westbank

Slugging Rats

Posted on by Smoke

Garry and Stash came up for a quick rip today. I was a bit stunned still after the weekend, but I figured a little Builders Only rip was the best thing to shake the cobwebs out.

It was awesome out there. Still loamy and tacky, and ultra lush with flowers everywhere.

Poor Garry though. He’s been struggling with a bike that’s a bit too big for him and he’s in a bit of a rut. What I call “slugging rats”, where no matter what you do, it all goes wrong.

Sorta like this….

Black eye, concussion, broken nose, and a broken full face helmet. Trial by blood? Baptism by fire? Nah, sluggin’ rats. Don’t worry Garry, it can only get better from here.

Let Them Eat Cake – Day 2

Posted on by Smoke

It’s after midnite, and Brett Tippie is at my house. See how excited he is? Well, of course there’s a story. That t-shirt goes back to the first time we met. I was working at the old Cove shop and had gotten my mitts on one of the very first Kona full suspension bikes. Tippie walked in looking for a ride and although I’d never met him, I lent him the Kona. Tihs was just something I thought of as professional courtesy. He came with good credentials, but this was still before Kranked, before Fro-Riders, before all that.

Several weeks later I got this cool hand painted t-shirt as a thank you. I mean, what are you gonna do, throw the thing out? It’s only been worn once.

I thought he was gonna explode when I pulled the shirt out on this night.

Well, the celebrations worked the men over pretty hard, but the womenfolk got up early and got to work in the kitchen.

I did hide their shoes…..

Oh right…riding. Well over a dozen people showed up last night, and more today.

Sarah still can’t find her shoes, but she managed to get outta the kitchen.

OK, another Builders Only day. Sven, Shore builder, has a go on the Jedi F*cker.

That boy was on fire. I think he missed it up here. Tippie had a brand spanking new Flatline he was breaking in, and was also a bit rusty after being off the bike for a few years. He was remembering pretty quickly.

Although he gets tired more easily than before.

See one, do one…..

Maja, making friends…

Not to be outdone, Barb got out for a short lap at the end of the day. Her first ride of the year.

Oh,and that’s a 7 months pregnant woman hucking herself there. Remember that next time you roll that sucker.

I was kind of hoping to get a MuddBunnies Calendar worthy shot here, but the light wasn’t co-operating and then my camera crapped out……. again. Any Canon reps reading this? One seriously unsatisfied customer over here.

More fun tomorrow, when even more riders show up.

Let Them Eat Cake – Day 1

Posted on by Smoke

Yes, the theme of this years May Two Four long weekend would have to be cake. Don’t ask me why, it just was.

Things started early on Friday, with the arrival of the crew from the Collective and our pal Radek from Pinkbike.

Most of these guys haven’t ridden up here yet, and they got a supremem day for it. Winter is finally over.

Radek goes big. Or Radek IS big. Take your pick.

Here’s some fun with macro. Yes, and action shot on macro. It actually worked.

This one didn’t. As Dan Barham tells me, push the ISO as afar as it will go, make it black and white, and call it art.

Big Radek again.

..and one of the Collective minions showing him up. Sorry, I totally spaced your name. It was a LONG weekend.

The price Radek paid for his “going bigness.”

We crammed a couple of good runs in before sundown. It was awesome with allthe heat and flowers and goodness out there.

We finished off with the Kelowna premiere of Seasons, and the assembled crowd loved every second. It would be after midnite before I returned home, and I wondered what I might find there….