Matt Hunter Interview

Since the UFC contest pretty much brought you into the eyes of mainstream mountain biking and exposed you as a real freerider to the world, would you say that we need more comps like that to help give the unknown riders the shot they need to be able to prove that they are the real deal and deserve the exposure that comes from winning a contest like the UFC?
It would be great if that contest was still going. The way it is now, it is really tough for guys who want to make it as a pro to get noticed. Slopestylers have a way in to the industry through contests, but big mountain riders are pretty much on their own. I hope to see Race Face get the UFC going again in the near future.

What is it like sending huge jumps and what are the fears involved and what have you had to overcome to be able to send it like you do?
Sending huge jumps is scary for sure! I am always scared that I will slip a pedal when I land, and cut my shin. That is my greatest fear. I am still working on overcoming this fear.


What did you think of this year’s Red Bull Rampage and what do you think could be done for next year to make it even better?
Rampage is awesome. Totally insanely cool. To make it better? I think it would be great to schedule it over a week like they do for surf contests. That way you can ride on a day that has perfect conditions (not too windy) Also then you can have more time to ride before the comp and also more time to build the lines. It would cost the organizers a lot more but I think it would end up being a better contest.

Living in Kamloops seems to breed good solid riders that can send it. Why do you think that is?
I think it is the cowshit in the water that flows here from the N Thompson. It makes you go big.

What are your summer filming plans looking like this year?
It’s looking crazy. I am going to film with Anthill and with Lifecycles. I am going to be really busy. We are even going to Iceland to film! That should be cool. I hear there are real gnomes that live there, I hope to catch one and bring it back to Canada. I want to keep it in my garage, it can clean my bikes.


You like to go south during the winter months, did you go anywhere special this past winter?
Some friends and I drove to Baja Mexico. It’s great down there. We just surf and fish and camp. Then head home and ski!

Do you do any summer camps?
I coach a week at SGC in Whistler and I do a week of my own camps in Kamloops at Sun Peaks. I really like coaching the camps, the kids are awesome to hang with and they learn really fast.

Other than the UFC contest, how have you got to where you are today and what are your future plans?
I have had tons of help from people in the industry, some really great mentors. The advice that they have given me has allowed me to make a career. My future plans are just to keep riding the way I want to. I find that when I am having fun it comes through on video or even on still pictures. Those shots are the best.


How does it feel to know that children as young as 8 years old are freeriding and looking up to you?
Man, that is amazing – because I used to be one of those kids!


How does it feel to be the chillest guy in freeride?
Haha pretty good I guess?

Who did you look up to as a grom and who stokes you out now?
I always really liked Wade Simmons’s riding. He goes big and rides gnarly lines. Also, Dave Watson and Andrew Shandro in Utah in Ride to the Hills really changed my life. I watched that segment, and pretty much couldn’t believe it. I wanted to do that!

Is the reward of big mountain freeride worth the risk?
Well it all depends on what you think the reward is! If you think it’s the paycheque, then it’s definitely not worth it. But if the reward for you is the feeling of riding, then it’s definitely worth it.

Out of all the films you have appeared in over the last few years, is there a more memorable section that you’d like to relive again and again?
It’s tough for me to watch my own video segments, I just see what I could be doing better… But sometimes seeing helmetcam footage really makes me want to be there, right NOW.

Since you are also an avid Motocross rider, do you ever experience conflict or tension between mountain bikers and motor bikers?
No dude, not in the Loops!


Have you scoped any new lines on your dirt bike for this season’s mountain biking?
Yeah I have some really cool multi stage lines for this year’s filming. I actually just finished building a really cool 4 stager that will be really fun. It’s like a scrubby drop to a berm jump transfer to a gap onto a little dirt island kinda thing to a steep landing then a drop off the other side. You get that?

Besides using your dirt bike to scope lines, do you think it helps your mountain bike skills too and has your mountain bike back ground helped you with moto?
For sure it does, on my moto it’s really easy to get loose and slide in turns and stuff, so going to a bike after that it’s great to try and ride the same way. Also the moto is so heavy, when I get on my bike after motoing I feel like it is a feather.

What are your thoughts on BMX riding?
BMXing is rad. I love watching BMX vids. Some of those guys have such amazing skills.

Tell us about your roommate and neighbor’s band – Love Rooster?
They rock! I really like their Ramones covers.

What’s it like moshing with fans at a Rise Against concert?
Awesome. I love live music.

What is your favorite band or type of music to ride to?
I really like Rage against the Machine, Rise Against, Tiger Army, Raised fist, At the Drive-in, The Misfits, Kyuss, high energy stuff like that. I listen to a lot of other genres at other times but I really like that kind of punk/hardcore when shuttling. Reggae is great to listen to while riding also. Steel Pulse, Alpha Blondy, Culture, Toots and the Maytals, Black Uhuru… and of course Bob.


How can you as a prominent Canadian rider help to create awareness for the trails/land use issue?
That’s a tough one. All I can do is try myself and hope others will as well. I encourage others to join their local clubs so that riders can have a voice to defend against people who want bikes shut out of areas. The fact is that mountain bikes are a relatively low environmental impact way for people to enjoy trails, so other arguments against riding are usually just details that can be sorted out.

What is your favorite BC riding spot and favorite "underrated" location?
Well Kamloops is my favorite because I get to ride with all my friends here, but the Puddle is right up there… also had some unreal days on the Sunshine coast. Then the Koots, that’s so insane too. How about just saying BC is my favorite riding spot.

What's your vision for the future of the sport?
More girls riding.

How is the next crop of BC riders looking and who should we have an eye on in the next few years?
The kids are nuts. I have never seen so many skilled rippers. I have been riding with Aggassiz, Sorge, and Doerfling a lot this year. Those guys are so sick. Also Garrett Buehler. All these guys have already made it into the scene but I think that watching them in the next few years will be really interesting.

You spend a lot of time building trails and sections for movies. How important is it to keep them a secret until the time is right?
Not that important, but it’s way cooler to film stuff that not everybody has seen already, you know?


When Anger went missing, did you feel like you’d lost a member of your family? Is Anger still with you?
Of course Anger is still with me. I just keep fixing it, and it keeps going strong. When those guys stole it I was pretty worried for a few days, but so stoked when I got it back!

Shout outs and thank yous?
To my family and friends.

All photos courtesy of Sterling Lorence.

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