Getting to Know: Canadian Enduro Racer & Silent Assassin Jack Menzies

Jack Menzies

If you have followed the 2022 Enduro World Series, you may have noticed that there has been a group of Canadian racers tearing it up lately. Squamish, B.C. has been the epicentre of off-season training for the majority of them under the guide of Blueprint Athlete Development and their infamous cone cornering drills. One of those seriously skilled and fit riders who has been quietly picking off EWS top-tens is a first year elite racer named Jack Menzies from We Are One Composites' all-Canadian enduro team.

I first learned about Jack's potential in his early junior years when he pipped me at a Canadian Enduro Series race by some twenty-odd seconds, but I had never seen him ride before or even heard of his name! Leading up to the final two Enduro World Series races seemed like a great time to throw some questions his way to get an idea of his background, what bike he is riding, and his ambitions going forward.

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Who is Jack Menzies?

A 20-year-old Enduro racer from Canada trying to have as much fun on my bike as I can!

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I grew up in Canmore, Alberta, which is a mountain town just outside Calgary known more for its winter activities than its mountain biking. After high school, I moved out to Squamish and that's where I have been living since!

How did you get into mountain biking?

Growing up, my parents put me in many sports, one of them being BMX racing. My younger brothers and I did BMX for a few years, but the track was pretty far away, and ultimately, I loved riding our mountain bikes at home. I became the kid known for rocking spandex and sending as hard as my old hardtail XC bike would allow.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day at home for me is to wake up early and get the day started with a gym session before heading out for a ride or some sort of outdoor activity! I keep my days pretty open besides training; it leaves more time for spontaneous adventures!

Who are your sponsors?

This year I'm riding for the We Are One enduro team. We are kitted out with SRAM, Rockshox, Time pedals, Occam Designs, Troy Lee Designs, Ride Concepts, Dissent Labs, and Spy Optics. Fluid Function has also been a big help in keeping things running smoothly when I’m back at home. Big thanks to all these guys; they have been a big part of the team's success this year!

What bikes are you riding right now?

Right now, I'm riding and racing on the We Are One Arrival with a 170mm link. This bike absolutely rips!

What is your favorite place to ride?

My favorite place to ride is definitely in the Sea to Sky corridor, but I also love riding in Queenstown!

Which rider impresses you the most?

There are way too many people that impress me and get me fired up on riding. Right now, I'm so stoked with Canadian riders in DH and Enduro; everyone is killing it!

What are your strengths?

My strengths are probably fitness and carrying speed. I really enjoy tracks that are long and physical. In Canmore, we have a lot of blue XC trails, and some of my coaches early on removed my chain, so I had to learn how to pump everything.

What are your weaknesses?

One weakness is probably getting in my head about things I can't control and mistakes I made looking back on races. I have a great crew of people such as my family, my coach Joel Harwood, and the team behind the scenes at We Are One, just to name a few. These people continue to help me out and continue to work with me on my weaknesses.

Who or what inspires you?

I take inspiration from a lot of people, like my peers Rhys Verner and Kasper Woolley, my family and my brother Dane Menzies, and legends of the sport like Steve Smith.

What hobbies do you have outside of biking?

I have a lot of hobbies outside of riding. I love playing hockey and snowboarding in the winter, and in the summer, I like to run and get out in the mountains.

What was the most important lesson you learned this season, on or off the bike?

This season, I learned to let go of things that aren't in my control and focus on the things that I can. The main one is to continue having fun riding my bike. A motto I have been using for this year is “fun is fast.”

This is your first year in the elite ranks of the Enduro World Series. How did you step up so quickly to nab a top ten finish at the Whistler, Crankworx, and Burke, USA rounds?

I kept my training and approach to racing the same, moving from my last year as a Junior to my first year as an elite. You can compare times to the elites as a U21, so after a year (2021) of struggling with injuries, I knew I could be in the top 30, but it's definitely a different ball game making the step up to elite.

I wanted to prove to people that I could make the jump and succeed, so I invested in myself and had help from many people, especially We Are One, and I wouldn't be in the position I am today if it weren't for them. Big thanks to everyone!

You also placed 11th at the Petzen-Jamnica round in Austria and Slovakia. What would say is the greatest differentiator between the European and North American races?

I don't think there is a big difference in the trails, and trails will change wherever you go. I think that the greatest differentiator would be traveling, being in familiar time zones, and languages. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter to me where we go, we are just riding bikes.

What are/were your goals for the 2022 season?

I set goals at the start of every offseason with my coach. My performance goals were to crack the top 30 consistently and have a top 20 result. I was stoked to accomplish them and learn lots along the way.

What does the future look like for Jack Menzies?

I can’t tell what the future holds for me, my options are still open for next year. I want to continue mixing it up with the top dogs for years to come. In the meantime, I'm going to keep having as much fun as possible and hope I can inspire some kids to follow what they love to do along the way!

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