Garett looking Good

Kootenay Shredder Garett Buehler signed with SR Suntour this year and got his first ad recently that’s gonna appear in Decline mag along with some other fine publications. Photo was shot during our mega session with the STUND Crew this past spring.

Maxxis-Rocky Ad On Paper

There’s a new Team Maxxis Rocky Mountain ad out in the magazines now… it features team rider Sabrina Jonnier as the main image. Here’s how it looks and a few more shots of her from that photo shoot  down in California this spring.

Here’s the how the original shot looks on it’s own.

Happy to be in California.

Shredding.

Taking a moment.

Then more shredding.

She loves the color pink. Her bike is the Rocky Mountain Flatline.

In a quiet moment.

Ready to go again.

Nice video put together by Ambrose Weingart from that same shoot.

Seagull Cam

Frischknecht, Hestler & Kabush on the Wall

There’s been some epic battles waged on the snow and dirt at the Canmore Nordic Center over the years.  Inside the lodge, among the photos of cross country ski racers dating back  to the Winter Olympics of 1988,  pictures of mountain bike racers have started to appear. Three large photos of prominent racers have recently been hung …Thomas Frischknecht, Andreas Hestler and Geoff Kabush.

A view of the daylodge at the Canmore Nordic Center on April 22. Nothing but blue sky and the prevailing wind from the west.

Thomas Frischknecht was victorious at the Canmore World Cup in ’99 which was one of the most infamous races ever in the history of the  sport. The riders faced atrocious conditions …freezing rain, sleet, snow, wind & mud.  It was war.

Not many were able to ride the Laundry Chute. Huge tree stumps  had been put into the ground on this section which became insanely slippery and dangerous to ride. What Frischknecht did that day was shocking. Shocking!

Frischi.

Cadel Evans, left,  who won Canmore in ’98, was no match for Thomas that day. Evans did though, go onto win again here in 2000.

From the Vault.

Andreas Hestler was another one of the few riders that was able to ride the Laundry Chute. This photo now hangs alongside Frischi and Kabush.

Andreas Hestler.

Hestler has a long history racing here dating back as far as the Canada Cup in 1993. Here he is shown riding a Rocky at the Canada Cup in ’98…a race that he later won in 2000.

Andreas hitting the feed zone at the World Cup in 2000. This time riding for Volvo Cannondale. Along with the three World Cups and multiple Canada Cups he’s also hit these trails competing in the seven day Transrockies Challenge. A race he has done 6 times and won 3.

Fast forward to the modern era …this photo of Geoff Kabush now hangs alongside Frischi and Dre in the day lodge.  It shows him winning the 2010 Canadian Championships held at the Canmore Nordic Center-his seventh national title as a senior elite rider. The two time Olympian also competed in those epic World Cups back in the day along with numerous Canada Cups held here at the top of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. This summer he will return, July 16 at 2:30 pm to defend his national title.

Kaboom: In the attack position.

The roughness and roots of this course along with the 4500 feet of elevation challenges everyone that puts their bike on the start line.

Last climb before the finish line.

Maxxis Rocky Mountain Team Manager Gary Wolff kept an eye on the winning bike during the podium ceremony.

The end of the day.

Just Riding Along.2

rider: Darren Berrecloth/2006 /New World Disorder.

What a line up: Cam Zink, Kyle Strait, Cam McCaul & Darren Berrecloth.

Those Were the Days.3

Leigh Donovan. 1997 Mammoth Mountain Kamikaze Downhill. Speeds on the big straightaway were around 60 mph… sometimes higher.

Camera: Canon F1. Lens: Canon FD 500mm f4.5. Film: Kodak TriX 400

Leigh Donovan, left, and Mercedes Gonzalez ride the gondola up Mammoth Mountain.

Camera: Canon T90. Lens: Canon FD 20 mm f2.8. Film: Kodak TriX 400.

From the vault.

UK’s Privateer Mag visits Alberta

The most excellent Privateer Magazine from the UK has selected this photo for the cover of their 3rd issue. Shot here in Alberta at 9:33 in the evening of June 20/2009.

Here’s how it turned out.

They  wrapped the photo around both sides. That’s how  they roll.

Sweet Trail getting Almost Famous

Just got a look at the ad that the guys down at Easton put together from a picture shot during last year’s 24 Hours of Adrenalin. It’s gonna run in Bike Magazine, Bicycling and Mountain Bike Action. Makes you feel like getting out there that’s for sure. Too bad this trail’s still buried in snow…shouldn’t be too much longer though.

Welcome To Kamloops

Headed down the highway last week for a big week of mountain bike photo shooting.

Met up with Kurt Sorge, Brandon Semenuk & Graham Agassiz at the Kamloops Subway.

Aggy even has his own parking spot right out front.

Sorgle, Semenuk & Aggy debate who will go first.

Sorglehoff just got back from Argentina shooting with Freeride Entertainment and during a break took the time to describe just how big his bar tab got while he was down there.

At the end of the day Aggy was kind enough to ride out with my camera pack on his back.

The blockbuster news is that Graham Agassiz has a tattoo.

It’s the Agassiz Family Shield and written in Latin it says, “A Man’s Power Comes From the Ground.”

Dylan Sherrard aka Captain Shredhard is loving his Operator Supreme. DH shuttle.

Sorglehoff looking good. He picked up Rockstar Energy Drink as a sponsor this winter.

While the Hoff was in Argentina he learned how to a proper soccer player style portrait.

Met up with Kris Foster for a mega session at the gravel pit. He brought the ramp.

From left: Matt Russo, Kris Foster, Brandon Semenuk, Ian Killick and Graham Agassiz. Missing from the team photo is Cody Chambers and Brett Turcotte. Tricks stomped that afternoon that I can remember: Flip Superman, Frontflip, FlipWhip, Tsunami, Cliff Hanger, BarHop, Cork 720, Tailwhip, Flip No-Hander, Superman Double Grab, Backflip Indian Air, 360 Tailwhip…think that’s about it.

Madman Kris Foster has a few insane tricks up his sleeve.

Semenuk brought two bikes to the Loops.

Aggy is loving his Kona Entourage. For big jumps, trail and steep downhills. Everything.

Taylor Hollstedt from the Bicycle Cafe in Kamloops is holding down the couch recovering from surgery after breaking his leg dirt jumping.

Get well, get well soon we hope you get well soon.

Semenuk and Agassiz rolled down the trail and it was time for another group of riders.

Steve Romaniuk showed up in his big van ready to shoot a segment for Stund. Along for the ride was James Doerfling, Mike Kinrade and Garett Buehler.

Heading out to shoot the downhill trail.

Doerfling, Kinrade and Romo waiting out another rain shower.

Twenty minutes later the rain clouds disappeared and we were back in business.

Romaniuk getting ready to rumble.

Mitch Cheek of Solos Productions set up a few cable cams and got some insane footage.

James Doerfling kept it pinned all day long.

Getting ready for the last shot of the day.

Nelson ripper Garett Buehler is now riding for Knolly & SR Suntour.

Captain Shredhard threw down some ridiculous Nac-Nacs in glorious evening light for the final photo shoot of the trip. Thanks everybody it’s been great.

Artist of the Week

Back in April ’09 the Lacondeguy brothers were getting into moto in a big way so they invited me over to their place in Spain to do a story that ran in Decline, Freeride Germany and Big Bike France.

Now two years later, Mateo Massitti, age 9,  of Bow Valley, Alberta has been named the Gibsonpictures Artist of the Week. He went through two years of archived photos and selected the photo of  Andreu Lacondeguy (seen above) from that trip to render a painting from for his Art Camp project. When he’s not killing it with a paintbrush Mateo is snowboarding, biking, playing hockey and rocking the violin.

Back to Spain: Andreu was at the airport in Barcelona to pick me up in his brand new truck and brand new drivers license. We went directly to the town of Sant Celoni where mountain bike riders Tron Hansen, Mads ‘Makken’ Haugen and Lluis Lacondeguy were gearing up for a big session. Soon everybody was hauling butt around the track.

Not shy. Andreu and Tron.

Same jump from a different angle.

A couple days later in Canadell, Lluis made sure to get the shot before his bike got muddy.

Lluis has some serious game on a dirt bike as well and was only to happy to throw some mud back at his brother.

Time out.

Lunchtime.

Time for the clothes to dry out a bit.

Tron was suffering from a serious case of moto madness.

He drove all the way from Norway to Spain hauling his bikes in a small trailer.

Norwegian Wingman Makken Haugen led Tron for a few hotlaps.

Andreu back on the gas.

Just about to call it a day.

Makken flying high again.

After cleanup we all headed to a upscale restaurant for lunch. We were quickly seated in the far corner of the restaurant away from the other patrons. Not for the last time either.

After a couple photo sessions riding outdoor tracks we got some amazing freestyle moto shots of Andreu. But that story is for another day.