Scott Bikes professional rider Mike Hopkins has agreed to contribute to Ridemonkey on an entirely sporadic basis, which we are excited about. Check out Mike's recent travels to BC, France and Sweden inside.
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Words and Photos by Mike Hopkins
OK, I agree that the blogs lately have been few and far between, but this is merely because I have been tethered to my travel bag. My life throughout the past month has seen me aloft in constant orbit as the speed of my schedule has forced me to settle into this satellitic lifestyle, wherein which I pass just out of reach of my humble abode en route to my next foreign landing.
The preceding month has been a tedious endeavor, beginning with a two week production trip amidst the flavorful company of a crack contingent of media meddlers, accompanied by the majority of the Scott Freeride Team in a film trip for the ages. The Coastal Crew and myself indulged in BCs finest offerings of the two wheeled variety (expect a novel from the likes of David Peacock along with a new visual perspective from the Coastal Crew to be released shortly). Next, I was off cloud hopping over the Atlantic to the cheese wheeled nation of France for the "Chatel Mountain Style, where my bike decided to make an untimely vacation in Alberta, creating a less than ideal situation. Once again, a further, macro detailing of Bikes Dont Fly to follow.
Our accommodations in Fernie were unparalleled.
Scott rider Dylan Dunkerton gets some on the aforementioned film trip.
This brings us to the here and now, where I sit in front of the window and tip my hat to the vast population of ridiculously good looking individuals that make up this lovely Scandinavian haven, known as Sweden. As I sip on my home brewed coffee, cringing, I ponder the underlying tactics of the vikings in their ruthless plundering of the of the homo-sapien gene pool, and their eventual ancestors, the worlds most beautiful nation. It has become quite apparent over the past few days that average looking individuals simply dont exist in Sweden, and the streets are actually lined with red carpet, as it naturally makes the population comprised of supermodels feel more comfortable in urban settings.
Swedish views abound.
The awards ceremony from Mattias' competition.
My friend Mattias Fredriksson invited me north to spend a week in Are to compete in the Scandinavian Photo Challenge alongside photographer Dan Barham. With that said, I have my work cut out for me, as I must leave these lines and make a fashionably punctual arrival at the awards show, that is to commence in fifteen minutes. This is the footnote version of my adventures, expect rapid and contagiously outrageous updates in the next few days.
Cheers,
Mike
Check back to our fresh News Page for Mike's complete report from Europe soon. We're excited for it; undoubtedly, you are as well.
