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Matthews Brothers: Soaking in the Sea to Sky Sunshine!

Aug 1, 2010 at 21:21
by Stephen Matthews  
The two Matthews brothers, Peter and Stephen are both in Whistler, riding on some of the raddest equipment on the market and generally having the time of their lives

Read on for stories and images! Stephen Matthews says:

July has been so different from May and June it's almost unbelievable. It feels like I went from riding day after day in the rain and mud, to dirt as hard as concrete laced with gravel. After 2 months of rain riding, back to dry trails has been an adjustment! I've seen July's hot weather give most of my friends injuries, and the tally of scares and near-misses increases everyday.

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Peter and I got our new outfits from Calgary Cycle Online, which are Dakine's awesome new lineup of jerseys and shorts, in various sleeve lengths and styles. The online store also managed to get us some of the Troy Lee Designs LTD. Edition Oakley Crowbar Goggles! Their summer sale is over, but there is some serious Dakine deals going on right now with Calgary Cycle Online.

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I found that taking a completely different approach to riding has kept me safe, and still in positive spirits about the park. Even though rocks are emerging out of the ground, and the holes are widening and sinking deeper and deeper, the park is still an awesome time! Times like these are when you go ride something different, try giving the highway trails a rest.

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My favorite section of trail on the entire mountain barely changes from year to year. From two tree sections above Mid-station (top of the Creekside Gondola), this trail is at its finest. Here it is in order: Come screaming down the road into No Joke, and then branch onto the whale-back ridge of Freight Train,. Hop back onto No-Joke for some bedrock gaps and super fast Alder-Tree'd singletrack. Next you get to cruise Drop-in Clinic and launch the hip into space (A Callum Jelley reference), and then blow up the corner right afterwards! A nicely rebuilt jump shoots you into Upper Duffman, and then you follow the gnarly rocks of No Duff for some excellent technical riding. This section of trail is classic, it's nothing new, and it's absolutely unbelievable!

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My next update will be from Switzerland, and should include updates on the best singletrack in the world, gnarly downhills, and fantastic meals! Thanks for reading everyone!

Peter Matthews Says:

July has been a crazy month for me around the Bike Park. Not only were Stephen and I treated with new kits from Dakine, but we also finally received some warm weather. The stinkin' hot weather has been ransacking the trails leaving dust and gravel everywhere the suns’ rays touch. The Bike Park got a bit scary. We've definitely had our hands full on trail crew trying to keep up with the never-ending hole/stutter bump situation, as well as trying to prep various courses for Crankworx. Recently on the crew we have acquired a water pump and a large tank, making it possible for us to drive into trails and water what we work on. This may sound a bit silly, but it has really changed the way we can maintain bike trails, even if it is only 1 berm or 1 jump at a time.

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After taking a series of nasty spills in the park I've tried to sit back and enjoy the other side of summer in Whistler. The beaches are pretty fantastic on hot days (if you've been to Lost Lake, you know) and the GLC scene isn't bad either. At work I have mostly been toiling away in the Boneyard building the Dual Slalom Course, a daunting task but I feel it is going extremely well. Last Thursday I invited out a bunch of riders from around town for a little teaser of the course to gain some feedback and it was fantastic. Seeing people riding the course not only made my stress level drop drastically, but it gave me excellent insight as to what changes were needed. The course is a bit different from previous years, it still has the tight pump track feel, but we decided to throw in some bigger airs, just to keep people on their toes. I can't wait to see the race! After watching some local fellows shred it, I know the course will be a crowd pleaser!

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The finest thing to come out of the heat is for sure Garbanzo. It seems just as the lower mountain starts to get repetitive, Garbanzo appears to give riders a new puzzle to solve. There seems to be new lines appearing every week up there. More roots are getting uncovered, rocks are appearing outta nowhere, and little air pockets are becoming more obvious. It truly is a fantastic place. The addition of "Black Velvet" has changed my whole choice of line up there. That giant rock wall is pretty awesome for blasting off and it creates a far more mellow connector to Fatcrobat (my personal favourite up there) than the In Deep/ Captain Safety Route.

While Stephen is off enjoying delicious beers and travelling by tram, I will be enjoying Crankworx and the finer part of the year here know as Autumn. I will continue to update The Whistler Crank with any noteworthy happenings/hilarious videos. Thank you all for reading! See you at Crankworx.

Check out our blog at The Whistler Crank!

Peter and Stephen would like to thank:
Calgary Cycle Online
Dakine
Troy Lee Designs
Chromag Bikes
NRG Enterprises

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Member since Jan 4, 2000
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