Endless Biking: Kids These Days

Endless Biking is celebrating 10 years of building riders, as part of their celebration they are sponsoring ten articles that revolve around the fundamentals of their business; bikes, community and learning.

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KIDS THESE DAYS

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This could be a story about how mountain biking saved Eric (Lornny) Lawrenuk from a life of professional rollerblading, but instead it is the story of someone who found mountain biking at an early age and has used it to shape his path in life.

If you have ever met Eric it is clear from the start that he has the right mix to be successful at anything he sets his mind to. Dedication and skills are only half the equation of being great; it is equally as much about who you are as what you can do. And it is clear that Eric has a strongly developed sense of self. Following in his older brother’s footsteps he experimented with hockey, skateboarding and rollerblading before finding mountain biking. Biking is where he stopped following and set out in a direction that would define his individuality.



Unwaveringly supportive, Eric says of his parents, "they always made sure I had a helmet on, but they didn’t put worry in my brain about what could happen.” As early as grade school his drive for the sport was clear. Eric would ride every day after class, but had a hard time finding anyone as keen as he was. He spent a lot of time hitting up local neighbourhood trails on a never-ending search for jumps or building his own, and waiting patiently for his dad to take him up the mountains to ride.



In 2006 he joined the Endless Biking Youth Race Team, mostly because he was still searching for people to ride with. What he found instead was a portal into the mountain bike industry and much of the foundation for where he is today. It was the first year that the youth program was offered and, with six kids onboard, Eric says, "it was pretty cool, we really felt like a team." Kelli Sherbinin and Darren Butler, the owners of Endless biking, have great memories from that time as well. Kelli's favourite experience with Lornny and the team was taking the kids to Whistler to watch the Air DH. "We rented a house for a few days and experienced the Crankworx vibe and excitement with the kids. We took them to the airdome for the first time and watched Lornny stomp his first attempt at a backflip!" Even with some impressive race results, Eric never pursued downhill. Dirt jumping was what he was passionate about and has since grown into a career in slopestyle.



Eight years ago, when Eric was still very much a grom, his biggest dream was to work for Cove Bike Shop. Post riding one day, Darren suggested that he stop by and talk to them, “I hear they are looking for a bike builder.” Kelli and Darren had already given him a glowing recommendation, and with confidence he arrived and was asked to ‘try out.’ Eric impressed the powers that be with his bike building skills and was invited to work the rest of the day. He worked for eight hours straight without eating because no one told him to stop. From that day forward he has worked full time at Cove and although his competition season coincides with the shop’s busy time, he still receives generous amounts of time off and plenty of support.




“You have to be a good person and represent your sponsor well.” His maturity, cheerful disposition, and talent make Eric a dream for any sponsor. “I find a lot of stuff in the bike industry is about who you know and how you interact with people, it is not necessarily how big you can go.” After four years of riding for Cove Bikes, their change of focus gave him the opportunity to seek a new team. He is excited this year to be riding for Rocky Mountain Bicycles alongside friends Geoff Gulevich and Thomas Vanderham. Having teammates to train and travel with is one of the many highlights of this new sponsorship for Eric.


Recovering from major reconstructive shoulder surgery last year, Eric had a disappointing season. The surgery was necessary after dislocating his shoulder more than a dozen times, but he found that the recovery caused him to lack confidence and that he wasn’t riding at his usual 110 percent. Now that he is back on the bike constantly and consistently he says, “I want to kill it again. I had such a great year in 2012, I was riding well and feeling the best I ever had on my bike. My goal is to get back to that this year!”



For this season Eric has his sights set on a top ten finishes, but admits this is a tall order. He is dedicated and you will find him most nights hitting the jumps after work until dark; the only way he can incorporate practice into a full time work schedule. His calendar this year includes Colorado Crankworx, Jumpship, Bearclaw, and The Silver Style Contest. After lending a hand on the build crew for Gully last year, he also has his sights set on competing at Rampage. For the Crankworx Whistler Slopestyle event he is wading through the mire of FMB points and politics, “we will see what happens, I would love to ride in it.” He will already be there though, competing in the Pumptrack and Dual Slalom events as well as helping build on the Speed and Style course.



“Building really builds character”, he follows this statement with his signature laugh about how cheesy it sounds. “It takes a lot of dedication to go out and build your own lines, there are a lot of people who don’t, but to me it is satisfying.” Eric feels a certain connection to riding when it comes to his contributions to the sport, and a true appreciation for what others create. Growing up in the industry has given him a strong sense of respect and stewardship for the environment and our trails. Seeming much older than his young years he says, “even when you build a trail, it is not yours. It is only yours to share with everyone.”



With plans to release a second video in follow-up to his movie ‘Alchemy’ for New Year 2015, Eric says that he likes to be busy. With his maturity, personality, clear talent, and early start in mountain biking there is no telling where he will end up and there is no denying his roots.

Check out more shots of Eric's style here.