Interview: Garett Buehler

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INTERVIEW: GARETT BUEHLER

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If you were to assemble a list of the top big mountain riders currently on the scene, Garett Buehler would certainly make the cut. The 22 year old Nelson, BC, resident has some of the best riding in the world in his backyard, the perfect training ground to hone his skills. Rather than focusing on contest results, Garett tends to let his riding speak for itself, concentrating on film and photo shoots over the course of a season. We talked with Garett to learn more about where he finds his motivation, and what he has planned for 2014.


You've competed at the last few Red Bull Rampage events. What are your thought after this year's contest? How much bigger can competitors go?

Who knows how much bigger things will go - that’s a part of what keeps it exciting. It’s too bad it’s the only big mountain event around, and it would be awesome to see more events like Rampage. Having an open schedule over a week like some surf or big mountain ski comps to ensure the best days for riders to push things would be sweet, and personally I’d like to see the event go back to its roots with no wooden features. Things can go bigger, and I find wood can take a bit away from the heart and soul of Rampage. Regardless, it’s a rad event!

 
Since your schedule doesn't have you attending very many contests, fans usually don't see what you've been doing until your film segments are released. What was the 2013 season like for you?

Mostly I’ve just been having a ton of fun, and it was a pretty good feeling making Rampage finals which has been a goal of mine for a while. This season I was lucky to be able to travel to spots like Peru and Mexico for different film projects and the Taxco Urban DH and Inca Avalanche Enduro. I also spent more time at home in BC and the Kootenays in Nelson and up at Retallack on different video projects. Working with Knolly has been cool and in many ways inspired me to explore different styles of riding by having the Chilcotin and Endorphin at my disposal. New things like that keep it exiting and it’s been great having new experiences.


It wouldn't be a stretch to say that you and James Doerfling are both at the forefront of big mountain freeriding – do you have similar goals about where you want to take the sport? How often do you two get to ride together?

Riding with James is always a really good time but hasn’t been as often as I’d like - we live a good 10 hours apart.  Riding has made my life a lot more fun, so I just hope to get more people into riding more than anything. I’m not too worried about driving the sport in one direction or another, just riding for the fun of it. I’m not sure if James and I have similar goals or not, but I know we like riding big mountain lines and just riding bikes in general. I want to keep exploring new things, which hopefully will just make people stoked to go ride.
 

How do you stay motivated to keep going higher and further?

A part of it is your fellow buddies who are also pushing it which helps drive you to push yourself. Riding with friends makes it more fun and helps if you’re all pushing each other, even if it’s just chasing someone down a trail. Daydreaming and imagining creative ideas or adventures often inspired from other sports like snowboarding or skiing helps keep me motivated. Just walking around looking for something that stands out and looks cool or just naturally makes sense to build and will be fun to ride is another motivation for me. It’s a good lifestyle which I want to keep living, and I guess it’s just the thrill of new experiences, adventures and the excitement of learning or finding new stuff to ride that makes it exciting.

 
Some of the lines you're riding would be burly in the winter on skis, let alone on a bicycle. Do you get out to ski or snowboard very much during the off season?

I grew up on the snow and those sports have influenced me a lot. I do a lot of snowboarding and skiing, and I’ve started getting into sledding this winter - it’s nice being behind bars in the snow, and soft landings are sweet.
 

You spent time working as a coach for SGC in Whistler this summer. What was that like?

Coaching is awesome and I hope to do more. It’s cool seeing all the young up and comers and it brought back a lot of memories of ripping the park when I was a young one. The kids are getting good!
 

You have what many riders would consider to be a dream job – travelling the world and riding your bike. What's the hardest part about making mountain biking your career?

Making mountain biking a career, but specifically not having a race or contest schedule to plan out my season has made it have its own unique journey full of challenges and different hurdles. I have a ton of respect for all those guys, but I knew pretty early on it wasn’t my thing and I’m happy to say I’m still learning every day and the challenges never end… that’s just life.

 

Any advice to the young guns out there trying to become professional riders?

Ride hard, but use your head. It’s always awesome to do something gnarly and the reward is unbeatable, but only if you have a ton of confidence and feel good that you’re going to stick it and be able to come back and do it again another day. Work up to things…it only takes one big one to set you back a lot, physically and mentally.
 


A video came out this summer that had you looking pretty comfortable on the Knolly Endorphin. Which bike do you spend most of your time on?

I definitely use my Podium the most. That bike is just so much fun! It’s like powder skiing every day.

 
Do you have any big trips / film projects planned for 2014?

I’m going to be working on a new film project which is yet to be announced…stay tuned for that, and working on some global guiding trips with globalepix.com and trips to South America to hit some big mountain zones and other photo adventures with guys like Margus Riga and John Wellburn. I hope to get out to Williams Lake and Retallack to hit some big lines but most of my time will be spent working on building back home in Nelson for the new film project, developing badass trails to help prepare for Rampage, and just to have big stuff to ride with my friends. It should be a good one!


Are there any sponsors you'd like to thank?

This season I'll be riding for Knolly Bikes, Royal Racing, 7 Protection, SRSuntour, Adidas Eyewear, Spank Gravity, Atlas Brace Tech, Cane Creek, Onza tires, Lizardskins, Urge Helmets, Joystick, MRP, Evoc, and Formula brakes.

Photos: Margus Riga