Fall is here and the weather could not be better for getting out for some awesome scrambles on the North Shore Mountains, my backyard playground.
One of my favorite workouts is up Grouse Mountain. There is the Grouse Grind which is a great trail but is quite busy and so we head of the beaten track to some of the other less populated trails. The best part…they still finish at the top of Grouse Mountain where you can grab a cold beer and some great food.
Kim and I have been doing lots of hiking as we love it so much. With Kim’s ACL surgery just a few months back it is an excellent way to strengthen her hamstring and get her leg ready for all the wicked powder skiing ahead of us this winter.
The most important thing to remember when hiking is that having the proper gear like shoes, packs and clothing will make your day outside that much more enjoyable. Merrell has some of the best hiking footwear on the planet and I am lucky enough to get to try all their new models. Choosing a shoe that feels comfortable and offers great stability is key to having fun in the mountains. Columbia Titanium clothing keeps me dry and comfortable even on the steep trails of the North Shore and today I was testing one of Osprey’s newest packs, The Raptor. This little pack is great for hiking and mountain biking and offers tons of pockets for gear and the best feature was the magnet on the end of the bite valve which always found its way back to the pack instead of aimlessly dangling around.
It is also important to carry the right gear like a head lamp, extra jacket and food and always let someone know where your going. You may not need these things every time but when you do you will be glad you packed them. Check out AdventureSmart for more info on what to carry while out venturing the backcountry. After all it’s all about getting outside and having FUN!!
Oh man – there is nothing that gets me going more than the winter season and seeing the first snow of the year send my endorphins into overdrive!!! This Photo was taken this morning on Brohm Ridge!
Sledding and Skiing in deep powder is the best feeling in the world and I just can’t wait. Below is a little teaser to get you pumped for the 2009-2010 season…
The Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race has been going strong for 10 years thanks to Race Director Bryan Tasaka and his amazing staff who offer a great race, tons of fun and prizes and an over the top after party.
I have been a lucky boy to win the event on 7 occasions and it was always one of my favorite races to attend. Now I am the lucky guy who gets to MC the event and it is fun to take the piss out of my fellow competitors while they bust a hump through the 50km course of mountain biking, trail running, paddling and other surprise events.
This year I offered Bryan to show my Iditasport Impossible Film in the days leading up to the event for the community of Cumberland and the competitors. All the money was to be donated to the Cumberland Community Forest Society which is instrumental in land preservation for hiking and mountain bike trails in the Comox Valley.
We had great turn outs each night to the mini theatre Reel Film’s at Frelone’s. Sara Turner the owner thankfully donated her awesome mini theatre for the cause. This little gem in the middle of town offers great documentaries and films for all ages and also has the best popcorn I have ever tasted.
Thanks to all the people and Bryan Tasaka, Jeremy Grasby and Sara Turner we donated a cheque for $1,134.00 to the Cumberland Cummunity Forest Society!
The rest of the weekend was off the hook with great weather, great racing and another wicked party!!!!
I love Moto!! It is one of the best sports on the planet and there is nothing that gets my adrenalin going more than sweet single track through an amazing area with a good friend.
My buddy Curtis who is a big outdoor guy took me today and showed me around this amazing area just 30 minutes outside of Cumberland BC.
Whiskey Creek lies just off the Island Highway and it was built by moto guys for motoheads. The trails are tight, flowy and tons of fun. Another Sweet day!
This past week I spent with my good friend Dean Payne (BC Bike Race) in his hometown of Ontario. Our goal was to participate in the 3-Day Crank the Shield Mountain Bike Race held in the Haliburton Forest through the Canadian Shield. Crank the Shield is also the only multi-day mountain bike race in Eastern North America and it does not disappoint with epic climbs and descents, punchy terrain and mud bogs so big a guy like me can disappear in them!
Our adventure began as we picked our mini van from the airport and made our way to Buck Lake to stay with Dean’s parents. They are like my own parents and fed us well for the two days leading up to the event. Buck Lake also provided us with some amazing swims!
A day later we were on the start line of the race leaving the comforts behind as we rode into the twisty single-track trails of the Haliburton Forest. Each of the three days consisted of 80 kilometers of dirt roads, atv paths and sick muddy single track, yummy!
Dean and I found our pace which allowed us to enjoy the terrain and for me to capture it through video. We also met up with awesome friends Bob Miller (course designer) and Trish Westman who I go way back with in Adventure Racing.
By the end of Day 1 Dean and I were keen on some beers and the awesome boyz at Shimano (Ben, Phil and Andrew) dialed in our rides for the next day. Each night we stayed in kid’s camps that nestled along the lakes that litter cottage country and dined on amazing food. Actually the food at Crank the Shield is the best race food I have ever experienced!
After three days and 250km of racing Dean and I crossed the finish line with big smiles on our faces. Our bikes ran flawlessly and our bodies left every ounce of energy out on the racetrack. It was now time to sit back and enjoy a beer with friends.
Thanks to Adam and Sean Ruppel for having the BC Bike Race Boyz at your race, we look forward to it next year. If you are looking for something a little shorter than the BC Bike Race or a multi-day race to start out with then look no further than the Crank the Shield 3-Day MTB Race. You will not be disappointed!
We are very excited to announce that Dave Norona will present his feature documentary “The Iditasport Impossible” as part of the MOMAR weekend in Cumberland.
In the year 2000, Kevin Vallely, Andy Sterns and Dave Norona attempted to Cross Country Ski from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska following the 1800km Iditarod Dog Sled Trail. For 33 day they fought their way through minus 65 degree temperatures, insane storms and pushed themselves further than they had ever before. The Iditasport Impossible film was mastered by Chris Wilberg of Barney and Oscar Films and captures the beauty of Alaska as well as it’s harsh winter environment.
I have seen this film and it is nothing short of inspiring. You will be amazed by their perseverance and dedication to the end goal. Seeing this film will be all the motivation you need to get you to the finish line at the MOMAR!
-Bryan Tasaka-Mind Over Mountain President
DATE: Thursday, September 24th & Friday, September 25th TIME: 7:00pm & 9:00pm (doors 30 minutes prior to each show and no late admittance) LOCATION:Reel Films @ Frelone’s, 2781 Dunsmuir Ave, Cumberland, BC DURATION: 78 minutes film followed by a Question and Answer session with Dave Norona TICKET PRICE: $15 + online ticket processing charge
You bet you do! Mountain Biking is one awesome sport and tons of people are getting outside and dirty and the best way to do that is on your very own sweet ride!
However like most people who venture into a bike shop for the very first time, the thought of choosing one bike that will do everything you want can be very intimidating. So this is where I come in and I will do my best to fill you all in. Let’s get started!
First of all you have to ask yourself, what type of riding do I want to do?
Cross Country Race, Cross Country Fun, All Mountain, Freeride/Downhill.
For any of the above I would first of all choose a full-suspension bike. This will allow you ride more technical terrain, ride longer and have more fun.
Frame
The best way to find the bike of your dreams is to try a lot on for size and feel. I have been riding many bikes over the last 20 years and all of them have been great. I have been very pumped to be riding with Marin Bikes a very innovative company. I love their designs and the way their bikes feel beneath me. Whatever brand that you love and excites you after trying it is the right bike for you. My xc-all mountain bike is the Marin Mt. Vision 5.9 Pro and I love its lightness and quick turning ability. For the steep and deep riding of the North Shore Mountains where I live I love the Marin Attack Trail 6.8 for Freeriding. I can ride this up like and xc bike and on the way down it feels like a nimble downhill bike-the best of both worlds. Yes I am a lucky boy!
For XC Racing you want light weight and are looking at a bike with 3-4 inches of front and rear suspension. For XC Fun and All-Mountain you will be looking for 4-6 inches of travel and finally for Freeride and DH you are looking at 6-8 inches.
If your racing lots then you already have an idea of what you want or need but if your plan is to ride lots and maybe jump into a few races then an XC Fun-All Mountain bike is the best bet for you. I always tell people to get as much suspension as they can while keeping the bike light. Fox makes some of the best suspension on the market and I love their Talus Series. The Talus Forks allows you to lower and raise the suspension so you can ride up with 3 inches and descend with 6. This is the ultimate. The Fox Talus 32 150 is my favorite XC-All Mountain Fork and the Fox Talus 36 is my favorite Freeride Fork.
They make the best bike components on the planet, period! There are many different shimano gruppos and basically what I tell people is the get the best gruppo they can afford. The ideal is Shimano XT. This is designed to last a long time and withstand the abuse us mountain bikers put on our gear. If you need something a little cheaper then ask the store about incorporating XT and LX onto your bike. Use LX shifter, hubs, cranks and front derailleur and XT brakes and rear derailleur and you have got yourself one sweet ride without compromise. Most bikes come with disc brakes these days and you should forsure be getting these on your ride. Stay away from cable actuated discs as they just don’t work as well after a while. Hydraulic disc brakes are the only way to go.
Remember that sweet ride cost you a lot of money so make sure you take care of it by cleaning it and lubing the chain and cables before each ride and taking it in to your favorite local bike shop for periodic service. All this will mean that your sweet ride will be providing you with years of FUN…and that is what it is all about!
Well this is a little plug for my awesome girlfriend, Kim, who is so passionate about health. She is constantly inspiring me to push my own limits on how the body can heal itself.
Kim is a rockstar athlete! We do everything together – dirt bike, mountain bike, kite surf, ski – you name it, we love it. The only way to keep doing this is to stay healthy right up till the day you drop….
Over the past 2 years, Kim has been working extremely hard to bring people all over the globe up to date on all the amazing things we can do to be proactive in our own health. Yes there are a lot of people who wonder if this stuff works and all I can say is if a new technology comes along, embrace it and try it for yourself to see if it helps you.
So I invite you to check out her amazing You-Be-Healthy Blog and improve on your own health today!
Dave skied today, is skiing tomorrow and roopin on Friday...then Skiing Saturday and mine and Christina's rad B-day Party on Saturday! Yeah! 18 hrs ago
Winter is back! Ripped it up in the powder skiing with my sweetie...and her sweet new super rad pink jacket...looked good against that POW 18 hrs ago
