest'. An awesome trail network so close to the town centre. Some of my favourites were Sick Boy, Crankin’s Fine and Carrot Cake trails. I was well impressed with the trails, they were well looked after, flowy and fun to ride. The afternoon was spent swimming in the refreshingly Lake Wanaka with a beer on the beach!

The second day was all about the down hilling. We headed to Dirt Park with FreerideNZ. We managed to squeeze six long rides into the afternoon thanks to the shuttling wagon. Another mixture of trails here as on day one including safe wooden features, fast dusty stretches of single track and rock gardens. Riding with Dan and a bunch of locals was a great experience.

My third day involved a scenic ride on a FreerideNZ Guided Wanaka Cross Country Tour. The ride was over an hour to get to a remote beach tucked away in a remote forest. The whole ride was full of impressive views of lake Wanaka and surrounding mountains. Given its remoteness, it is a place not many people go or ride so i was stoked to be out there!

Another day of riding was to be had. This time the FreerideNZ van was on its way over to Alexandra for some mountain biking action. Another offer from Dan i could not refuse! After my three days of riding around Wanaka we took an hour drive to Alexandra. It is a completely different type of terrain than what i got used to in Wanaka. It felt like being on the moon, just dust and rocks, no trees, heat with no shady spots around but trails to die for!

All in all – A package with all the riding action i was looking for all rolled into one giant trip! I look forward to seeing you again which may happen fairly soon – probably this coming summer.

Wanaka Urban Down Hill Race!

2010-08-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

2010-07-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

FreerideNZ Winter Programe

2010-07-12T16:57:00.002-07:00

FreerideNZ's winter programe is up and running. We are your solution to finding the best snow in the Southern Alps, any day, any time.

Day trips to:

The Remarkables
Coronet Peak
Cardrona
Snow Park (Night Riding)
Treble Cone

Escape the crowd and shred the pow at:

Ohau
Round Hill
Dobson

The hassle free way to get the most out of what the Southern Alps offer.

For up to date conditions and guiding options free dial 0800 RIDE NZ

WWW.FREERIDENZ.COM

We Came, Saw & Concured!

2010-05-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Photo: Evan Welsch. www.evanwelsch.com

Scree slopes and bikes might not be everyone’s usual ride outing but it sure is fun!

With base camp at the bottom of the mountain we sat around our lakeside fire nervously sharing stories of what awaits the following day. Had this ever been done before? Seemed to be the most repeated question. It was certainly fair to say there was a high amount of anticipation in the group which was later made easier with a night cap or three. We woke early and headed up the mountain with our 4x4 access.

“See we just ride down there, it’ll be sweet” I remember saying. But as the drive up continued we began to relise the what looked like small looking pebbles were no smaller than a basketball! Oops what have I got the team into here!

We left the truck when it couldn’t get us any higher and endeavoured to summit the mountain of rocks ahead of us. We all scrambled our way to the never ending top with bikes being hung, slung dragged up behind us. Shortly after getting our breaths back at the peak began the horror and realisation that we still needed to RIDE back down this mountain! The rocks looked smaller on the next slope so we walked along the exposed ridge line to find small rocks that weren’t the little pebbles they looked like from below but certainly more realistic than the boulders we climbed up on.

There wasn’t really much we could do but look straight down the barrel of our scree shoot and pretend it’s not so bad. Walking back down would probably end up harder than riding down so a way I went. Leaning back and looking a head. Brakes are virtually impossible on this stuff so you’re completely in for the ride. Not knowing what was over each brow but hoping for more scree and no big rocks.

I made it and god did it feel good! Will I do it again? Yes please!

Dan

65kms in one day… No biggie!

2010-01-05T17:35:00.000-08:00

I had passed through it countless times, each passing I was left wondering what actually lies behind those mountains? Are there trails back there? I had never heard of anyone riding bikes there but surely its possible…maybe?

Enough with the pondering I wanted to find out what’s back there! Find out if there is trails deep in the Lindis Pass. After grabbing some fresh topo maps we set out into the unknown. It’s a 5.45am wake up and we are on the road. We are travelling down a gravel road that just wont end. Chomping at the bit to get on the bikes and explore. The map suggests there’s parking up ahead, we take the next corner and come over the rise to find two big campers and a couple of cars on the side of the road. We thought we were the pioneers! Who are these impostors!

After parking up it seems like splits of second before we are clipped in, camel packs filled and riding towards the campervans to get to the start of the track. As we approach some friendly kiwi faces pop out of their weekend trailer home and offer us coffee. There’s the lingering smell of cooking bacon smouldering out of the caravan door which they are leaning out of. We were so pumped on the ride even coffee and a chance of a cooked breaky couldn’t distract us!

Off we set. Into the mountains and the great unknown. The trail starts off flat before a steady climb through numerous valleys. We become completely surrounded by barren mountains with no sign of life anywhere. As the riding continues the trail is forced over the top of the mountains. We stop at the summit of the first mountain and can almost look down to the Linids Pass road, even the ocean isn’t out of sight from up here! Being amongst the mountain peaks gives you a real sense of adventure and achievement. There’s plenty of Kodak moments on the peak as we prepare for the well deserved descent! Life doesn’t get better than this!

Dan

New Heli Bike for 2010

2009-12-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

Out with the old, in with the new! Our new Wanaka heli bike has riders landing at over 6000ft, high enough to see Mt Cook! Enjoy the spectacular giant lakes below while standing beside a high alpine lake at the beginning of the ride. Conveniently the trail ends at the Lugget pub for a thrust quencher and a chance to talk about one heli of a ride!

For more information check out www.freeridenz.com

Wanaka Lismore Jump Jam 09

2009-11-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

Rider: Phil Mclean

Thank god summers here and no better way to usher it in than a dirt jump comp at Wanaka’s one and only Lismore Park. Last year the jam went off with many sick riders throwing down big tricks on some sweet jumps, this years competition made last years competition look like a cycle safety day at the local primary school. Local 443 member Dan Hayden had taken many unpaid months off work to completely rebuild the course (with help of some other locals) and turn it into a smooth buttery dirt jumper’s dream. Not to mention the standard of riding had gone up to, Christchurch rider Phil Mclean set the standard on practice day with Tuck no-hander flips and Tailwhips!

The jam day on Saturday the 24th of October was perfect, sunny with little to no wind. The young local kids of Wanaka put on a fine display and it is scary to think if a 10 year old can do all the jumps in the park, what the hell will they be doing in 8 years time when they are my age!?

Kiakoura’s local ripper Quinn Nicholls started the junior grade with a hiss and a roar leaving everything on the course including much skin and a concussion or two. Inevitably Phil Mclean claimed first with his huge trick bag and unmistakable style, his partner in crime Tani TePou get second and showed even though he has only been riden for a year, he is one to watch out for.

Rounding out the top 3 was Wanaka local Monty Vass with tones of boost and style on his bmx, he even wore a helmet for the comp. The open grade did not have as much skill as the junior grade but was just as thrilling. Elmo Cotter claimed first with massive 3’s and flips, John O'brien got second after punishing himself on the jumps all day. Finally I got a disappointing third after a bad day with not been able to do some of my tricks and an injury from the day before. I crashed out attempting an x flip, bad day at the office lol.

All in all sick day thanks to Dan Hayden and all my boys from dunz ( you no who u are) and Shoosh cycles and FreerideNZ.

Words:
Tom McPherson

Wanaka Urban Downhill Jump Demo

2009-11-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

Rider: Sam Proctor
Photo: Sam Walker

The Wanaka jump demo organised as part of the highly successful Urban Downhill proved to be a great success. Over the day the drawing crowd of spectators were treated to a diverse display of freestyle mtb/bmx from both locals and out of town riders who had travelled from all around for the demo.

Initially however the event was under some doubt, waking to a light but persistent drizzle I found myself worried that my travel all the way from Dunedin had gone to waste! However I made my way down to the main street at around 8oclock to join fellow Shoosh Cycles team member Tom McPherson where in the now patchy but noticeably heavier rain we set up the freestyle ramp supplied by Reaper Pit Bikes. The ramp was covered in blankets and tarpaulins in hope we could keep it dry until the event!

By 1oclock, to the surprise of everyone the sun had broken through the cloud and created an exciting atmosphere for the riders and spectators. The covers were taken off the ramp and once it was dry it was time to ride!

As spectator numbers grew the riding became more and more exciting. The crowed were treated to back flips, nacs, can-cans and a variety of other tricks. An uncertain morning had become a great afternoon for both riders and spectators, the combination of the jump demo with the Urban Downhill made for a brilliant day of riding and everyone who came went away smiling!

Words: Sam Proctor, Dunedin, NZ

Helmet Cam - Urban Downhill Wanaka

2009-11-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

Rider: Tristan Muirhead
Event: 'AWS' Urban Downhill Race
Location: Wanaka

The ContourHD Helmet Camcorder used in this footage can be purchased through FreerideNZ. Contact us today to find out more. info@freeridenz.com

freeridenz.com

2009-11-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

'AWS' Urban Downhill Race In Wanaka, NZ from FreerideNZ on Vimeo.

New Zealand's FIRST Urban Down Hill Race

2009-10-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

New Zealand's FIRST Urban Down Hill Race was a huge success in Wanaka with a great turn out of competitors coming far and wide to hit the streets of Wanaka! Spectators made a day of it too with up to 200 screaming fans cheering on riders at the 'Red Rock Bar' stairs!

For many competitors this was actually their first race, with the course suiting most riding abilities as it wasn't as steep as a traditional downhill race course. The race categories were wide spread with many kids making the most of the unusual low age group for a topical down hill race.

A big thank you to 'AWS' for making it all possible

Thanks to Laurel Morrison, Mark Morrison and Nick Busse who have worked together with myself over the last 6 months to make New Zealand's first Urban Downhill Race an enjoyable event for all!

Cheers,

Dan

Brand new web site out soon!

2009-10-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

..exciting new tours including:
-Cross Country, All Mountain, Down Hill specific tours
-3 Day South Island/North Island Tours
-10 Day NZ Wide Tours!
-Australian Tours!

New FreerideNZ.com website out within a few weeks!

Freeride GIRLS 'Clinic'

2009-10-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

NEW Freeride Girls clinics coming this summer!

For girls wanting to experience the enjoyments of 'freeride / downhill' mountain biking.

Hanging out with like minded girls, being coached and riding amazing trails throughout Central Otago. Come rain or shine, bring it on !!

CLINIC 101...

DATES - LOCATION - CLINICS

BASED IN WANAKA...

Woman's Wednesday - 3pm @ i-site

11th Nov - Sticky Forest - Wanaka - Bike set up for freeride/downhill

18th Nov - Sticky Forest - Wanaka - Body Positioning while riding

25th Nov - Snow Park Downhill - Braking skills

2nd Dec - Alexandra - Cornering

9th Dec - Queenstown - Jumping

16th Dec - Sticky Forest - Wanaka - Putting all skills together for a final race!

Spaces are limited on this program, so please call Angie in advance on 0210621528 to confirm a place. It is recommended to complete the 6 weeks to achieve full progression. Also remember to bring food and refreshments.

$15 per session Includes Coaching clinic by 'Freeride NZ', transport & shuttles.

Recommended equipment : Suspension bike, body protection, helmet & gloves. ( Please contact Angie for hire prices if needed)

Austalian Multi Day Tours...

2009-08-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Dan riding above Wombat State Forest, Victoria, Australia

Australia was my country of choice for the Southern hemisphere winter this time round and it's worked out a TREAT! So put another sausage on the barby and I'll tell ya all about it...

While many Australians cross the ditch to New Zealand to experience mountain biking on one of our Freeride NZ multi day tours, it's always intreeged me to know what the riding would be like in their own back yard.

So while winter continued to batter the home land with record dropping temperatures and well even a huge earth quake which managed to shift the country sideways I got to have some fun on my bike in slightly warmer temperatures!!

I based myself in the AFL fan crazy city of Melbounre. It wasn't long before I was riding with some previous Freeride NZ multi day clients who where happy to show me some of Victoria's hidden gems!

The trails so far have all been all-mountain and cross-country style as there seems to be a shortage of ELEVATION around here!! ..compared to what i'm used to living in ski resort towns anyway!

The spots that stood out the most would have to be the Youyang's for the mecca range of trails (located 45mins drive from Melbourne's CBD) and of course single track heaven in the Vic Alps.

The riding must be good here in Oz as after extensive work I have teamed up with some local operators to offer the finest single track multi day tours of Australia! Riding package include cross country and all-mountain for now with the hope of putting together a down hill specific package in the near future! We are all really excited about these unique packages and can't wait to share them with you shortly!

All info of our Australian single track multi day tours will be on the new FreerideNZ.com web site within a few weeks!

Cheers,
Dan

New Heli Bike for 2010

2009-05-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

For more information check out www.freeridenz.com

Thredbo State DH Round #1

2009-04-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

Danny Bonello....deep in pre race thought

The weekend of the 4th and 5th of April 2009 saw the first round of the NSW state DH series hosted by South East Mtb Co. The turn out was pretty impressive with over 250 riders spread across the categories. There was even a category for people making a statement against rear suspension. Crazy.
The rain that had fallen in the days prior to the event had left the track in a condition that could only be described as ideal. It seemed as though there was more grip than people could deal with. I even witnessed one man weeping by the side of the trail. He later told me that he had never seen such glorious dirt pass under the tires of his cycle and the initial feeling it created was overwhelming for his emotions.
With the Oceanas having been held at Thredbo three weeks prior, the organizers knew what they were dealing with. They were so relaxed that they decided no one needed a race plate until race day.
The atmosphere is always so good at Thredbo races. With the chairlift running all day, everyone was at ease about their practice schedule, while still being anal about scouring the hill for places to wash fractions of time from their race runs. With the fastest times being in the early to mid six minute area, this track really does beat riders up so self control is always needed when hoping to conserve energy for Sunday.
Race day saw the sun revealing itself even more than it had on Saturday, though up top the wind had really picked up. This made it pretty tough for riders to stay warm for their runs as the temperature was hovering between 5 and ten degrees. The track was was no area for concern a,d remained just and tacky as Saturday, but was showing the results of some pretty greedy braking techniques.
At the end of the day it was Tim Eaton who was fastest down the hill in both his qualifying and final run. Ricky Boyer managed to snatch second place ahead of AMB Feb/Mar cover boy Cody Eichorn. A big congratulations to Tim, as this is a well deserved win. Times and results for all other categories are not something I have stored in my head, however I have no doubt that there is a website with a full list of results waiting to be viewed. Also check out pointoffocus.com for all the official photos from the race.
The next round of the NSW state DH series will be held at Ourimbah on May 2nd and 3rd. Be there, because it will be fun.
Danny Bonello

09 Riders Invitation Jam

2009-04-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

Tom McPherson X up backflip

I got invited to the 09 riders invitation jam down at frews on the 14th of March. Only 10 riders in NZ were invited (INCLUDING ME!!!!!) and 5 gravity pros from the USA.

I completely tacoed my rim on practice day trying X-up flips on the super booter. I just landed a bit sideways but it made for a cool photo. Unfortunately I didn’t get to ride in the comp but had fun chilln with all the riders.

Till next time
Tom McPherson

8 Day Multi Day Tour

2009-03-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

It was after a downhill session with my mate Rob and another regular campaigner, with beer in hand at a pub, that a cunning plan was hatched to hit some trails in New Zealand. It was around early 2008, and we were keen to see what the land of the long white cloud has to offer.

Mountain biking medias such as 'Dirt Magazine' and 'Drop In TV' have painted such awesome landscapes of the place, it seemed criminal not to make the effort and see what its all about.
We were aware that there were established outfits dedicated to multi day trips in New Zealand, however we had certain expectations of what type of riding we were wanting to do. We both had bikes that had 6+ inches of rear suspension, so freeride/ all mountain / downhill riding was what we were up for. We were looking at around 7-10 days of being in NZ, and we did not want to be wasting much time on dud trails, or hunting around for tracks scrawled on a pamphlet or magazine.

....After looking at several options, and making initial enquiries, we decided to go with Freeride NZ. We opted for an 8 day multi day trip in the south island, and concentrating around the Queenstown and Wanaka area. With plans in motion, the plane tickets were purchased, and I was about to embark on my first mountain biking holiday.

Wanaka Heli Biking With Freeride NZ

The Trails...In terms of being able to gauge the type of riding that we were up for, I would have to say that Dan was right on the money each and every time. The rides were so varied from each other each time, riding National downhill tracks at Clyde, super slippery runs in Dunedin, or brake burning descents in Alexandra. There were moments where I was riding the trails and couldn't help but think that I was riding on things that you only see in the films and magazines. It's so inspiring to see that there are so many great trails out there, and certainly makes me more keen to travel with the bike.I could write volumes about the trails that we rode over the eight days, but I fear that I would just not do it justice. Those who have ridden the south island would know what I am talking about, and those have not yet but are thinking about it, I would seriously encourage you to hook up with Dan and the crew from Freeride NZ - you would not be disappointed.

Mark trail riding in Alexandra

The People...Part of what made riding the tracks a lot better was the fact that we had a chance to ride with local riders on their home turf. As Dan explains, it gives us tourists not only a chance to be able to interact with riders who are in the area, but also so we are not just coming into someone's home turf, ripping up their tracks, and then ducking away like ships in the night. It was great to have a chance to talk to this guys about all manner of things like how the trails developed in the area, line choices, and even reliving old war stories about riding that they have done in places like Whistler. I met some great people in my travels, and would gladly show them my local trails if they ever came to Brisbane.

Rob riding in a forrest near Dunedin

The 8 day multi trip experience with Freeride NZ was all in all, quite unforgettable. I found myself being challenged, pushing my personal boundaries of my riding, as it is not often that you get that feeling of danger day in day out. A big thanks to Sarge, Tom, Quinton, Kelly, Ashton, Hunter, Naomi, Kev, Tristan, and Russ for sharing their time with us on the trails. Also a big shout out to Dan and Glenn for making the trip all that it was - can't wait to catch up with you guys again!

The land of the 'long white cloud!'

Cheers,

Mark and Rob

Wow what a day...

2009-02-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

How do you make the travelling to pick up a friend from an out of town airport fun... down hill runs with a turn around time that is so quick and the riding so good you begin wondering just what if this plane doesn't arrive, can i stay and keep riding!? A jam on a newly built 'trick booter' and some more down hill riding with another group of friends.

It all happened this Saturday with Kevin Fife, Kelley McGazza, Jarrod Hepburn, Ben Finney, Russ Horne, Irish rob and Jamie Thompson.

Locations: Remarkables, Mini Dream track and Clyde

Here are some pics of us on a jump designed by the Queenstown boys for learning/perfecting tricks

Dan

Shoosh Cycles Lucky 13 Hindon downhill

2009-01-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

Its Back and better then ever... The Hindon down hill race!

A popular race throughout the 90’s. For those of you who don’t know where Hindon is its about half and hour inland of Dunedin. Here is the low down from our race we here at Shoosh Clyles held recently...

Only the few who had raced there a few years back knew what to expect. Hindon isn’t you’re your standard taped off single track flying through local forests or a track carved through tissues. But wide open farm paddocks carved in corrugations like a huge piece of roofing iron. That made great natural jumps and a challenging service to descend on at speed. The track was marked out with ski type gates, so riders could pick whatever line they wanted. There was whole paddocks full of different lines to choose from between gates. Apart from the paddocks there were fast gravel roads a cheeky rock garden here and there and a tight steep section to finish. After a few practice runs it was back up the top for BBQ sausages/onions and drink (all covered in the $25 rego). The Reper pit bike boys had there ramp set up for a freestyle display and some pit bike racing for a bit of lunch time entertainment. They also put on a best trick comp off the moto ramp for any riders that wanted to give it a go. Conner from Invers took it out with a sick 360 and a back flip. He scored him self a new set of sunnies for his effort.

Then onto the race runs, There was the usual 2 timed runs they went off with out too much carnage. Followed buy a free for all run (for those who don’t know what that is don’t worry I didn't’t either until the race!). It started with a le mons style run to your bike. After a bit of pushing and shoving. About 40 riders tried to get round the first bend all at once, That’s when the carnage started. There were groms getting spat out left right and center. The wide-open track made for some exciting passing maneuvers and the most fun I have had at a DH race, as well as a lot of other riders from what i heard. At the bottom Emerson's brewery had a tent and a keg handing out beer (yes that’s right just handing it out complements of Sarge. Exactly what you need after a downhill race. And its funny how beer tastes better when you don’t have to pay for it.

What a way to end a great days racing. Not a grizzle could be heard from any of the riders. As word gets round next year there will be an even bigger turn out. There are talks of there being a lot more prize money to be won. That should entice some of the Christchurch boys in to making a weekend trip to Dunedin.

And why not. I have never been to such a good value race. Where for $25 you get lunch a few beers moto display and a race. Make sure you have a look at Vorb TV episode 5 there’s a good we section on the Hindon race and if your down in Dunedin for Uni or Nationals come in and take a load off, get your bike fixed or just talk bikes with me at Shoosh cycles on Cumberland st. That’s the one way north just before you hit Stuart st if you get to countdown you have gone to far.

Cheers, Woody

Rockstar Energy Drink Farm Jam 08

2009-01-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

Tom McPherson

Hi Tom McPherson here…

Just got back from Farm Jam 2008 near Winton and it was amazing! The Rockstar Energy Drink sponsored comp is for mountain bikes, BMX and moto’s. The event is put together by the ‘Southern Freeriders’.

Practice day on the 27th was sick with Chris Beverland throwing down pendulums and a big session on the Super Booter. There were loads of 360 attempts and even a Backflip from Luke McCombie and Quinn Nicholls.

Jam day on the 28th was windy so only the BMX line was riden. Brett Frew and Kelly McGarry were shredding it and Luke McCombie did plenty of Tailwhips. Elmo Cotter and Phil McClean impressed with solid runs and I learnt Back flip’s to dirt.

Brett Frew

Big ups to Connor Harrison who was riding sick until he dislocated his shoulder doing one footer x-up flips into the foam pit.

All in all awesome fun bring on next year! Thanks to Shoosh Cycles for supporting me and Koarse FX for the photos.

NZ 2009 Race Package

2009-01-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

Do you want to compete in the New Zealand Mountain Bike National Series this season (2009 Raboplus NZ MTB Cups)?

Freeride NZ in association with BikeNZ will be making it a little easier for everyone with a package deal that includes accommodation, transport to racers, local shuttling and breakfast for a low $80 per day!!

This includes North Island/South Island rounds and the National Championships...If you can only join for part of the racing schedule that is fine, just let us know the dates that suit you.

Hopefully this makes for an easy alternative to getting organised for two months of racing this summer!

Check out the poster here:http://www.bikenz.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=3231

Numbers are strictly limited so contact Freeride NZ with any questions or confirmation of joining.

Free Call. 0800 RIDING
info@freeridenz.com

www.freeridenz.com

Reuben Miller 1st Place

2008-12-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

Top of the south downhill, round 2, Kaka Hill, Nelson.

The forecast for the weekend wasn’t the hottest to say the least. Saturday dawned overcast and pretty grim looking. I arrived up the track about 9. 1st run down and it was nice n tacky. The track had just had some work done on it just above and below the rd at half way so there were some nice wee surprises there. The old 30 foot step down which has been a bit of an icon on this track since 2003 has now gone and been replaced with some nice off camber corners thru trees. Coming out just up the rd from the skid and into a nice off hip jump across the skid. The track then drops away to the left of the skid site and into a right hander followed by a nice wee blind rise to keep you on the edge.

Come 1 it was starting to rain. My 1st run was pretty cautious but nice and clean. I got to the bottom fastest in senior but pipped by Ethan Helliwell by a second or so for fastest time. Kieran Bennett the favorite for the win came down with a sizeable gash in his elbow so it was of to a & e to get stitched up for him.
The rain continued all the way thru. My 2nd run was faster and less of the brakes, the track was alot wetter than the previous run which made for some pretty sideways out of control moments. I managed to beat by previous time by a few seconds and take the fastest time. All in all it was a good race with me in 1st senior, Sam Reid in 2nd and Tom Winwood in 3rd. Big ups to bike hq shop rider Tim Adams for hucking the big double at the bottom on his hardtail, yeah boi!

All in all a good race cheers to the organisers and Chris Mildon as usual, We wouldn’t have a races without him.

And bring on the final round at Ben Nevis. If you haven’t ridden this track then make your way up, its the best hill in nelson these days for anything downhill and will be a cracker. Race day is 6th December. www.nelsonmtb.org.nz for more info.

Cheers
Reuben Miller

www.bikehq.co.nz

www.nelsonmtb.org.nz

Kidney Kids Camp 2008

2008-11-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

Hey, I am Dan's brother and I have a Kidney disorder. I am seventeen years old, I got a kidney transplant when I was just two (actually was the youngest in the country to receive this type of transplant). About this time last year my donated kidney decided it had enough and I was forced to get on dialysis. I have been doing this ever since while on the waiting list for another transplant.

An organisation called Kidney Kids New Zealand supports kids and their families throughout the tough times and are always there for us. Something cool they do is an annual camp. I have been on a lot over my life and was really lucky enough again to join the 2008 teenagers camp recently. I thought i would let you know what i got up to on the camp!

I arrived in Auckland…. Late!! After missing my first flight up North, not only missing my flight but also I was missing my bags from the plane. So kidney camp didn’t start off with flying colours but it was sure to get better.

We all jumped into the buses and we were off to Rotarua, after a few stops to fill the hungry kidney tummies and pick up local kidney kids. When arriving in Rotarua we first had a team building exercise and a few rides on the big monster truck. In Rotarua we found our campsite and settled in, most kidney kids were surprised with the flash bedrooms, with brand new beds and new showers in them. Things were starting to look better already.

The next day (day 2) everyone had some free time in town to do/buy what ever they wanted. But the kids that were on dialysis went and did that in the r]Rotarua hospital. Even doing dialysis on kidney camp is still like a holiday, we got to experience different styles or ways of doing dialysis and meet other dialysis patients and nurses. After dialysis we were starving and felt that we needed to for fill some of our adrenaline needs, so of course camp had what we needed which was a good feed off KFC and a trip to the Agrodome were adrenaline needs sure were meet. We had a range of choices of what rides we wanted to do, I chose to do the swoop and the jet boat ride.

The swoop is like bungy jumping but you’re in a sleeping bag like thing, you get taken up really high and then drop/swoop past the ground and fly back into the air, like an extreme swing. The worst thing was you had to pull your own cord to drop/full. After all that we decided to chill and have a hit at mini golf. That night (day 3) was just as fun we headed up the mountain on the gondola and raced down on the luge, some kids took a few spills/crashes. After all the racing and another meal we were back on the bus and heading back to Auckland where we would catch our plane rides back home.

Overall the camp is a great weekend full of exciting activities that everyone enjoys. It’s amazing I get to do all this and forget about being sick and just live life. A big thank you, to all the kidney kids sponsors… especially Freeride NZ!! (Dan you the man), without them none of this would be possible.

Also this year at school Logan Park High School, my media studies class had to make films as part of completing the class. There were a range of films made, me and my friend Zac Wilkinson, decided that we would make an awesome film that meant something to us, rather than just a film that followed the guidelines of NCEA. The type of film we made was a challenging one by its self, a personalized documentary. And the topic was even harder. Its called 'Life's a Game' which shows the comparison between my life on dialysis as a teenager to being sitting benched during a game of basketball.

The film was entered into the Otago film competition where it won first place!! Yeah. I will put my video up on this blog shorty for you all to see.

Henry McMullan

http://www.kidneykids.org.nz/

One Epic Weekend of Racing

2008-11-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

Thursday started with finishing work early and a 7 hour drive to Timaru. The weather was not looking good for the Lewis pass so we made the decision to drive down the coast. 7 hours and a lot of corners later we arrived in Timaru. We woke Friday to an overcast day. As we arrived in Dunedin it was on the verge of snowing, I wasn’t really surprised as the four races i have done there have all been wet. We got a motel sorted and headed up Signal hill to where the race was being held to check out the track. It had changed quite a bit since last time with some sick berms at the top going into and extended slightly less savage rock garden. After that it carried on along the old track for a bit then into a new section with 3 nice doubles and then back out onto the ridge. It was then into the old nationals track from 05/06 which started with yet another rock garden and then into some pines. A nice big step-down in the pines halfway thru and then into the new bottom section. This has all been done by a dozer and was super fast with big burms and big jumps, perfect for spectators with the bottom 30 seconds of track visible from the finish line. We had seen enough so we headed back up and got the bikes. 1^st run down was the most fun I’ve had since Whistler mud riding. Every corner was fully sideways and out of control and somehow i got to the bottom without falling off. Nick and Raz weren’t so lucky with a few crashes each. A few runs later and it started raining so we called it quits.

Saturday was race day. We woke up to an overcast day which soon turned to sun with light winds. First few practice runs were pretty chaotic with groms going down left right and center. By race runs the track was perfectly tacky.

My 1^st run started good but soon into it I slid from a low line and came to a stop. The rest of the run was good and i came down with a 304 putting my into 3^rd, Eddie Masters was 259 and Hayden Donny McGregor 258.

2^nd run down was good, making it thru the line i had crashed on 1^st run but my luck ran thin towards the bottom as i was exiting a burm slightly too sideways and hit a tree head on with pretty high speed. I bent my bars so the rest of the track was pretty un co but still managed another 304. Donny showed us all how to ride posting a 253 way ahead of the lot of us! This guy is going to be on form this season and will be definitely be one to watch!

I ended up 3^rd at the end of the day which wasn’t bad considering. Donny in 1^st and Eddie in 2^nd and Tim Mackersey in 4^th a fraction behind me.

After the race there was a top 10 shootout with the top 10 riders from all categories all doing 1 last run with $100 cash up for grabs for the winner.

I crashed yet again. Eddie was 2^nd to last down the hill and took the top spot. With only Donny left we all thought he had it in the bag but about 10 seconds from the bottom he had a huge over the bars and lost it. Better luck next time mate!

We then headed to prize giving at a burger bar in town which was great with a lot of spot prizes.

Thanks to Donny, Eddie, Sheryl, Ant and everyone else for making this race happen and run so smoothly and bring on south island cup in Feb!

We then drove to Timaru to stay the night there.

6:30am Sunday morning we were on the road to race number two in chch.

We arrived about 830 and i was straight off to the shop to get my bike sorted from the previous day’s mishaps.

I didn’t get that sorted until 10:30 so only two practice runs on a track I had never ridden before.

The track started just below the airstrip on the port hills and ran through the gum trees for half and then into the open. It was very fast and flowy with some huge burms and some pretty cool jumps.

My 1^st race run was going well until about hallways down I hit a high line over a rock a bit fast and out of control and landed off the track. I was going through the long grass about 40kph trying to slow down and hit a rock. I sailed through the air doing various flips and then rag dolled down a bank onto the 4x4 road about 20 meters below the track. I got up pretty dam sore with a folded front when and blown tyre so it was a long ride out for me.

2^nd run didn’t go much better with another crash in the top half of the track. After that I pushed it a bit hard trying to make up time and just kept making more and more mistakes. I finished about 9^th at the end of the day. Not to fussed as i had a awesome weekend with some wicked riding on new tracks which is always good.

Cheers to bike HQ yet again for the use of the van and the race organizes who it wouldn’t be possible without.

Until next week.

Reuben Miller

www.bikehq.co.nz

Red Bull Rampage With Kelley McGazza

2008-11-15T15:16:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday night we arrived in virgin Utah, after driving from Las vegas for a couple of hours. I was expecting really high temperatures as we were in the desert but we lucked out with fairly moderate weather. The landscape was amazing with huge sandstone cliffs towering above us on either side of us as we drove into Spring dale where we were staying.

The next morn I headed up to the site of the red bull rampage and was very impressed with the gnarly course and new man made features added to the event. For the next two days I practiced the course and dug lines to ride. Line selection was tricky ,I wasn’t sure ether to go for a safe line and risk getting scored low for amplitude or go for a burly line and risk crashing. I started to feel comfortable on ridge 3 so I opted to take that in my qualifying run.

We woke on the morning of qualifying to pouring rain and qualifying was postponed to Sunday . When I showed up Sunday morn we were told that we would only have one run of qualifying ,i was gutted about that because it puts a lot of pressure on you . I was happy with how I was riding in practice and excited about the comp. The pressure at the start gate was pretty intense I was nervous about crashing . I knew I had to throw some tricks on the features as a lot of people were riding my line. I rode the top of the ridge pretty good but when i did an x up on the big triple step down I got a bit blown by the wind and went down hard. My visor was smashed and I was shook up. I was super disappointed but I got back on and decided to i didn’t have much to lose so i floated a mammoth backflip over the last table, the crowd went siiiick and I was so stoked to stomp it and help make up for my crash .

I didn’t make the finals but it was cool to sit back and watch the insanity go down . Over all it was a great contest in an amazing part of the world and I hope i get a chance to ride it again.

Check me out www.kellymcgazza.blogspot.com

Freeride NZ in Napier

2008-11-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

After spending the summer in Whistler, Canada it was time to head back home and begin operations in New Zealand. While on my journey back to Wanaka I stopped by Napier to see the other half of the Freeride NZ team, Hilton Taylor and Glenn Richards. Here is what we got up to….!

Head multi day guide for Freeride NZ Glenn was born and bred in the Hawkes Bay region along with Freeride NZ’s North Operations Manager Hilton so it was great to be in the hands of real locals!

Hilton Taylor

Glenn Richards

We started my two day tour at the Eskdale Mountain Bike Park in the Pan Pac Tangoio Forrest, situated 15 minutes North of Napier. The riding is endless with enough variety in trails to keep any rider grinning for the day! We rode the down hill tracks but there are also over 50 kilometers of lush single track found throughout the forest! It’s a really popular spot for locals as well as out of town riders. After signing up for a pass to access the forest you then have your own play ground to play in! These passes can be purchased at any local bike shop or online at www.hawkesbaymtb.co.nz

Glenn & Dan riding in the Eskdale MTB Park

It was then off for a quick play in Glenno’s own back yard pump track before heading out to Waipatiki beach. We spent the evening at the same batch (holiday house for the overseas readers!) as where we stay for our multi day tours through the area. The batch is in the heart of native bush and alongside an amazing surf beach where you can see the Napier in the distance.

Sneak preview at Glenn's pump track

I didn’t have my cross country bike so I was lucky enough to get a new test bike from the generous boys at Avanti plus bike shop in Hastings. It was a four inch XC bike that was perfect for the trails we were about to encounter. Just up the road from our batch was the Waipatiki beach Trail which was a flowing single track trail that made its way through native palms,ferns, flaxes, vines and trees. It’s only an hour or so loop but is well worth the grind to the top!

At the beach side batch

Napier would make the perfect weekend to get on the bike for anyone in the North Island and for us Southerners a pretty good excuse to get a road trip happening and checking out what s on offer in the sunny Hawkes bay!

For any info on the trails in Napier contact either Freeride NZ or Hawkes Bay Mountain Bike Club.

Again a big thanks to Avanti plus bike shop in Hastings.

Cheers,

Dan

Top of the South DH Series, round one, Blenhiem, NZ

2008-10-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday the 12^th of October started with clear skies and no wind, the perfect day for a race.

I woke up, picked up Kieran, Rasmus and Nick O’rouke and we were on our way.

Practise was a little late to start as usual over that side of the hill but once it got started it ran smoothly with most people getting in 5 or 6 practise runs.

It was my first time back on the bike since being in whistler 3 weeks ago so I was itching to ride.

Track conditions were mint as with it tacky up the top and dry and dusty in the trees. Having ridden various track combos on this hill before this was by far the best. Starting next to the road and rolling down through some nice turns and a few small jumps before crossing the road and into a nice 30 footer which you can hit fully tapped. It then goes down a fairly steep fire road with some berms and a few sick flat/off camber turns in the pines on the side. One high speed turn later and you’re out onto a skid site for a 30second sprint just for shits and giggles. After the skid it was into the pines starting off with a nice steep chute with a hard right hander at the bottom. The rest of the track was full of berms and long off camber sections which were out of control.

In my first race run i had a mint run until I clipped a pedal and got thrown over the bars but was straight back up and down to the finish, second race run was sick as and out of control thru the off camber i got to the bottom pretty happy with my run and amped as after the off camber.

In the end I finished up behind recently signed Kieran Bennett in 1^st and local fast guy and fellow pro elite Sam Reed in 2^nd who put in the hard yards getting the track sorted for the race.

As usual thanks to the organisers for a really well run event and Bike HQ for their support.

Untill the next race...

Reuben Miller.

2008-10-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

1/10/08

BLACK BIRCH TRAIL
KAWEKA RANGES

HAWKES BAY

NEW ZEALAND

The beauty of living in New Zealand is that if you wish to ride mountain bike trails they are usually no more than an hours drive away from you... sometimes there are trails that nobody even knows about, like the Black birch trail that we re-discovered.

Thanks to Hilton with his advanced knowledge of the surrounding ranges to Hawkes bay, He scoped out the maps, turned the cogs in his head & located an “old tramping trail” that he was certain it is rideable. At 1000mtr elevation the trail was definitely going to have some great views over the bay, a 300mtr decent over 1km at the end of the trail was telling me there’s going to be some steep technical riding! Yeeeesssssss!
Hilton soon gave word to the boys, and Sunday was the day to go!

Paul,Brent,Eddy,Hilton & I loaded up BIG RED & headed for the hills, with full anticipation of shredding through NZ native bush. Within an hour BIG RED got us to the start of the trail. Obvious signs of pruning indicated that DOC had been in an cleared the trail early for summer, straight into an undulating uphill along a ridge line for approx 8km saw fantastic views of the Kaweka mountain range, rolling green hills, and the hawkes bay coastline in the distance.

The trail consisted of shale type rocks, lush native bush with openings to dry windy smooth rutted paths with plenty of optional airtime off the humps along the trail,
Suddenly the ridgeline drops away very steeply and you can make out way down below, BIG RED waiting for our arrival. For the next 15 minutes , full concentration was required to negotiate a very steep & technical downhill. To accomplish this section without crashing was challenging. Arm pump, the smell of hot brakes & huge grins was what the trail finished with!
All in all with a few thrills n spills it was an epic adventure that will not be forgotten.
I love Sunday adventures!

Glenn Richards
FREERIDENZ

NZer Kelly McGazza at REDBULL RAMPAGE

2008-10-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest from REDBULL RAMPAGE in Utah, USA at http://www.freecaster.tv/

Our own Kelly McGazza is the first Southern hampshire rider ever to compete in the notorious REDBULL event. You can see what Kelly gets up to via http://www.kellymcgazza.blogspot.com/

Inter Bike

2008-09-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Some highlights from inter bike 08:
- NWD9 premier!
- Sam Hills possible bike on show!
- Lance Armstrong back in the action!
- A lahr bike that looked very similar to the NZ lahar!

For those of you that aren't familiar with Inter bike, its a massive bike show held in Los Vegas, USA each year. Its a place for companies in the biking industry to do product launches, tests, but basically my interpretation of it was it seemed like the perfect excuse for everyone to get out of the office and play in Vegas!

From billion dollar sky scrapers to the outside escalator's to the poor old dude behind a slot machine gambling away dollar after dollar...My trip to Vegas was a trip to remember!

New World Disorder 9 premiered on Wednesday night. Once again the riding was incredible. NWD are the best in captioning the riding level being raised/pushed further than ever before! Oh yeah and Robbie lands his 360!So is it Sam's Demo? The rumour has been out for a while that Sam Hill could be riding for Specialize next season. There was plenty of talk about whether Specialized would come up with a new assault weapon for him or stick with what they know. Here is a Specialized Demo with world championship stripes. hint hint.Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong announced his return to professional road racing. However it may not just be road cycling Lance has in mind. Treks new Top Fuel bike isn’t even finished yet and Lance has already won a race on it...

Dan

Helmet Cam of Dan riding in Whistler Bike Park

2008-09-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

Dirt Jumping In Canada

2008-09-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from a recent dirt jump session in Canada. The crew was myself, Jarrod Hepburn, Foster walder and Tom Hey. Trail location... spot X

First kiwi To Win World Cup

2008-09-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

Wanganui’s Sam Blenkinsop has become the first New Zealander to win a Mountain Bike World Cup title!

Follow the link to watch the 19 year olds win during the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Schladming, Austria.

http://freecaster.tv/1000006_1005837

Results:
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Schladming

1st Sam Blenkinsop (NZL) 4:10.16
2nd Sam Hill (AUS) 4:11.80
3rd Gee Atherton (GBR) 4:12.36
6th Justin Leov (NZL) 4:18.33

Keewee Road Trip To Kamloops

2008-09-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

We have just arrived back into Whistler after a visit to Kamloops (3 ½hr drive East of Whistler). The Kiwi contingency on our road trip included myself, Rueben miller, Nathan Ryder, Hayden Mckay, Amanda Pearce and Harriet Harper.

We rode Sun Peaks mountain resort on Saturday. It was my first time here but for most of the team it was second time round. There are three mountains surrounding the small village and the town seems to be surrounded by golf courses!

So we were basically the first on the chair and the last off. After asking the lifty how many riders were expected for the day, we soon realized there was no need to rush for the chair lift. Just 17 people were expected….For a Saturday! We were stoked since all season we have been lining up in those famous Whistler bike Park queues that could last from 2 minutes to an hour!

The Riding at Sun Peaks is fast, rough and super enjoyable. There is a huge variety of trails from timber skinnies to open, quick down hill trails. I really liked the Freeride trails which had some cool features in them and a pretty cool trail that went directly under the chairlift called. There is a jump park near the bottom of the park too.

After reuniting with Ryder in the morning it was time to jump in the vans and head to kamloops to a place called Mt Harper. This is a ski field in the winter time, with a forest at the bottom of the ski runs filled with MTB trails. It was my third time here but I was excited to see any changes and new features from the last times.

The trails are easy to find and it wasn’t long till we had pumped out half a dozen runs. All our runs would include little sessions on the features we found on the trails like timber structures and dirt jumps. Our last run had to be the best with an epic flowing single track trail that weaved in and out of pine trees.

If you ever need more info on these places let me know….

Dan

Whistler Heli Biking With Jarrod Heprurn

2008-09-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well finally got a heli trip organised or had it organised for me anyway!

Started off getting picked up by my friend Elly and driving out to the heli pad of Blackcomb Helicopters where we waited for the rest of our crew to turn up. Once everyone was there we took all our bikes over and got them ready for the pick up and got our safety instruction like dont jump in the rotors. By this stage i wasn't really listening as i had my camera out snapping photo's as being my first time in a heli i was pretty much kid in a candy store and had got the shotgun call.!

After our pilot had flicked a bunch of switches the blades started moving and it was go time and we slowly started to watch the ground disappear. As we got a little higher all the local mountains, lakes, glaciers and ski runs of Whistler appeared, truely a spectacular thing and everyone sat in silence for the whole trip up the mountain.

Finally we landed on a large piece of snow everyone hoped out and waited for the bikes to arrive. The heli was back up in no time with the bikes strapped to the bottom and everyone was thiniking if that rope snaps there's about $40 000 worth of bikes down the drain however all was good we got our bikes watched the heli fly away and all thought I want one.

Now it was time for the real deal, the track started off and it was pretty much straight into it no time for a warm up roll over the first little knoll and into some nice steep riding.The track had been rode quite a bit and a sizeable rutt was in play but easy enough to stay out of although some of didn't think of this and we had our first ragdoll. For most of the top this was how it went over a knoll into some steep chute or a nice grassy piece of hill where once you had made it down turned round and watched everyone else have their rip down. After a few more of these the trail moved into the trees and got a bit more flowy and fun and everyone was getting their groove on with a heads up of dont get it going to fast as it drops off pretty steep and you can get yourself into a bit of trouble.

With a range of different level of riders we would always wait catch our breath and play on a few rocks that were pretty fun with a few that where pretty tech. However Smokey a whistler local took up the challenge and got it done. The rest of the trail kept with the same theme steep with a few roots a bunch of nice rock rolls and lots of fun even for a freeride jump nut, before you know it you pop out onto a local flank trail with the option of a few down hill trails of all level depending how much you have left in the gas tank.

Over all an awesome trip, a ride in a helicopter which I will jump at every time I get the chance now with some of the most beautiful mountain scenery and an excellent trail ride down with some good friends. What more could you want apart from a cold beer sitting in the sun to top it off which we just had to do.

2008-09-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

My Name is Nathan Ryder, from Nelson, NZ. At the moment I am living in Whistler, Canada. Recently I competed in a down hill race here over here and I thought I would share my experience with you…

Well we set off on our tour to go take over Sun Peaks and do the final round of the Canadian Cup . Rueben Miller, Hayden Mckay and myself. It was my first riding road trip since I have been in Canada. I was super excited about it gettingto ride new tracks and see some different towns and scenery in BC.

We arrived into kamloops around 11 pm and stayed at a motel called ‘Ryders Inn’ which might i add had a adult channel so we had to get that one haha. Next morning we were up and ready to go to Sun Peaks. so so amped to go hit the mountain up.It was a big rush to go get our lift ticket so we could go play. First run down the hill and we had all decided that this was the best riding ever! Nice flowy tracks, big jumps, berms, sick as technical and the nicest dirt to get the mean as drifts going!

Any way next day was practice day for the race. We signed in and were ready 2 roll. We had walked the race track the night before and spyed some lines out and boy was this track sick super taped out! The best track in Canada in my opinion!!!!!we did runs of the track all day then went out for the mean as feed at the restaurant at the bottom of the hill. Then up to our sweet pad for a spa and a few Heinekens (our race prep for the next day…has to be done!).

Race day came round and it was looking good the weather held off for a dry track.My race set off well I was a bit nervous but got the top part of the track great and probably pushed it a bit much coming down this fast bit. I hit a big hole and blew my hand and foot off and smashed through the tape and a pole to stop on a flat bit. I got going and finished the rest of my run tapped to end up 10th in senior. maybe with out my crash it would have been a even better result but I was still happy as with it. Rueben ended up 10th and Hayden 21st in pro men. All and all such a good long weekend away and on our way home we got someriding done in kamloops which was sick as too.By Nathan Ryder

Big Crash Durring Southern Race Series

2008-09-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Had a bit of a mozza in the Clyde race recently. Went down on Friday had a sic day the new part of the track is so fun. They made the track twice as good no hussin down 4wd tracks anymore. Did 4 runs and that was me had the track sused.

Went back on Saturday got in 4 practice runs and had it pinned. Seedn run i crashed halfway down jumped back on only to realize me handle bars were 70deg to my wheel but went on just abit slower and got 9th, so thought sweet.

Race run crashed about 40 sec into it, bike washed out at about 40km and i went chin/neck/chest first straight into a rock the size of me. Couldnt breath for about a minute. Had blood gushing from the chin so pushed over to the road and rolled down told a couple of dudes i was sweet and drove home sore and guttered.Got Xrayed up, nothing broken yeah but throat was really croaky and sore so had to go to Dunedin to see the throat specialest to find out i got a big hematoma on voicebox. Over time should be sweet.

...so stoked im all good, guttered about the race everything leadn up to it was going well. Beatiful weather and even beter track but thats racing aye. Looking forward to getting back there and hitn that corner twice as hard and fast!!!!!

Tristan Muirhead

Theresa 'cranks it up' Whistler style Helmet Cam

2008-09-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

Wanaka's Rider Theresa McGeragle riding one of her favorite trails in Whistler this summer 'Crank It Up'.

Garbanzo Downhill with Rueben Miller

2008-08-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

This year I have been lucky enough to come over to Whistler BC to spend a summer here riding racing working and everything else that goes on here.
The Garbanzo downhill is one of the many events part of the annual freeride festiville crankworx. Crankworks is held every august and is the world biggest mountainbike bike festivlle.

One of the longest downhill races to be held in the world the Garbanzo starts at the very top of whistler bike park and finishes at the very bottom. Twisting and turning thru some of the most technical tracks on the mountain.

This year the week leading up to it consisted of rain, rain and some more rain. Come race day it was still raining. As i got to the top for my run it was pretty close to 0 degrees and windy with rain. I was about mid way to start in the elite field.

My run started good as i left the top into original sin, the track conditions were very muddy but as it was raining the roots were still clean so you could se the slippery bits. As i got about a 3rd of the way down and into in deep it started getting hard. I was tired from the previous pedal section and my goggles were starting to fog, the trak was geting harder by the second and my arms were getting tired. About halfway thru i caught the rider in front, who instead of pulling over decided to slow down in front of me. I finally got past him on a high line but lost my flow. As i came out of in dep there was a 200 metre up hill section into duffman, after already riding the length of two normal downhill tracks this was very hard. I pedaled so hard I was almost seeing stars and spewing into my helmit. Into duffman was a bit of a joke as i couldnt do much from being so rooted, i came over a small jump and onto a northshore bridge, as i landed my wheels slipped from underneath me and i was a goner. I fell about a metre onto the grond and had to climb back up and get my bike. From then on it took me awhile to find my flow again but started to get it back towards the bottom. The last section of track was the hardest as it opened up and got flat. With the finish in sight i gave it all i had, thru monkey hands and into the last corner of the giant dual track and over the last jump. I cross

ed the line with a 16.04 putting me in 40th place about 1:40 behing the winner Gee Atherton. Not the result I was after but i had a lot of fun!

By far the hardest downhill race I have ever done, would definatley reccomend it.

Ill be back next year for sure!

Thanks to http://www.bikehq.co.nz/ and ironhorse bikes

Cheers
Reuben Miller

Chris Beverland on Crankworx Whistler

2008-08-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

photo by the multi talented Dan Frew

I was lucky enough to make the trip from NZ to Canada for another biking season this year. Leaving the farm back home mid winter to ride my bike mid summer in Whistler, the decision was made pretty quickly!

Well Crankworx rolled into whistler town once again, a huge mountain bike festival that incorporates almost every form of mountain biking possible. What does this equal....well good times I must say! From a 15 minute DH race to a one minute dual slalom race to a slope style course there is something for everyone, unless of course you like lycra then you're shit out of luck really.

The races for me were the amateur giant dual slalom and the Canadian open DH race that must have been on one of the sickest DH tracks I've riden. Only having a DH bike the giant dual would be a challenge. Good through the corners but slow at the start gate and the first straight. To my surprise my seeding was good coming in with the second fastest time. The track was sick although at race pace some of the rollers turned into jumps to flat that you had to be very weary of. Having a fast seeding time allowed some initial easy races, gradually however the pace picked up and I found myself lagging a bit off the start gate but having extra speed through the corners that was enough to keep me in it. The final was going to be super tough and it was until about half way down the track when my opponent flew off a roller to flat slightly crossed up. What did this mean for him? A trip to the hospital is the answer and for me an easy win! Not the best way to win really but I think I may have had the legs on him anyway. For my efforts I received a rather large maybe fake gold medal and some free Sram stuff, good because whistler eats bikes parts and I needed some new ones.

The Canadian open DH race was on the last day of Crankworx. A new track with a mix of open fall line and tech off camber root and rock riding. A real DH track. Yea!! I enjoyed the track in practice and was riding well. I learnt the importance of having the suspension rebound and compression dialed in correctly, the difference of a click or two is night and day on a track like this. I had a reasonably race run, a ruff upper section, slipping a pedal and taking a bad line on a rock section. The lower section was much better and carried good speed through the tree section. The result was 6th and I was happy with. All and all a successful Crankworx.Defiantly recommend anyone serious about riding to check it out in years to come.

Would like to say thanks to Transition Bikes

Chris B.

Helene Fruthwirth on Crankworx Whistler

2008-08-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Photo by Dan Frew

I tell you now the real story about ‘crankworx’ in Whistler and the Kiwi boys...not the usual basic reports which you can find on the ordinary bike pages.
I came to whistler disappointed and just wanted to fly home. My recent performances at both previous world cup races had let me down. One was in Mont Sainte Anne and the other in Bromont Canada.

In Mont Sainte Anne I had a technical defect and in Bromont I crashed so hard that I couldn't ride on. I was so upset about everything and I couldn't believe why I am actually racing when just the podium makes you happy…..and sometimes to reach this is so hard. I said to myself forget it and keep your head up doesn't matter what comes next it could be worse.

I know it sounds kind of weird for people who are looking at my life as a racer. "Girl you are living your dream, how can you be sad?" That's what I hear when I'm disappointed about my results. But believe me racing has a darker side and when you don't race you can’t understand that.

ANYWAY I came to Whistler to enjoy the other spirit of riding your bike and I couldn't believe how great it was! It's the best place on world to ride your bike and have fun all the time. Crankworx, one of the biggest bike event in the world, was running at the same time I was there.

You must image a big hill with chairlifts - hundreds of bike trails. Okay maybe not hundreds but of course 1000 lines. You can choose hundreds of people with whom you can share your passion. Riding your bike. The two weeks in whistler were my official holidays this year and I rode everyday and pretty much non stop. I met so manyawesome people. Everyone special on their way. Chris Beverland a Kiwi boy with whom I rode most of my time inspired me to learn doing whips and have style in the air. Harriet Harper and her boyfriend, who gave me a ride to whistler in their massivecamper truck. Dan Frew, who went up with us to take great pictures. Katrina Strand, a great downhill chick from Whistler, who spreads out good vibes. Sheryl McLeod a Kiwi Lady who rocks her bike for years. All the Manitou/Sun Ringle crew who helped me out. Davis English and Jeff Bryson , two locals I rode with. Tom Hey, an England dirt jumper whom I met on my last evening.

Alta Lake Beach

Thanks to the Kiwi boys I stayed with Nigel, Rueben, Ryder, Kieran and Cam and of course Dan McMullan who helped me out again. I crashed at his place. But this time I could help him too with this blog, which you are reading at the moment. These boys hmm how can I say...gave me the feeling of home. I mean not the house- the house was nearly all the time a big mess and I slept in the Kitchen/living room on a big mattress on the floor. And I also don't mean that most of them came home in the middle of the night, completely waisted and jumping around on my mattress. I mean more that they listened to me when I needed someone to talk to, cooked for me, bought me a big cake for my birthday- Sang the happy birthday song and I was welcomed from the first second i knocked on their door.

Of course I wouldn't be a racer if I wouldn't have taken part in few Crankworx competitions. But I tried to take them not so seriously likea world cup and it worked for me I had a lot of fun. In one event I ended up on the podium. I did my longest downhill race ever. Called Garbonzo. It tookme exactly 19 minutes from the top to the bottom in race speed. I ended up 5th in this event. I wanted to do the Crankworx women event too but I got ill on my birthday and I didn't feel for competing. On Friday I raced the Giant Slalom which was hard work on my big bike, considering that I was the only one with a downhill bike instead of a light 4x bike. I managed 3rd.

holding my chec! 3rd place in Crankworx Giant Slalom

On Sunday I race the Canadian Open race. I liked the track very much...hmm I nearly like every track so but anyway I crashed in my race run and ended up on the 11th place, which was exactly the last. Combined with the fact that I had to leave the bikeparadise I was little bit sad. I will try to come back next year again and stay longer.

Now I am sitting in the airplane number AC033 to Sydney to race there my next world cup. I hope it will work out better for me than at the otherones.

see you your LENE

Round 2 NZ Nationals byJame Pollard

2008-08-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

James Pollard

Thoughts/Experiences at dirt park this year for nationals!. . . Well where do i begin haha.

I had been lucky enough to have gone up earlier in the year with Julz and Dan from "four four three" who among others were organising the building of the track and looked around for different lines and commented on what they already had.

James doing some runs at Dirt Park durring practise day

My thoughts on that were Awesome!! i had only ridden the new middle section they had built and the faaaaaaast last section,so on practice day of nationals when i rocked up there was a whole new top section to tackle. It was really tight and quite steep so coming from Alex i was quite used to that and enjoyed the mental challenge. Getting down it however wasnt as easy after taking a smoking hot line through the spiker bushes (whooops) into the middle of nowhere i figured id better slow down and start seeing what other people were doing!! After that i got it heaps better.

In particular i wanted o take a proper look at the bottom fast section after hearing some guys were taking hot lines every where. There was one spot where if u went inside to out you could legally straight line it with out braking which took me most of the afternoon to get right but felt soooo good to get it. I loved the dirt park track how it was soo tight at the top and had some reasonably flowy bits in the middle (so you could rest up slightly) then just a flat out fast bottom section that was just wide open!!

.....Braaapp!

So theres a few thoughts and experiences on the track but i was hearing heaps of mixed thoughts on the track from most of the riders saying how it was getting blown out and how shit it was and it was hard for me to accept partly because i was finding it OK to get down and wasn't having any crashes =) and also because i knew how long Julz, Dan and the boys had to get the track up and running. From starting with nothing at the time of year they did i thought they did farkin well and at the end of the day the track held up and i heard of no major injuries and due to suck a big hill and long track thought that was good news!. So after all i knew it was disappointing that they thought that way.

Anyways after seeding 1st with a small woops in the middle section, I loved the track enough to claim 2ND place in senior mens so i was pretty happy with that and hope we get to race there next year and see what the boys bring up for us cant wait. Jimmy.

Claiming 2nd place

Altitude Adventures Ltd

88 Centennial Ave

Alexandra

mob: 0211910012

Ph/fax: 03 448 8917

www.altitudeadventures.co.nz

Photography by James Allan

Mountain Biking Down Under

2008-07-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

In early May 08, around about the time the South Island of NZ was hit with its first snow fall for the season ahead, I jumped on a plane to Australia! I left home in Wanaka for Queensland, Australia.

I lived in a tourist orientated town called Airlie Beach (South of Cairns). The place is a very popular backpacker’s destination. There are endless water activities in the area including scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. There are even 74 islands in the Whitsunday’s to go see by boat! The land around Airlie is relatively flat terrain, mostly used by sugar cane farmers. While Freeride and down hill mountain biking is pretty sparse in the area, there is plenty of riding South and North of Airlie Beach.

One particular riding spot I went to was a place called Kitchent Dam. It is 20 minutes drive North of Mackay. This down hill track is regularly used for state races and some local races. A very demanding trail with about half the track covered in rock gardens. It’s been well ridden in so lines through the rocky sections are easier to pick out and they are always adding new features to the track. I’m here in the winter and its 25 degrees plus! …so pushing up after every run is a little tough! Highly recommend a 4X4 vehicle for shuttles.

There is a classic outdoor pub about 100 meters from the bottom of the trail for any refreshments after the riding. The bottom of the trail is actually in the Kitchent Dam Camping ground. This whole place would make for a great long weekend get away for those that can get to it for riding, and hang by the lake.

By Dan

Winter Festival Snow Event

2008-07-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

I competed in the annual Queenstown Winter Festival snow race on Coronet Peak last weekend. Conditions weren't good, the snow guns were real noisy and created partial white out conditions between the natural snow showers. The event was run like a 4X, with the first two to finish going through to the next round and the other two being knocked out. It was all a bit of a lottery with the deep soft snow. There was a field of about 90 competitorsracing in 3 categories, Mens, Women's and Junior Men. I was lucky enough to win all my races and take out the Junior title.

A big thanks to Outside Sports for organizing and running the event, Coronet Peak for hosting the race this year, and all the sponsors which made the event such a success. A great event. I might do it again next year.

Cheers

Cam Johnson

Junior Mens DH review

2008-06-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Cam Johnson
16 Yrs old

From ALEXANDRA, NZ

Dan asked me to write how I found the Wellington Nationals Track at Long Gully. As well as that I’ll tell you about some other mean races from this season.

VERTIGO ran an OPEN Chainless race in January, at Coronet Peak. The downhill track was mean as, it had good corners and flowed nicely. I finished 8th overall and with a faster time than I got in the SI Subaru series with a chain. Can’t wait till next season when Coronet hopefully has a longer riding season.

Also I teamed up with Martin, a top mechanic from Bike Fix, Queenstown for the ‘Brakeburner’ Event. A 6 hr Endurance Race, also at on Coronet Peak. We were the BIKE FIX Team and were in the Open Men’s Class, (he’s a bit older, lucky he’s super fit). The track had heaps of uphill, and not much down. In the end, we came second to the Vertigo Team. It was a bloody good day, and a great group to hang out with.

Cam durring the Brake Burner Race at Coronet Peak

Wellington Nationals Track

Well the track started on the ridge between the wind turbine and that white dome thing, and dropped to the burnout pad. While not too technical, the track was fast and full of loose drifty corners, it also had a wall of gorse along the lower part of the track that you could use as a crash pad if you needed too… OUCH!

The track ended up worn out by race day and real dusty. The weather wasn’t friendly either, typically Wellington, wind was strong and gusty, and for the unlucky, it accounted for bad race run times.

Thanks to the organizers though, it was really well run by Vince Langford and the team…. up with the best of them. Wellington is a great track to ride, any chance to do it? Get there.

Another great track to ride, was Lava Flow, in Christchurch, I went up for the NZ Open. It’s a short and wickedly quick track, very rough, and heaps of big rocks. Finishing 3^rd in U19 here was a highlight for me, before heading back to Nelson for Oceania’s.

Cam durring the NZ National Round in Nelson

The Oceania’s held on that Nelson track up Maitai Valley was in good condition. The track had cool jumps, loose rocks all the way down, and it was steep and very fast from top to bottom. The more I raced this track the more I liked it. Thanks to Chris Mildon and guys for a great and well run event.

Just run last weekend, September, Linger and Die downhill race in Alexandra. Good track, all us boys been working on it thru the winter, came in 3^rd under 19, after a bit of cross country (by mistake) right near the bottom, 6^th fastest race time overall for the day.

Next race, 3^rd Round Bluff Series race, 11th October, see yah there.

CAM

SPONSORED RIDER THE BIKE FIX, QUEENSTOWN,

RED TUSSOCK GALLERY ALEXANDRA

PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY James Allan

and Eddie

Guides Low Down On Recent Multi Day Trip

2008-05-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

Disillusioned by traffic, pollution, bad weather and overpopulation I like to grab my bike and hit the wilderness..Mountain biking is special - it offers an opportunity to pedal away from your familiar world, to go somewhere new, to face new challenges. It takes you to those 'lose yourself and find yourself again' places. It brings new people into your life. It helps you appreciate where you have been, and to make good decisions about where you’re headed. Riding bikes brings on a good headspace.RIDING BIKES IS FUN!

A road trip around New Zealand with like-minded bike enthusiasts, riding downhill bikes all day everyday, sounds mint eh? Well it was.

Dan Mcmullan and myself are head guides for Freeride NZ. We did a 21 day trip across NZ recently and i thought i would fill you in with what happened!

We got up at 8am most mornings, fuelled up with caffeine, toast and every cereal imaginable while watching south park episodes on the laptop. Quick bike check, then load our days gear n bikes aboard the limo. Hit the destination ride button on the auto pilot and wait in anticipation till we arrive at the start of an epic trail. We would ride hard all day stopping only to refill with subway for lunch. Then we would come back, have a few cold beers and reminisce events of the days riding.

One of my favourite trails from the trip was the Remarkables DH trail situated just north of Queenstown. The trail starts off just as narrow dusty flowy single track that just got better the further you went along it. Huge round rocky stony berms that were filled with the finest dust which exploded when you hit them. The next turn would be a flat turn that you could ride sat down, leg off, moto styles! There were rock gardens and jumps dotted from top to bottom. One jump was built up from a car engine with the carburettors as the lip! A giant fade away hip jump shot you up and away to give you max speed on landing to a tight left hand rock step down shooting you onto a tight pumpy single track next to the access road giving you a good chance to race the shuttle van back down for a 200 meters. The bottom section was a clearing of grass and sheep poo to a cheese wedge style booster which the van is waiting an amping ya to get back up to have another go.

Being based in Wanaka which means renewal of the soul, for the first five days was great! The town itself has a cool selection of bars and cafes. The weather was amazing while we were stopped over in Wanaka giving us 360° view of mountains and a crisp blue lake...breathtaking!

Waking up everyday with a huge smile on my face after a really good dream featuring my girl cat and drew barrymore, but that’s another story for a different kind of site…ok, so where was I??? Right.. waking up every day with a huge smile on my face knowing that its going to be another epic day on our bikes shredding up trail after trail.

So much to say but in a nutshell….
Countless blue sky days and phenomenal rides in the stunning N.Z country side made for a never to forget road trip!

Sighning off…

Glenno

Miss Downhill in NZ

2008-04-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

The Austrian Pro Downhill racer, Helene Fruhwirth came to New Zealand for an off season and describes her trip…

I have travelled to New Zealand twice now to compete in the National Downhill Series, firstly during the 2005/06 summer and more recently the 2007/08 season. The racers are a great fun and an awesome way to see the fabulous country and meet riders alike. The Nationals begin in December and finishes in February. These races send you from one end of the country to the other. I decide to race in NZ because here in Austria where I come there is just nowhere to ride in winter time. Everything is covered with snow and it’s cold and wet. It’s great off season training.

Yes and so no wonder that I came back. It took 2 years because I had to finish my studies. But this time I knew many people, knew places where to go and more. But I was even more nervous to come back to NZ than I was at my first trip. I didn’t know if it could ever be better than two years ago!

Now I can say this trip was so different that I can’t compare it at all. It was great to see all my friends, who I took to my heart. It was also really good riding new tracks I hadn’t riding before (e.g. Dirt Park NZ).

The whole trip nearly fell through because I managed to twist my ankle in trampoline training (suspected of a broken Talus) and got a plaster 10 days before I was to fly out. It was nightmare I couldn’t believe it. I put all the eggs in the basket- cut the plaster 24 hrs before my flight and got a special brace with crutches for the plane. The flight was a nightmare to my foot as it got swollen and put me trough pain during the whole flight. When I arrived it was okay I just thought about riding to get over the pain. I hardly could walk the first to weeks but I could ride my brand new Morewood bike!

I raced all the national races, took it easy got good results and good feedback from my sponsors. I loved the atmosphere to race in NZ. Nobody cares about my time, my results, who I was or what I should be. I could just be 100% me. In Europe I have to ride with a little more pressure, in that I need to always be in the top 10. Of course I used NZ as my training ground to get ready and prepared for the World cup season but I also enjoyed other things like wakeboarding, mini motocross riding with Dan McMullan, fishing, Jet ski riding, cliff jumping, pump track riding, the barbeques!, partying with the my friends, dancing with Chris and so many other things. I was having to much fun to miss Austria.

The down hill tracks in Europe compared to NZ are so different. I would say we have less jumps and not so many crazy lines. It’s not really surprising to me that different riders appear in the top 10 of the world from one day to the other. I loved to see how motivated the kiwi riders are. I didn’t have days where I didn’t get a ride with someone somewhere…. So great!

Now its time to head back home to Austria for racing DH and 4X in the Northern Hemisphere. I plan to race our Nationals, World Cup races, World Champs, Crankworx in Canada, European Champs in Italy and more!

If somebody is keen to follow my race life check out my blog on www.miss-downhill.com

I wanna thank: Kai Crow, Dan McMullan, Dave and Gail Judson, Chris Vanderkolk, Hadley Boyce, Hamish Kay and his flat mates and of course all my sponsors.

Photo by James Allan

Freeride NZ 3 week NZ multi day tour

2008-04-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Heading North!

We set off north from Dunedin on our way up to Christchurch, its a good 5-6 hour drive up there so on the way we stopped off in a small town called Timaru where we had heard there was a really cool little dirt jump park.

As we rounded the corner we saw what could in no way be called a small dirt jump park, with lines ranging from small tables on the right to massive stepped up doubles on the left and everything in between. It was definitely a spot for hard tail bikes over bigger bikes but the great thing about my Reign X is its versatility and after stiffening up the suspension it was as good as a hardtail over any of the jumps. It was a really fun place to hang out for a couple of hours and ride with the locals while at the same time breaking up the long drive up to Christchurch.

Local Timaru rider showing us how it is

We awoke in Methven. Today Andy from a local guiding company (dhnz) would be taking us on what he promised would be a day of riding we would never forget. We were heading for a secrete locals spot where we were told we would be riding some scree runs. There were no shuttle roads for this type of riding so it was packs on and away we went….Real New Zealand wilderness riding! After a 20 minute ride up a relatively wide track we got off the bikes and preceded in single file out onto the side of the mountain and before long the bikes were on our shoulders and we were once again hike-a-biking up to the saddle between two peaks.

Once at the top though we were confronted by a steep scree slope stretching away for 300m plus in front of us! After a quick snack we hiked out into the middle of the slope until we had a straight run of scree in front of us. Andy pointed out the single track we were aiming for at the bottom and said “its just like powder skiing”, then he was off half carving like a skier. He flew down until he hit the single track and stopped to wait for us to Man-Up and show our skills on this alien terrain! We exchanged ‘it can’t be that hard’ looks and set off on our own little freeride adventure. Once you set your mind to it, it was great. Just using the front wheel as kind of plow to slow you down as brakes were almost useless. I laughed the whole way down.

Riding and Hanging out at Mt Hutt near Methven

Once we all met up on the single track beating each other on choice of line and style. It was going to be hard to maintain that high but the single-track to the bottom was equally inspiring. It shot along the contours of the mountain through forest at the perfect gradient that you could choose to pedal or not.

ahh just more amazing single track!!

By the time we got to the bottom we were shagged but so pumped with adrenaline that we chatted at about mack ten, and anyone who knows me knows how fast I talk when I’m excited, for about an hour before we drove onto Christchurch ready to shred the local trails the next day.

Thanks again to Andy for an amazing day.

Take it easy

Cal

Freeride NZ 3 week NZ multi day tour

2008-04-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

Heli-Heaven!

Heli bike day dawns with a bluebird sky and some serious anticipation on my part as it was going to be my first time (in a Helicopter)! Aussie Dan and me got dropped off at Wanaka’s airport and met our pilot. Once sat in the Heli we were all amped and ready to go after the pilot spent 2 min’s hitting the oil gauge on the control panel to get it to register we were off. It’s a unforgettable feeling leaving off terre-ferma vertically but funnily enough I found it far less unnerving than flying in a plane. Flying above the ridge we would soon be riding was a very different experience; you could see the various single track sheep track which would make up our route along the ridge.

how is the serenity?!

As we stood straddling our respective two wheeled steads a top the 1600m plus mountain looking over jagged mountain ranges and down to Lake Wanaka it was a pure moment as we began this epic ride! It took the first decent to get used to the exposure on the ridgeline. When Dan said he had chosen a very special trail for us, I now realise he wasn’t actually joking! …A wicked trail that suited all our riding styles and abilities.

After a couple of minutes riding we began to really let loose, all choosing different lines along the mountain. Just as we settled into the flow we were hit by what seemed to be a mountain on top of a mountain so it was bikes on shoulders time ready for a bit of a Hike-A-Biking. We had to negotiate exposed goat paths, steep rocky faces and a good bout of vertigo but we made it too the top and it was as they say all downhill from there. So begun an hour long decent consisting of virgin single track, open freeriding and high speed 4 wheel drive track to finish.

It was one of the most amazing days of riding so far and was followed by one of the best night’s sleep of my life. I guess I deserved it!

Over and out Cal..

Freeride NZ 3 week NZ multi day tour

2008-04-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

My name is Callum Jelley I’m a member of the MBUK Wrecking Crew and I’m going to chase summer around the world with my bike in tow. My bike is a Giant Reign X frame, the perfect tool for both fast DH, big hitting freeride runs and all day single track. Component-wise DT Swiss hooked me up with the new E2200 all mountain Wheel set, Fox 36 vans backed up with a DHX 5 rear shock, Formula The One brakes, Funn bar and stem, Hope ceramic bottom bracket and Sram gear assembly and Ride On cables. Hitting up New Zealand from 5th to the 25th of April with www.freeridenz.com and then on to Whistler for a whole season of shred all the Whistler and British Columbia has to offer.

The view from the van trip from Queenstown to Wanaka

For the New Zealand part of the trip I’m going to be travelling with Freeride NZ, started by Dan McMullan in summer 06 the company specialises in Freeride and Downhill tours ranging from 1 day to 3 weeks on both north and south islands. As well as Freeride and Downhill they offer single day cross country tours, heli biking days and loads more. The two guides, Dan and Glenn are super friendly and accommodating so if you want to do a trip that they don’t advertise they will do there best to sort you out.

Cool, calm and collected.....Glenno

Dan and Glenn picked me up in their van with a big sprayed painted trailer with 3 Commencal’s on it and the ability to carry up to 12 bikes and more! We pick up Dan B from Oz who is going to be with us for the whole of the south island section of the trip. Then we headed off to the trails! Our first trail we rode was virgin single track snaking its way down a valley just outside Queenstown. The trail was amazing it just flowed so well and the dust billowed behind us as we shredded down the mountain. The road back up was one of the scariest shuttling roads I’ve ever been on, it’s an old access road to the gold mines that used to exist around Queenstown. We spent the rest of that day riding the trail and warming up to the 20 days of riding ahead.

Dan invited some of his friends along today so there were bikes aplenty!

The second day began early with a plan to hit some local downhill tracks around Queenstown and then session the Mini Dream Track baby brother to the infamous Dream Track build by Nathan Greenwood and shown in both New World Disorder 5 and Drop In NZ. The great thing about the trails is how close they are to Queenstown itself. We start off on a track called Wynyard’s, it’s a pretty fast steep dh track with lots of berms and a couple of wooden features dotted through it, it also run’s straight through Mini Dream Track so we stop off here and ditch the bags and don the pads and get ready to get our dirt jump on! Every jump there is so well maintained and with plenty of backing from the council and the locals. A great training ground for every rider to get in the air, beginners to advanced riders.

Local Wanaka ripper Theresa McGeragle showing the boys how its done

Callum Jelley signing off

The Farm Jam 07

2008-02-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Y'all

Dan's asked me to write my take on 'The Farm Jam 07'... Well fair to say I am pretty biased, but also fair to say a hug amount of people who were there would agree... It was bloody epic...

The Farm Jam is something Brett and I have been building towards for a few years now, firstly having our crew gatherings in previous years, we realised we were onto a good thing.. We had put in a huge amount of work building up
the courses, sussing out our wicked sponsorship partners, and praying to the weather gods!!

So we were stoked to be able to pull it off without too much hassle, and still managed to ride in the event also, which was fun.. ( the whole idea ) The weather just held out, but not quite enough for a few people who had aborted mission early thinkin it would be rained off ( aye Dan n Tristan!!)
Unfortunately there wasnt too much practice due to rain the day before, but it didnt take the lads too long to suss out the fresh courses and start to terrorise!!

The Moto was wicked, was so good to see the track working well and hear peoples comments on it, Tim Watson from Wellington was the man of the day, showing off his mad skills, and local lad Blake O'connar was terrorising the course!! As well as Dan showing his Local knowledge. There were about 12 riders in total, so action was aplenty, with plenty of different styles out there!

The Small dirt jumps held the BMX / Hardtail Mounty sessions, which was amazing, the vibe was soo good, with action everywhere, BMXicans kickin it were were Brad Greenslades styles, and Christchurch crew Jeremy Gray an Robbie Browns mad skills.. On the Hardtail there were too many rippers to mention, although Kelly McGarry was ruling it, flips, 3's, Barrel Rolls, say no more.. not to forget Eddie, Brett, Beaver, Finney, Foz, Seb etc etc....

The Big Mounty line was off the hook, noone had really ridden the jumps so after a slow intro the boys started to dominate, Chris Beverlands Massive Flips, Kelly rulin everyhthing, and Bretts wicked 3's were awesome, as well as all the rest of the lads awesome individual styles.

The Pitbike racing too was wicked fun, about 15 lads caning around a rolly grass paddock, I dont think anyone came back without grass stains, was funny times alright!!!

Check out the 2 vids on Youtube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Kl1HRoYIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5pmG5ZhQgI

Huuuuuuuuuuge thanks to all our helpers on the day, you know without you it wouldnt have run so smoothly, and to all our wicked sponnos, and the Mags that covered it..

Planning is well under way to make 'The Farm Jam 08' even bigger and better, so make sure ya make the journey south...
28 Dec...

Cheers, Brett and Dan Frew

(GO OUT AND BUY SOME STUFF OF THESE GUYS BECAUSE THEY ROCK!!!!!!!)

Unit Clothing
Wide Open
Brent Scammell Honda
Quest
Castrol
Da Kine
Red Bull
Protec
Koarse Graphics
Spoke Mag
Dirtrider Downunder
FreeriderMX Magazine

Dirtpark rocked by girls

2008-01-05T10:16:00.000-08:00

Freeride NZ and Dirt Park NZ are offering a girls evening with free coaching to encourage girls to meet other riders and to gain knowledge and confidence on all kinds of terrain. The main goal of the evening is to have fun! All levels and abilities are welcome.

We recently had our first session with eighteen Wanaka female riders keen to improve their riding and having fun while doing it. The lesions are held up at Dirt Park NZ, Cardona Valley. Groups are made on ability and lessons.

Our first day included bike set up and riding position. The following lessons will include braking, weight distribution, line choices, jumping and more!

Every Sunday till the park closes
$20 for chairlift passes

Contact:
Coaching@freerideNZ.com
www.dirtparknz.com

British Columbia Road tripping

2007-06-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to spend the 2007 summer season in Whistler, Canada. Perfect timing to leave home when you see a snow flake during June in Wanaka, NZ!

I would like to share my experiences I had while road tripping about British Columbia, Canada with you. For those that would like a heads up on some great freeriding spots read on….!

Kamloops

Kamloops is amazing! For anyone that is familiar with Alexandra in New Zealand, it’s just like the same but maybe set in the future a bit more (double lane traffic for a start!). The city is built around the Kamloops River; with a barren landscape similar Alexandra, NZ.

The trails here are never ending. It’s all smooth buff single trails that flow their way through the wide open terrain. There have been many pro riders visit/live in the area so everything is built of high quality. Many big stunts can even be seen from the highway!

Kamloops also has a forest just outside the city with more great riding. The trails here are more suited for 6inch rigs I think. There’s the whole bag of trails here including fast single track, big features, stunts, timber work and big jump trails.

Kalona
This town rocks! I managed to visit during ‘Wake fest’. This is a wakeboarding comp held each summer on the lake there. Great Freeride mountain biking spots are found in a near by forest from the town just 15 minute drive away.

This place has some very impressive riding features that you have to almost see to believe. We came across a 30 ft tall wall ride made out of full lengths of timber in the middle of nowhere?! There are some big stunts around this place and a lot of these stunts feature in the latest Freeride videos.

Golden
A very chilled town about 9hrs drives East of Whistler. It’s a resort town with a lot of bike riding trails surrounding it when the snows not about. We rode a couple of spots here including Mt Seven. At the top of Mt Seven is the beginning of the Psychosis Track that is raced during the Redbull downhill comp held every July. Faster racers are expected to do the course in about 12 minutes! This gives you an understanding on how much vertical there is! This particular trail begins with two entries (easier and harder) the top open section leads into amazing forest. From here on in it’s a mixture of very flowy, buff, fast, tight, rocky single track.

Another spot we checked out in Golden was Radium. This place was covered in timber features. These trails are great for shuttling with short turn around times. The trails were a mixture of down hill styled trails and Freeride trails.

Revelstoke
So much riding here and just not enough time for! The town has got big plans for the future including mountain biking on the newly built ski field ‘Revelstoke Mountain’. The town is in a valley surround by forest smuggled in a web of mountain bike trails. We saw what looked to be the remains of a feature in Kranked 6. The area has cool log rides, timber structures and single track all rolled into one!

Dan McMullan