2013 Year Ender Sender With Margus Riga
With 2013 almost over, and the new year upon us, I wanted to share some of my favourite photos from the past year.
CHILCOTINS BC
SQUAMISH BC
PEMBERTON BC
VANCOUVER ISLAND BC
WHISTLER BC
YUKON
NORTH VANCOUVER BC
THE CHAMP
JAMES DOERFLING
KENNY SMITH
BMX
MIKE KINRADE
CRANKWORX WHISTLER
FRASER VALLEY
SHOTGUN RIGA
GARETT BUEHLER
RETALLACK LODGE BC
CHILCOTINS BC
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 The floatplane dock on Tyaughton Lake BC. The starting point to so many adventures in the Chilcotins. |
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| My first really big ride was in the Chilcotin mountains seventeen years ago. Since then I have gone back every single year to explore this amazing zone. Rider: PJ Hunton. |
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| After seventeen years of exploring the South Chilcotins, I have still not seen every piece of trail in this wonderland. PJ Hunton, about to come to terms with the last bit of climbing before reaching the top of Deer Pass (one of the more popular routes through these mountains). |
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| Cowboy camp. One of the many manned camps that pepper the trail networks here. For a small fee, you can arrange to have a warm meal, and a place to sleep while on a multi-day trip. |
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| Bringing a guy like Garett Buehler to a place like the Chilcotins is like bringing a machine gun to a knife fight. Nuff said. |
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| Dale Douglas, the man behind Tyax Air, and the gatekeeper of good times in the Chilcotins. |
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| Alpine camp. |
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| Cowboy camp. |
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| Nick and Zander Geddes' first ride in the Chilcotins. Pretty sure they'll be back. |
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| Nick and Zander Geddes. |
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| Paying to play. |
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| My favourite photo from the Chilcotins. Riders: Andreas Hestler and Seamus McGrath. |
SQUAMISH BC
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| The more I ride in Squamish, the less I want to ride anywhere else. It just may trump North Vancouver as the loamiest spot to ride in BC. Rider: Mike Jones. |
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| Darcy Turenne, ten minutes from her home in Squamish BC. |
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| Matt Ryan, on Squamish's newest bad-ass trail: Treasure Trail. |
PEMBERTON BC
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| With Mount Currie providing the backdrop for most of the trails in Pemberton BC, it's no wonder many Whistler locals have made the move here. Rider: Wade Simmons. |
VANCOUVER ISLAND BC
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| My favourite photo from the 2013 Rocky Mountain team trip. Mount Tzouhalem, Vancouver Island. Riders: Thomas Vanderham and Geoff Gullevich. |
WHISTLER BC
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| Whistler is so much more than a bike park. The local trails are some of the gnarliest, steepest, scariest, and fun trails anywhere. Go check out Anal Intruder and Yo Momma; two of my favourites. I also happened to have a hand in building them. Rider: Paul Stevens. |
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| Katrina Strand drops in on The Green Monster in Whistler BC. Not in the bike park. |
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| This was one of my test shots for the Pinkbike POY contest this year. I almost like this one better than the shot I submitted. Tippie, still the man. |
YUKON
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| When we told people that we were going to attempt riding to the Tombstone range in the Yukon, people thought we were crazy. "You can't ride there, the terrain is un-rideable", was a typical response when we told people where we were going. Riley McIntosh riding along the many un-rideable sections on the way to the Tombstones. |
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| This shot was taken on our way back from a two-day ride/hike-a-bike in the remote Tombstone range Yukon. James Doerfling and Kenny Smith were also part of our group, but they were about ten minutes ahead. It was raining and the temps were near zero. Stopping to take a photo was the last thing on anyone's mind. Riley McIntosh suffering out one more photo before yet another life-draining hike-a-bike section before the final descent to our vehicle and dry clothes. |
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| Riley McIntosh, James Doerfling, and Kenny Smith. Somewhere off the Dempster Highway. |
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| Kenny Smith, James Doerfling, and Riley McIntosh making their way to the Tombstone mountains. Kenny's excuse for not wearing a helmet -- "I can either be warm, or protected just in case I fall. I choose to be warm because I'm not going to fall." |
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| Fall colours, Yukon Canada. Rider: James Doerfling. |
NORTH VANCOUVER BC
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| Winter in North Vancouver is my favourite time of year. You can get in a couple of ski runs in the morning on Cypress mountain, then head lower down the mountain and go riding. Rider: Geoff Gullevich. |
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| Brandon Howey, Raceface ad shoot on Mount Seymour. |
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| Vancouver's North Shore. As hauntingly beautiful as ever. Rider: Andreas Hestler. |
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| Brett Tippie has become a good friend to me these last few years. If everyone had even half the positive energy and drive of Brett, this world would be a lot better place, and way more rad. Thanks for everything bro. |
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| The new and improved Espresso trail on Vancouver's North Shore. Seems in the last few years many of The Shore's old-school, zero flow trails are getting much-needed modern facelifts. Good for boys and their girlfriends. Riders: Ryan and Caran Leech. |
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| Thomas Vanderham and Brett Tippie blasting down one of a few un-official trails on the Darkside of Mount Seymour. Yes, there are still secret trails on the Shore. No, I can't tell you where they are. |
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| Andreas Hestler starting up to the trails on a perfect fall day. |
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| When I think of the North Shore, this is what I picture. Andreas Hestler, on a spur-of-the-moment ride late this fall. Luckily I brought my camera and one lens, just in case. |
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| Chris Johnston of the Nomads Enduro team, doing some experimenting with me on a foggy night on the Shore. |
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| One of my favourite people to shoot with: Wade Simmons. He just plain looks better than anyone else riding a bike. |
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| Andrew Baker, North Vancouver BC. The shirt says it all... |
THE CHAMP
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| 2013 was the year Stevie Smith won the World Cup DH title. Here he is with Andrew Shandro and friends, watching his winning run at the Red Bull Media house in Vancouver BC. |
JAMES DOERFLING
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| James Doerfling, Spences Bridge BC. |
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| James Doerfling has quietly been sending it harder than most for many years, but he has only come into the spotlight the last couple of years. With balls as big as his, it was only a matter of time before more people noticed. Here he is on an early season photo/video shoot in Spences Bridge BC. What you can't see in this shot is how steep this chute is (I had my camera pointed pretty much straight up in the air). Full control, full speed. |
KENNY SMITH
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| Kenny Smith is one BMF, and that's why I like him so much! Angel Fire resort, New Mexico USA. |
BMX
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| BMX is the bad boy brother to MTB. I wish I could shoot more of this. James Van DeKamp, East Vancouver BC. |
MIKE KINRADE
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| Mike Kinrade, still sending it after all these years. Mike is now the head of trail building and guiding at Retallack Lodge. Seems like a good fit. |
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| Mike Kinrade dropping into Elephantitis, overlooking Nelson BC. |
CRANKWORX WHISTLER
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| Taking cover from the pouring rain while shooting the Dual Slalom finals at Crankworx Whistler, with a couple of old Whistler friends, Paddy Kaye and Gray Rodier. |
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| Aggy at this years' Crankworx whip off world championships. Aggy is a rider I've never had the pleasure of working with, but I hope to change that next year. Get well soon buddy. |
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| The last air of Crankowrx Whistler 2013. Martin Soderstrom laid it all on the line with this attempt at a 360 double tail whip. Sadly, he crashed hard and broke his leg. This marks two years in a row where he has crashed off the last stunt. Let's see if he can pull it together this coming year. My money's on Martin. |
FRASER VALLEY
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| Wade Simmons, Sumas BC. This photo was taken for the new guidebook that Wade and his business partner, Sharon Bader are producing. It's the follow up to the highly successful "Locals Guide to the North Shore", called: "Locals Guide to the Fraser Valley." |
SHOTGUN RIGA
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| Sometimes there's a lot of positive energy flailing about after a really good shoot, and in my opinion the best way to celebrate that is a shotgun. Kenny Smith even made up a nickname for me: "Shotgun Riga". I like it. Beth Parsons, showing us how it's done. Atta' girl. |
GARETT BUEHLER
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| Garett, Red Bull Rampage rain delay day, evening dirt jump session at the old site. |
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| Garett warms up on the morning of this years' Red Bull Rampage finals. Easily the gnarliest event I was at all year. |
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| In contention for my favourite shot of 2013. Garett Buehler, fifty-footer, alpine booter. Retallack BC. |
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| The run in to this drop was shitty. Rough, rocky, uneven ground led to the edge of the takeoff, and the landing was flat onto more rough rocks, with a super steep runnout, and no room for error. Needless to say, I made Garett do it more than once. Sorry bro. Retallack Lodge BC. |
RETALLACK LODGE BC
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| Retallack Lodge BC is in my opinion the next frontier in big-mountain riding in Canada. With a vast network of decommissioned mining roads leading to the alpine. This place is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. |
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Must Read This Week
Short sidebar - 'cowboy camp' as you called it is actually our Bear Paw camp located along Tyaughton Creek, not to be confused with the "cowboy camp" in the Gun Meadows.
I really would like to know more about editing on these pictures.
> www.pinkbike.com/photo/10448731
> www.pinkbike.com/photo/10448685