Video & Photo Epic: Young Kiwi Ripper Lets His Riding Do the Talking

WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUTURE OF MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING, THE FUTURE HAS NEVER LOOKED BRIGHTER.

New Zealand - a small island, deep in the Pacific has long been a hotbed for mountain bike talent. It’s picture perfect landscape and their lust for the great outdoors has cultivated some of the biggest names in the downhill mountain bike scene.

The Land of the Long White Cloud is no secret to mountain bikers worldwide, however the south island’s largest city of Christchurch is a prime example of a growing scene, which has largely flown below the radar.

Some of the world’s best call this place home and one young man who is keen to leave his mark is 18-year-old, BILLY MEACLEM. Christchurch born and bred, Billy works as a trail builder for Christchurch Adventure Park. A quiet, unassuming young man, he lets his riding do the talking and you can understand WHY!


If it has two wheels, you can be sure Billy can rip it! Evo TV teamed up with Freeride New Zealand for two days of filming as he recently signed with Trek / Evo Cycles, in the hope he can make his mark as a first-year elite.



Dominated by the slopes of the Port Hills to the south of city, Christchurch is home to some of the most varied riding in NZ – from the volcanic rockbed & steep pinewoods of Vic Park, to the Southern hemisphere’s largest mountain bike adventure park – it’s all on your doorstep!




















Billy is as talented on his Trek Ticket hardtail as he is on his Session 9.9 DH. Having won the NZ leg of the pumptrack world's, the young Kiwi earned himself an all-expenses-paid trip to the Red Bull Pump Track Worlds in Arkansas, America. Billy may seem an underdog to some, yet don't write him off just yet. The 18-year old reached the final 8 at the Pump Track Challenge in Rotorua, losing to Kyle Strait by a mere five-hundredths of a second. Watch this space!


It’s the heart of the winter here in the Southern hemisphere. It’s cold & the days are short, but you can be blessed with a perfect winter golden hour – or in our case a golden 15 minutes.



By surfing couches and staying with friends, Billy will be making the trip over to Crankworx, Whistler. He has a hectic schedule as he aims to compete in the DH, Air DH, Pumptrack & Whip-Off, before sampling some of the other areas in BC. If you see him around be sure to go and say hello.