[Steve M]

So I've spent the past two northern summers in Whistler, riding heaps on some simply amazing terrain, and even though my exploration here certainly hasn't covered even half the riding available in the Sea to Sky area, let alone the rest of BC, I'd dearly love to spend time living and riding somewhere new. I'd consider living almost anywhere that allowed me to ride tons and live reasonably comfortably, but I'm trying to work out exactly where the best place to do that is - or if I'm already here.

Basically, as an Australian citizen, what I'm ideally looking for is:
- LOTS of riding (especially DH), good terrain and the opportunity to actually ride lots. Working 9-5 Mon-Fri in a big city doesn't give that much flexibility unless the riding scene in that area makes it possible to ride after hours or whatever.
- Weather or at least a season length that gives as much riding in the year as possible. Whistler seems to have the longest season of pretty well any bike park in the world at 5 full months, anyone know of anything longer?
- Decent winter sports if year round riding isn't possible. I like skiing but bikes are my priority.
- Somewhere it's possible for me to get work; that means I have to be allowed to work there (if in doubt, suggest something anyway, I'll find out if I'm allowed to work there), jobs have to be available, and it needs to be possible to live in reasonable conditions off whatever wages are available. Unfortunately, this rules Switzerland out, as I can't work there without sponsorship. Don't think I can easily work in the US either, need sponsorship or a green card, neither of which is easy to get from what I've been told.
- Ideally, some kind of nightlife nearby would be great, but it's not really that necessary.

Anyone got any suggestions? Learning a new language in order to live/work is something I'm entirely willing to try to do. Morzine? Les Deux Alpes? San Remo? Nice? Barcelona? Rotorua? Nelson (either BC or NZ)? Dunedin? Cairns? Vancouver? Squamish? Are? Hafjell? San Remo?

 

[Whoops]

PDS somewhere. Not NZ.

 

[Straya]

Don't think I can easily work in the US either, need sponsorship or a green card, neither of which is easy to get from what I've been told.

Have you looked into the E-3 visa? Not quite as onerous as sponsorship as far as I can see but still more difficult than the Canadian one. You could hit dw up for a job

Otherwise somewhere in the Alps would be pretty good. Or NZ.

 

[dilzy]

So I've spent the past two northern summers in Whistler, riding heaps on some simply amazing terrain, and even though my exploration here certainly hasn't covered even half the riding available in the ..............................................................Anyone got any suggestions? Learning a new language in order to live/work is something I'm entirely willing to try to do. Morzine? Les Deux Alpes? San Remo? Nice? Barcelona? Rotorua? Nelson (either BC or NZ)? Dunedin? Cairns? Vancouver? Squamish? Are? Hafjell? San Remo?

I would like to know the same thing, except I can work anywhere in Europe.

 

[matsO]

+1, to be more specific I wonder if there is anyone here that knows acoustic consultant firm near whistler or similar I tried to look into the other sections here on RM the other week but did not find any active place to start looking.

Maybe a new section for living the dream where you can ask for help finding suitable jobs etc would be nice.

Cheers
Mats
Acoustic consultant with 7+ years of experience

 

[dw]

Have you ever considered the Boston, MA area? You do have to drive to the mountains, but there are a load of them, and the XC riding is pretty awesome too, Lynn Woods and Vietnam both have something for everyone. We ride from May - October on the DH trails, where I live I ride XC all winter. Plenty of winter sports too. The DH mountains aren't as developed as Whistler, nothing is though..

 

[kickstand]

Get your canadian citizenship, after that you can work in the US on a TN Work Visa pretty easily. And Canadian citizenship is pretty easy to get, thousands of asian and indian IT and Engineering candidates do it in the windsor area so they can work in the automotive and IT industries in Detroit until they can get a green card and move somewhere more better.....

 

[slyfink]

you haven't mentioned the interior of BC (Silverstar etc...)and Vancouver Island too (but I'm sure you're aware of those). What about Bromont. Not a bad resort, lots of other places nearby to ride. And you can learn a new language (though you wouldn't have to per se).

 

[dilzy]

Get your canadian citizenship, after that you can work in the US on a TN Work Visa pretty easily. And Canadian citizenship is pretty easy to get, thousands of asian and indian IT and Engineering candidates do it in the windsor area so they can work in the automotive and IT industries in Detroit until they can get a green card and move somewhere more better.....

Don't think I'd like to give up my UK or Au citizenship for a Canuck one, as appealing as working in BC is.

 

[ph4se_1]

I regularly think about this one haha, good that someone finally brought it up! Ive been to Morzine/ Les Gets couple times and the riding is incredible but the reason I wouldnt live year round is just the fact that the place is supposedly dead in the off season between Winter and Summer.

The ideal one I think would be New Zealand/Australia for their summer, back home for a while after ( Ireland) then off to Morzine for the European summer, basically means pretty much year round riding in good weather? Serious budget/visas needed for this idea though, as well as waiting til I finish college!

 

[dump]

Don't think I'd like to give up my UK or Au citizenship for a Canuck one, as appealing as working in BC is.

All of these countries permit multiple citizenship.

To work in Canada, you don't have to be a citizen. Work permit or resident are two ways (for example).

 

[NoUseForAName]

Get your canadian citizenship, .

6-12months processing time for application for PR status (permanent resident) then 3 years minimum in country before you can apply for Citizenship.

Thats a long term plan eh?

 

[NoUseForAName]

Get your canadian citizenship, .

6-12months processing time for application for PR status (permanent resident) then 3 years minimum in country before you can apply for Citizenship.

Thats a long term plan eh?

Oh yeah, 3 years living in Onterrible, just so's you can temporaarily work in the US. No thanks.

 

[norbar]

I regularly think about this one haha, good that someone finally brought it up! Ive been to Morzine/ Les Gets couple times and the riding is incredible but the reason I wouldnt live year round is just the fact that the place is supposedly dead in the off season between Winter and Summer.

The ideal one I think would be New Zealand/Australia for their summer, back home for a while after ( Ireland) then off to Morzine for the European summer, basically means pretty much year round riding in good weather? Serious budget/visas needed for this idea though, as well as waiting til I finish college!

San Remo and prolly similar french equivalents are not that far away from morzine - also there is a season in between in such high mountains? Im sure that pretty close to morzine you can find year round snow resorts. It may not be exatly in the PDS area but I doubt its were Socket will find the job he is looking for. I was thinking about it myself though I dont yet have enough skills to sell and If I was in his place French/Swiss alpes boarder for sure.
Insbruck would be good if he was more after snow than biking because Nordpark is pretty far from whistler and mayerhofen and stubai parks are pretty unknown right now.


Also - Graz - 50km from Maribor,100km from Semmering,130 from Javornik, 150km from Schladming, 200km from Wagrain. Not bad if you are willing to use your car a bit.

 

[NoUseForAName]

p.s. Living the Dhers dream is the title and i don't think that anywhere else even comes close. Dreams aren't reality, and after having spent two seasons in Whis myself i can tell you that i don't think Whis is reality either.

So DHers dream = WBP and environs, everywhere else reality encroaches in some sense.

 

[dilzy]

All of these countries permit multiple citizenship.

To work in Canada, you don't have to be a citizen. Work permit or resident are two ways (for example).

I'm already a dual citizen. I don't think anyone allows triple.

Work permit is an idea. As long as your under 25 or something I think it's a lot easier.

 

[bizutch]

Go to Knoxville, Tennessee and get a job or a degree at UT. Work on the trails at Windrock. Doug needs bodies.

 

[bizutch]

....or gay marry Ben Walker's brother and shack up with them for life.

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

cusco, or huaraz, peru.
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/144112/ (seriously, check the video, is one of the best i´ve ever seen).

season is year round. cheap enough you wont even have to work at all (with $5k you can afford to live to ride daily for at least 6 months).
some dh trails are up to 60km long, 3700m down.

 

[dump]

I'm already a dual citizen. I don't think anyone allows triple.

I'm not an expert on this, but my understanding is that although you may have to "give up" one of your two existing citizenships to gain a 3rd, those rules are not binding in the other countries.

 

[slyfink]

... Ive been to Morzine/ Les Gets couple times and the riding is incredible but the reason I wouldnt live year round is just the fact that the place is supposedly dead in the off season between Winter and Summer.

San Remo and prolly similar french equivalents are not that far away from morzine - also there is a season in between in such high mountains? Im sure that pretty close to morzine you can find year round snow resorts. It may not be exatly in the PDS area but I doubt its were Socket will find the job he is looking for. I was thinking about it myself though I dont yet have enough skills to sell and If I was in his place French/Swiss alpes boarder for sure.

I think Norbar nailed it on the head. My family has a couple of ski shops in Les Gets. They are busy year-round. They get a couple of weeks rest in the fall, but otherwise they're flat-out the rest of the time... besides, I would welcome a little bit of quiet time between the silly-seasons... ever been to those places off-season? Nice, quiet, relaxing.... you have the place to yourself, and it's vast...

 

[TheTruth]

Morzine is dope.

If you want to come to america, the east coast is pretty rad. So is the west. But the east and west have two way different riding style's.

 

[ZoRo]

p.s. Living the Dhers dream is the title and i don't think that anywhere else even comes close. Dreams aren't reality, and after having spent two seasons in Whis myself i can tell you that i don't think Whis is reality either.

Thank you for writing something really truthful. I spent 3 years riding the bike park in 02-03 and 04 and I left because "real" life was calling. Still miss those long afternoons where I went to ride after work on the extended play schedule...

For OP, the Denver, Boulder, Golden AKA Front Range area of Colorado is about as good as it gets for MTBing. A bit limited for DH spots, but crazy all-mountain rides, jump spots, etc... Boulder is building a world class bike park at Valmont park. Supposedly, it's gonna be off the hook and set the standard wolrdwide for city owned bike parks.

 

[xy9ine]

vancouver does rock indeed. i'm 5 mins from downtown, 15mins from the shore (or 1/2 hr to one of 3 ski hills come winter), and 1:15 to whistler (which i tragically don't get to often enough). moderate climate (can usually ride year round), and great multicultural diversity. main detractor is the price of admission, alas.

 

[norbar]

I think Norbar nailed it on the head. My family has a couple of ski shops in Les Gets. They are busy year-round. They get a couple of weeks rest in the fall, but otherwise they're flat-out the rest of the time... besides, I would welcome a little bit of quiet time between the silly-seasons... ever been to those places off-season? Nice, quiet, relaxing.... you have the place to yourself, and it's vast...

I know what you mean by a little quiet. My friends already bash me for being absent most of the weekends and Im quite far away from the hills. If I was living in the PDS area Id probalby be less present than Alan Moore when he ekhm searches for inspiration

 

[kidwoo]

Damn I got halfway down your first post thinking you should move next door to BuckoW and be ecstatic.

I still vote for somewhere in the alps where you can at least visit him

 

[norbar]

Damn I got halfway down your first post thinking you should move next door to BuckoW and be ecstatic.

I still vote for somewhere in the alps where you can at least visit him

I thought the same untill I noticed the swiss part.

 

[matsO]

Malaga in Spain is a good alternative for year round riding. There you have a real city, the mediterranean and good food. Not that near to the alps in winter though.

My own thoughts about the downhill dream means going with my GF at least 3 years and live a normal life with a proper job. The only difference from my current situation is new friends and mountains within a decent distance.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

this is a great thread, I have been wondering how i could do this myself...

In reality it should be easy for me, im single sort of (gf), make good money and dont own a house...Always poking around for the right gig in the right city. It's funny because I have a few non biking friends that move these places that are 'great' but to them that means good bars and all that city life jargon...

I have realized there are very few places i could actually move and be happy...Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are at the top of the list. Vancouver seems tough to find the proper work being a US citizen, and I have a technology skillset...keep this thing running it's a good read.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

Morzine is dope.

If you want to come to america, the east coast is pretty rad. So is the west. But the east and west have two way different riding style's.

You are right, living on the east coast is pretty damn good but what we dont have are the great all mountain rides many of these places have...DH is one thing but perfect terrain for a light 6" bike seems tough around here and that is one of my favorites.

 

[djjohnr]

- Somewhere it's possible for me to get work; that means I have to be allowed to work there (if in doubt, suggest something anyway, I'll find out if I'm allowed to work there), jobs have to be available, and it needs to be possible to live in reasonable conditions off whatever wages are available. Unfortunately, this rules Switzerland out, as I can't work there without sponsorship. Don't think I can easily work in the US either, need sponsorship or a green card, neither of which is easy to get from what I've been told.

What do you do for a living? That will heavily influence this part.

 

[slyfink]

Morzine is dope.

If you want to come to america, the east coast is pretty rad. So is the west. But the east and west have two way different riding style's.

You are right, living on the east coast is pretty damn good but what we dont have are the great all mountain rides many of these places have...DH is one thing but perfect terrain for a light 6" bike seems tough around here and that is one of my favorites.

yeah the east coast we have more gnarly rox(tm)

 

[Kevin]

Living in Morzine would be high on my list, havent been to Whistler but the whole Portes du soleil area would be perfect for what you want...

 

[JimLad]

If you lived in Seattle, Vancouver is pretty damn close. I for one am envious of anyone who can live in BC / Washington, I was in Whistler for two years and miss it every day.

Though I havn't really exploited my EU passport at all...

 

[dump]

I have realized there are very few places i could actually move and be happy...Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are at the top of the list. Vancouver seems tough to find the proper work being a US citizen, and I have a technology skillset...keep this thing running it's a good read.

Tech companies in Vancouver area hire Americans. A couple of guys from the game studio I used to work at went up there to work for EA Blackbox. Might be worth a look.

Cost of housing is easily 3x Pittsburgh however.

 

[mattmatt86]

Wherever Buckow lives...his pic's are always epic sauce.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

Tech companies in Vancouver area hire Americans. A couple of guys from the game studio I used to work at went up there to work for EA Blackbox. Might be worth a look.

Cost of housing is easily 3x Pittsburgh however.

yeah im aware, i think i could swing it though...

I am actually in the logistics technology arena which as we know Vancouver moves a ton of stuff...at some point i might end up there, it's just heaven for me...just got back from there last week and need to go back.

 

[marshalolson]

switzerland is the place to be for a mountain lifestyle without question.

it is however basically impossible to get a job, or afford the cost of living. but man is it the place to visit.

my vote would be to live/work jsut accross the border in the italian alps, which also rule, and a super easy trip to swiss for the epic-ness.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

yeah the east coast we have more gnarly rox(tm)

yeah but nomatter how hardcorzez the east coast acts like, the riding just isnt as good...

 

[norbar]

switzerland is the place to be for a mountain lifestyle without question.

it is however basically impossible to get a job, or afford the cost of living. but man is it the place to visit.

my vote would be to live/work jsut accross the border in the italian alps, which also rule, and a super easy trip to swiss for the epic-ness.

French Alpes have better connection and resorts. PDS is connected do swiss resorts by lifts