It truly is one of the most amazing places on the globe. The trails are second to none, the jumps are perfectly crafted, the beers are ice cold and there's mountain bikers everywhere. Inside is an article and a few photos to whet your Whistler whistle...
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Words and Photos by David Peacock
It’s one thing to be in the Whistler Bike Park during Crankworx, or for any race or event, but it’s an entirely different experience when you’re there solely to ride. Most of the time I spend in the bike park is for shooting either stills or video, covering races and filming for clients. This summer, though, I took the opportunity to spend a weekend entirely without cameras (well, almost). My good friends and partners in crime Liam Mullany and Andre Nutini accompanied me on this trip, making it one of the most enjoyable times I’ve ever had on the best trails in the world.
Our trusted rides...
Click the photos for the BIG, hi-res versions.
The pointiest of elbows are out on Blue Velvet...
We had all been off our bikes for a significant period of time, between university and work, so a “filmer’s paradise” trip was long overdue. Liam picked up a new Norco Aurum en route, Andre’s Devinci Wilson had been gathering dust over the winter, and my trusty Giant Faith was dreading yet another brake bump beating. The name of the game all weekend was lower mountain laps (Dirt Merchant laps, to be more specific), but we were sure to mix it up and grab a few runs from the top of Garbanzo.
Garbo Laps were mandatory, and although the runout to Filthy Ape (one of the notorious rock faces on the upper mountain) was less than groomed, it was perfect for big bikes.
Liam tests the waters...
...and drops in smoothly.
There’s really just nothing like Dirt Merchant though. The way it steps up and down, and winds from left to right is undeniably fun. In our opinion, it was the best trail of the weekend, from the tacky dirt and perfect berms to the jumps that never seem to end. Even the braking bumps seem to be less present on DM.
Colston VB, professional skier and good friend of ours, took a break from his duties on the glacier to join us for a few runs. He killed it on a borrowed bike!
Liam Mullany getting stylish in the top photo, and getting creative behind the lens in the bottom one. A man of many talents.
The deepest of berms, this right hander on Dirt Merchant feels like you're in a fighter jet.
"Put your cameras away and let me ride!"
The 4X course is all time this year!
It wasn’t entirely fun and games though, as the bike park will almost certainly deal a rough hand to either your body or your bike if you stay for long enough. My punched out Giant Faith started to feel more and more like a sack of potatoes, and being our first voyage into the bike park for the year, we were all struggling with some serious hand pain. For every problem, though, there is an appropriate solution. My bike was in dire need of repairs, so I took it into Evolution Bike Shop while we numbed our hands at the GLC. Evolution tends to have quick service and really good mechanics, so it’s always my first choice when the steed is feeling down it’s a bit more or a “community shop” than some of the others in the village.
Evolution's test bikes are Demos, their logo is a dragon, and they rule. Check them out.
Sore hands are the name of game, but it's oh so worth it.
To fix our hand pain we spent our nights sipping Stokers at the Longhorn, which is the best way to forget about all of your worst runs, apparently. It was the best time I’ve had in Whistler for years; between the best trails in the world, the best friends around, and perfect conditions both weather and park wise, it was a trip to be remembered.
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