Gravel Works: All Play and No Work with Brett Tippie
Brett Tippie and Toyota BC have teamed up to bring you a sweet gravel boarding video for your entertainment. It's shoulder season in BC and this will get you psyched to shred on whatever your weapon of choice happens to be.
What does gravel boarding have to do with mountain biking you might ask? Alternatively, you might be asking yourself, "what exactly IS gravel boarding"? I first surfed a handmade snowboard down a Kamloops' gravel pit back in the summer of 1983. It was very early big mountain freeriding...on a wooden board with strips of BMX tires for bindings.
I started mtn biking the same year and would eventually rip the bikes down the steep sand and clay (and upper forests) of the 'loops, but it was the high speed carves and cliff drops on the board that got me my first exposure. I had won the annual Kokanee Sandblast in 1990 in Prince George and got a pullout poster in International Snowboard Magazine dropping a double overhead cliff into a gravel chute.
![photo]()
I would train for racing World Cup GS Snowboarding by carving up the pits in the summers as I couldn't afford to fly to NZ or South America for summer snow. Later, with good race results and after appearing in some snow movies, I got sponsored by Burton in 1994 and would shoot a gravel boarding segment for the new Burton movie "Shadrach Meshack Abednigo" that year with Christian Begin who would later go on to shoot the first MTB freeride films "Pulp Traction" in 1995, a multisport vid "Tao of Riding" in 1996, and "Kranked" in 1997 using the same gravel pits in several segments...but on bikes this time!!
I've shot at this location probably more than anywhere, most recently the Mars edit with Wade Simmons, and the Aggy and the Tippie Brothers edit and it's always a blast.
Throughout all these years I've always been a Toyota guy, so I was so happy to sit down with Toyota BC and think of a cool, original project to collaborate on. Something that would incorporate both my love of Toyota trucks, along with a "good ol' BC boy" vibe...so I just couldn't resist strapping on a board and getting back to the roots of my youth.
![Tippie ripping in his Tundra this summer. Photo by Ale di Lullo]()
I hope you enjoy the vid, because again, although it's not MTB, it really was the precursor for me, and ultimately led me to where I am now. It's been a great road trip so far, I hope you enjoy the ride!
- Brett Tippie
![Shredding turns down the gravel pits on a trail bike. Photo by Margus Riga]()
Mentions: @bretttippie @RockyMountainBicycles @RydersEyewear @raceface
What does gravel boarding have to do with mountain biking you might ask? Alternatively, you might be asking yourself, "what exactly IS gravel boarding"? I first surfed a handmade snowboard down a Kamloops' gravel pit back in the summer of 1983. It was very early big mountain freeriding...on a wooden board with strips of BMX tires for bindings.
I started mtn biking the same year and would eventually rip the bikes down the steep sand and clay (and upper forests) of the 'loops, but it was the high speed carves and cliff drops on the board that got me my first exposure. I had won the annual Kokanee Sandblast in 1990 in Prince George and got a pullout poster in International Snowboard Magazine dropping a double overhead cliff into a gravel chute.
I would train for racing World Cup GS Snowboarding by carving up the pits in the summers as I couldn't afford to fly to NZ or South America for summer snow. Later, with good race results and after appearing in some snow movies, I got sponsored by Burton in 1994 and would shoot a gravel boarding segment for the new Burton movie "Shadrach Meshack Abednigo" that year with Christian Begin who would later go on to shoot the first MTB freeride films "Pulp Traction" in 1995, a multisport vid "Tao of Riding" in 1996, and "Kranked" in 1997 using the same gravel pits in several segments...but on bikes this time!!
I've shot at this location probably more than anywhere, most recently the Mars edit with Wade Simmons, and the Aggy and the Tippie Brothers edit and it's always a blast.
Throughout all these years I've always been a Toyota guy, so I was so happy to sit down with Toyota BC and think of a cool, original project to collaborate on. Something that would incorporate both my love of Toyota trucks, along with a "good ol' BC boy" vibe...so I just couldn't resist strapping on a board and getting back to the roots of my youth.
I hope you enjoy the vid, because again, although it's not MTB, it really was the precursor for me, and ultimately led me to where I am now. It's been a great road trip so far, I hope you enjoy the ride!
- Brett Tippie
Mentions: @bretttippie @RockyMountainBicycles @RydersEyewear @raceface
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
2) Why do I have the urge to go destroy my snowboard?
LOL - just playin'
Step 2. get sheet of formica (countertop laminate)
Step 3. either glue to base of board or router out small amount of base and then glue in.
Step 4. ride like the f*cking wind!
I've used that setup at the same pits and the sand pit on the rez. super duper fun times.
Glad to see it's not just us who do stupid s**t like this.