Helly/Heli Wedding

Dec 28th 2009

What to do when you cant go heli biking?

Go for a heli wedding of course!

Thanks to Blackcomb Heli for flying Jo and I up there and thanks to Daina from Helly Hansen for kitting us out in the winter version of a wedding dress and suit!

Down Time update

So, its winter. We've a ton of snow and I'm at stall point on the house until after christmas, so, an ideal time to catch up with paper work, accounts etc...however, I'm somewhat less productive than I hoped as I have my wrist in a full splint beacuse my thumb hurts.

Its basically RSI or known as De Quervians' syndrome.

So, 4 weeks in a splint with physio. I can barely hold a mouse.. so much for sittig doing the accounts then.. or skiing in the bountiful snow... guess i'll be watching TV then!

Oddly, I'm not a middle aged woman, I haven't done too much knitting nor am I pregnant, so i guess I have to blame DIY for this one, that or that RZone test bike with super stiff shifting because Canondale didn't feel the need to design the bike with fully sealed shift cable routing - who does that huh?!

What do you do in a bike resort when winter comes around?

So December has kicked in already, Seb is in Mexico, Jamie the isle of white, Pete and Tristan are back in Ireland, Nat made it to New Zealand.
Jonny has started with Intrawest for the winter, and im working ski patrol on the hill. The snow kicked in early and so much came down you could only ski by finding something really steep and pointing a straight line toward the bottom. Then in true whistler style it rained. The rain made it all the way to the top at 2200 metres, then just to make things fun a cold snap came down from the arctic making the surface bullet proof. Its silly cold out right now and alfie refuses to go out for more than a pee.
More snow will come eventually, but in between were trying to make a solid start on a new website. The aim is to have it complete by the first week in Jan, but with both Jonny and I trying to pay the bills it may be a bit behind. There are a few new things on the horizon, the most exciting is going to be a monthly interior trip. Some early and late season special tours with endless biking, and of course the new Scott Voltage.....looking forwrad to that one most!

Bike Mag - testing

Things seem to be going superbly as far as the BIKE 2010 test set-up goes.
Marks working tirelessly, the boys are really putting the hours in and Bex's food is keeping everyone fuelled up whilst suitable impressed with her culinary skill.
Me - well, i've been back in the UK for the first few days of BIKE arrivals then in my 'own little Africa' working on my usual 'off season' job - renovations - fortunately with a paycheck too :)

Anyway, I called in to see how things were going on day 5 of testing and everything seems like its on track and progressing well. DH and Trail bikes are about wrapped up and I managed to squeeze some time in today to get a few laps of lost lake in the rain.

I rode a Cannondale RZone and a Giant Trance. Two laps of wet, mud and smiles!
I cant talk about the bikes as, well, I'm not allowed to but I can say that I've missed being out on my bike for the last few weeks.

Life Cycles Blog

Check out the link above for the life cycles blog from their time in whistler, this film is going to change things in the bike movie world. You can quote me on that.

BIKE mag

October, time to kick back and reflect on the season. Think about the great rides you've had and sneak as many fun rides in as you can before the winter really kicks in - right?

Wrong, Bike magazine are turning up this week, we will be looking after them till mid November and right now im checking the weather network more than is normal for any internet browser.

The great news is we will be trying out next years bikes, and im not just talking SCOTT bikes (though we have two Voltage FR's that I cannot put down) but all of next years new bikes. Bike mag are doing a special test issue that will feature us and is being run out of the chalet.

UPS and Fed Ex are calling me every 2 minutes for customs clearance and im waiting for a couple of customs officers to turn up to see whats going on the amount of bikes that are coming in. Needless to say all the guides are spending more time in the garage than in their own beds.

To top that off it looks like we are going to be alowed to shuttle the bike park with no one else on the mountain, its going to be an incredible month.

Dam'ned by the French

Another French Movie of Whistler from Damien

RaceFace - What's Next

After Wednesday nights particularly disappointing outing to the NWD10 premier (don't rush to get tickets to your nearest premier kids) we had RaceFace and Rocky Mountains What's Next party to look forwards to.

Hosted out in the Vegas Sticks in can what only be described as a Porno House (so I'm lead to imagine) we had to get a Limo from the Strip out there.
We'd had dinner and beers with Darren and Keli from Endless Biking before heading to the pick up point, waiting for a while before climbing aboard our luxury taxi. My first time in a limo... first time in Vegas... destination Debby does Vegas.



It seemed like most of Whistler was at the party. Lots of familiar faces but I guess what's the mountain bike industry without Whistler right?

No beer but copious amounts of hard liquor and mixers!

Mark and I (shamefully) were amongst the last to leave ~3.30am? and closed the night down after a long mini bus ride back to the Strip with a beer in OShea's casino which is almost as nasty as our hotel the Imperial Palace.

Party - very good thank you RaceFace
Movie - No idea.. too busy drinking and chatting...
Hangover - HORRID!

Friday - scratched off due to the complete uselessness of my body and mind.