Way back in the day (2008-ish) we were at FISE and went for a swim in the Mediterranean with a bunch of our friends. Kelly and I were racing out to a buoy, and everyone was just splashing around and enjoying each other’s company. I remember thinking at the time that the meaning of life was to create as many of these moments as you possibly could, in the time that you had here. I’m so thankful that I got to create more than a few of those moments with Kelly, and I will remember them for the rest of my life.

I think losing Kelly has been even more devastating than we could’ve imagined, because of what he brought to our world of riding, contests, and trips. It was something that you couldn’t learn in a foam pit or mulch pile. What truly made Kelly special was the way he treated everyone like they were the most legendary person he’d ever met. Even standing in his gigantic shadow, we had the opportunity to bask in his light – and now it’s important for all of us to pick up where he left off and keep that light going. Words by Aaron Lutze






On February 1, 2016, I was hit with some news that will affect my life for ever.

I knew Kelly well, we had 13 years of hucking and living behind us, and we had been on hundreds of missions together. The news of Kelly's passing swept over me and darkened my world. My perception of the future instantly changed. The shockwave of terrible news reverberated worldwide among everyone who had met Kelly, and a lot of people who hadn't met him but they 'knew' him through numerous media articles, TV, and Internet video appearances as an amazing guy with a huge presence and who had time to chat with everyone and anyone. A friend who knows both of us messaged me to say a Totara, (a tall strong native NZ forest tree) had fallen, this was true, but at that time I felt total deforestation had occurred.

Accepting that the one person who I knew that generated the most stoke and warmth in this world had moved on, was never going to be an easy task for me, or anyone else. We figured out life's biggest mysteries together including how to backflip DH bikes in about 2004 without having to spend your entire weeks wages on wheels and suspension linkages post-ride. And he encouraged me with my riding and life choices.


Everyone can learn from Kelly about doing - don't think too much, just hum some 90s punk or use your mouth like an entire metal band as you go into life's challenges and do it! He broke new ground in so many areas of life, he was the epitome of the action sports lifestyle, shredding everything from BMX to moto to surf and snowboarding, all with that huge trademark smile. He shredded life itself. Your goals may be different to Kelly's as you most likely won't be contemplating front or back flipping the biggest gnarliest jump in mountain biking, but take a leaf out of Kelly's book of life and do it! You can do it, with a little help from your friends.

We all learned so much from this amazing human about living the life we always wanted, live the dream, don't cut your hair and if you want to do something - do it! My thoughts are constantly with Sammy and his family and his thousands of friends around the world. R.I.P McGazza. Forever a legend. Words by Brett Frew


I remember first meeting Kelly in 2011 in Seattle with Billy Lewis and going up to some of the BMX trails to ride. A few days later Kelly, myself and another friend went to some public jumps down the street. I can’t actually recall if this is where the infamous elbow started, but regardless; he ended up crashing on an X-Up onto this weird crushed brick compound dirt. His elbow split open and separated from the skin; medically called tunneling where you could literally; stick a finger down his arm. In good sprits, Kelly shrugged it off and eventually went to get it looked at that evening. For the next year or two, he would only ride with one elbow pad to protect it from further damage, which seemed a bit ironic.

One day in Les Deux Alpes in France, Kelly and Gully joined me for lunch; out of nowhere Kelly says to me “Paris, you’re a good guy to have around mate”. Kelly made everyone in his life feel special, even if he didn’t know it. I wish I could have gotten to tell him that was the most genuine thing someone has ever said to me, because it stuck for a long time and will always remember him for that. Words by Paris Gore





I thought that I had wrapped my head around losing Kelly but I keep seeing that smiling face everywhere and he seems so close, so alive, it just feels so surreal that we are never going to see him again. I can picture that big grin with that turn out tooth staring down at me, those fury blonde arms glowing in the sun, that belly laugh, those locks. Kelly was one of a kind. He was a listener. He shared himself, for better or worse. He didn’t care what people thought, he was real. He wore his heart on his sleeve and let people in. He wanted to make each persons life he touched a little more special. He made my life that much more special.

My last memory of Kelly was a couple of days after Rampage - Jasper Wesselman and I were driving out to the old Rampage site when we spotted the big blue McGazza Astro van parked up near the BMX track at the bottom of Flying Monkey so we cruised on over. We drank beer in lawn chairs and watched the Utah storm clouds circling around us in the open field. From there Jasper, Kelly and I were all going to Salt Lake City - so we caravaned. Kinda. More like he went, we passed him, and we waited for him. hahahah. The McGazza mobile doesn't go very fast, maybe 50mph, if that - and the headlights barely work and it was torrential rain. I couldn't not believe he drove that thing in that storm. That was gnarlyyyy. He might have lost one of his 9 lives right there. He was laughing at how scary it was. We obviously made it to SLC much earlier but we had all talked about In and Out so we decided to meet there. We got there around 1am and were hungry so Jasper and I ate - I think if it weren't for Jasper, I would have given the meetup a raincheck because it was late, but we waited. We waited at In and Out for nearly an hour before the faint headlights of the McGazza mobile rolled up. He ordered his meal and I ate his French Fries while we laughed and told stories about nothing till they closed up around us. The next morning, we took our time like we had nowhere to go despite having a drive to Seattle ahead of us. One last giant bear hug and that was the last time I ever saw McGazza.

I think my heart is always going to jump when I see a sketchy looking Astro van and flowy blonde locks but the warm memories will rush right in and I will smile. I miss you my friend. Words by Katie Holden


It was so rad be a part of Kelly’s transformations throughout his career. Starting out with virtually no support, and working his way up to the podiums of the biggest contests in the world, it was really amazing to see hard work and drive pay off. When he started getting into the big contests like Crankworx slopestyle, I was starting to get tired of the injuries and was getting into my last couple years of slopestyle competition. Every weekend at whatever contest we were at, he’d give me a hard time about not wanting to do a trick or hit a big line, and would ride them with me, always pushing me to man up and ride like we both knew I could. It was awesome, and it was something he didn’t have to do, but he went out of his way to help me get through some of the bigger stuff out there. In turn, towards the end of his slopestyle days, his new Diamondback teammate was up and comer Carson Storch. It was so rad to see Carson step into that same role of getting the older guy through the gnarly stuff at the contests. I think the last two or three years he rode in Crankworx he told me “this is my last Crankworx”, but each year he ended up doing awesome and getting invited back again! Some of the best times of my life were with Kelly. He helped build my backyard deck, roll in, and lips for the jumps, and often described it as the Porter Slave Labor Camp when he showed up because we would work as much or more than we would ride. On film trips, if we had 10 minutes to kill while the photographer set up, sometimes he would just lay down and take a quick nap, regardless of location! I’ve seen him fast asleep in the grass in so many epic locations, but some of the best were Machu Picchu, Slovenia, and Alaska. We were laughing pretty much all the time when hanging out, and he always kept the mood light regardless of stress level. It’s been good to read things other people have written about Kelly, and realize how many people’s lives he touched. Kelly was the best! We’re going to miss you Kelly! Words by Eric Porter




I remember I was writhing with anticipation waiting for Kelly to come down his run at Rampage 2013. He mentioned earlier in the day that he was going to flip the 72ft canyon gap. Up to this point, no-one had flipped anything this large in competition. I had dug out my photo spot, under the canyon, lying down on my back, pushed up with my feet against the cliff walls, sand running down the back of my shirt. It was very uncomfortable, but like the rest of the photogs there, I knew it was going to be worth the wait.

I heard the crowd erupt as Kelly started down his run. I put my finger on the trigger, and set up my angle. The crowd got even louder, and then I could hear his tires on the wooden ramp. I held on to my shutter button and let it rip, as I saw Kelly flashing in sequence across my viewfinder with a perfect backflip. Then he was out of frame, and the crowd went wild. Everybody started screaming, I started screaming. I looked at my arm. I had goosebumps, then I noticed Bryce, the editor of Bike mag, he also had goosebumps. It felt like history had been made, and I can honestly say that was the only time I have ever got goosebumps shooting mountain biking. Words by Margus Riga


Kerry McGuire, Garry McGreary, Karly Mcgregor, Garry McKelly. Kelly McGarry - whatever people mistakenly called McGazza they would always refer to him as a legend.

With as much presence as he had in height he really was a helluva human being. I’ve been lucky enough to have spent a lot of time with Kelly as he rose through the ranks of the free-ride MTB world. From crashing on our sofa at Crankworx Colorado where I was building the course and he was shredding it to pieces to eventually building the Queenstown, Winter Park and Rotorua courses together with our own course building company and having a non stop flow of his many mates coming to sleep on our sofa.

When you travelled with Kelly you were never short of good people to stop in and catch up with for a ride and a cold piss (beer) or two. Pretty much anywhere you went there would be multiple people that would be honoured to call Kelly a great friend. Probably because hanging out with Kelly was always a good time, the mood was fun and he made everyone feel special; special because someone as legendary as Kelly McGarry was genuinely stoked on what was going on in their lives even though they were so in awe of him.










First impressions are important, I can tell you, having screwed up my fair share of them. I’m pretty sure though that 26-year-old Kelly McGarry hasn’t stuffed up a single one. His approachability, infectious laugh and attitude to life strike you instantly. Marry all that with amazing skills on a pushbike and you have a captivating package. Top international photographers, team managers, event organisers and sponsors have been won over by Kelly’s passion for life and riding. I’ve noticed that virtually everyone he comes into contact with is ready to help him out without expecting to be repaid. Kelly is the future of freeriding in New Zealand. He’s finally put us on the map. Yet things are just getting started for this lanky lad from Nelson. Words by Caleb Smith (originally published in Spoke Magazine, February 2009.)






You don't meet many people like Kelly McGarry, he was truly one of a kind, one of the world's good buggers.

I first met Kelly in 2005 and started sponsoring him about a year later. Not long after signing him, I pitched the relatively unknown Kelly McGarry and his talents to a number of the brands we distribute in New Zealand. We crafted out a program that would get Kelly competing overseas with more support. This was far from the 'big time' I can tell you and still required Kelly sleeping and traveling in his van for most of the time, but it was a start, and boy was he grateful.

As Kelly's profile and results grew, so did the sponsors, and he traded the van life for more comfortable accommodation. He stayed incredibly loyal to Wide Open and a number of companies that had helped him from the beginning, this was the character of the man. Kelly’s sponsors meant a lot to him and not just from a financial point of view but also as friendships. Sponsors gave him the opportunity to live his dream, travel to amazing locations riding bikes, meet different people and have good times with his many friends. He never looked at sponsors for "what are you going to do for me?" It was more "there are some really cool things we can do together fella!”

He never seemed to tire of the never ending photo and video shoots or the constant texts and calls from riders wanting to go shredding. He just simply loved it and would treat all the same. His interactions with fans were amazing. He seemed so stoked that you were stoked to meet him. He would ask them a few questions with the biggest of smile on his face and then leave them with a photo or autograph and the biggest high five that would leave their hand stinging. He was a true “top man” ambassador, one many athletes can learn so much from both on and off the bike.

I feel privileged to have worked with Kelly and for him to be such a big part of Wide Open’s history. He was one very special human being, one the mountain biking community, New Zealand, and the world, should be incredibly proud of. You are an inspiration to us all mate. Words by Matt Whitaker


My name is Angus Sobels, I live in Australia most of the time, but over the years seem to be spending more and more time in this beautiful part of the world; riding bikes and hanging out with some of the best rider GCs that the world knows! I wish I was back here this time in happier circumstances, but its not to be. I am honoured to be asked to say a few words about one of the finest individuals that you will have ever had the pleasure to meet, on or off the bike, Kelly McGarry. Kelly had a unique attitude towards life and living - live now, live life for the moment and most importantly, follow your dreams and make them happen. There are many people that would love to emulate this, and plenty of people that profess to live like this, however there are very few people that I have known who truly have lived by this ethos.


For most people, if they were told that they had a month to live, or 6 months, or a year, they would change how and what they had been doing for this final period of time that they had left. I am sure that if Kelly was faced with a similar fate, he would have changed nothing. Every moment of every day of his life was lived to the fullest. And not only to the fullest, but at full, wide open throttle. We can all learn a lesson from these great attributes that Kelly was blessed with; live for now, live in the moment, and follow your dreams, as he did. And as one of the catch phrases said “travelling the world, L… the D…”


When it came to giving back to the sport and community that had given Kelly so much joy, he did it as he did everything in life; 100%, open, full throttle, particularly in relation to children and youths. Nothing was too hard, nothing was too much to ask for. For most people who find themselves on a world stage at the top of their chosen sport, they lose their way, often their moral compass falls out of sync – not Kelly's, he never forgot where he came from, who his true friends were, the importance of being humble, and of course what had shaped him to be such a fine individual – his family. One of the great things about this was that I am sure that he did all of these things without a thought in the world, it just came naturally to him. It was only two weeks ago that we were in QT celebrating my sons 10th birthday, with Kelly and Sam and plenty of other GCs from the QMTBC. When I asked Kelly if he would like to join us for the evening, I was a bit apprehensive given that I knew that he wouldn’t be asked to many 10th birthday celebrations. I had nothing to be concerned about, his response, in typical McGazza fashion, was “shit yeah bro, wouldn’t miss it for the world.” To me, it summed up the mark of the man, and this night for us is now forever etched in our memories.

When Sam first met Kelly, I'm sure she had no idea that she would only be spending 50% of her time with Kelly, as the other 50% of the time he was well entrenched in a travelling and working bromance with his long time friend, confidante and buddy, Tom Hey. However, this didn’t seem to phase her, she took it in her stride – often love conquers all. And, the two of them, being Kelly and Sam, seemed to fit each other like a well worn glove. They were settled, happy, it was like the search was over, they had found each other. It would be fair to say that this relationship had all of the hallmarks of one that would go the distance. Sam, stay close, stay strong, stay tight, on behalf of the QMTBC and the world MTB community and family, we will be with you through these challenging and sometimes dark times. You never get over it, you find ways of getting around it. We love you.

Kelly, you were an inspiration to so many people around the world, on and off the bike. How you conducted yourself as an individual over your far too short 33 years was exemplary, you will live on forever in everyone who met you, regardless of whether they had known you for 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 months, or a lifetime. We will all miss you, but will ride on, as we know that you will. Ride hard, ride on, and most importantly, keep riding 'unlimited.' We love you brother. Words by Angus Sobels










“You’re a True Champion, Jonno!”

“Never play leapfrog with a unicorn, Jonno!”

“Hey, Jonno, what should I do?”

These are what I call McGazzaisms. Kelly McGarry was my friend.

I think what I like most about the McGazzaisms, is that they were constant, dependable… predictable. They were uplifting, humorous, and honest. Kelly trusted in our relationship and believed in me. He did all his friends. And that made us all feel like the luckiest people around. That’s who Kelly really was.

Kelly was the most enthusiastic and positive person I’ve ever met. Ask anyone who’s met him. His spirit was contagious and so uplifting. We had the most absurd of funny times together. Many a road trips with Eric Porter, Justin Olsen, and Carson Storch amongst others would leave us in tears laughing over Kelly’s shenanigans… hopping over statues of babies with his pants off, riding wheelies with no front wheel, epic rap battles - It was all the best.

There seems to be enough distance between Kelly’s passing and now to leave me with huge smiles when I think about him. Yet, the reality that he ain’t coming back leaves me unable to believe that he’s really gone. His passing may get easier with time. But no one will ever fill that absence of that hole in my heart.

I want Kelly’s legacy in the world to be bigger than 6’ 5” Kiwi and a 72foot canyon gap. I want that to be a metaphor for the size of a life lived to the absolute fullest… of a friend that was bigger than the bunch of them… of a heart that had so much intensity that it gave all it hand until there was nothing left. It’s almost ironic.

Kelly will forever be one of the greatest human’s I’ve ever known. For a dude full of gnar and steez, he sure was as soft and loving as they come.

“Hey, Jonno, what should I do?”

I hope you forever know the answer now buddy… you did it all exactly the f*ck as you were supposed to.

I love you, Kelly.

Words by Jon Kennedy


Thank you to everyone who contributed and reached out to make this memorial to our friend possible. And to all of the contributing photographers who have worked so hard to immortalize our friendly giant:

Dan Barham
Ale Di Lullo
Paris Gore
Harookz
Nathan Hughes
Sterling Lorence
Margus Riga
Camilla Rutherford
Caleb Smith

Trusts have been set up to continue Kelly's Legacy through a variety of facilities to benefit the mountain bike community in his name. If you would like to contribute, you can do so here:

Kelly McGarry's Go Fund Me Page
Kelly McGarry Memorial Trust