A trip to paradise for a frenchy

Whistler, British Columbia, Vancouver, A-Line, Dirt Merchant are some name common in magazines and in videos.

Well these words sound like magical for someone from the old continent. Then after years of saving and dreaming I did the trip to BC.

I think for most of you these words will be like “hum CBC is just next door”. For me it’s like being a 5 years old kid the morning of Christmas.

I’am at Paris Charles De Gaulle airport ready with my boarding pass it’s pouring rain. My Scream is fine his dakine box . I have a rush of image in my head from video or magazines. Now I’m going to BC waw that’s really I’m not dreaming!

14 hours later on the Canadian ground in Vancouver airport

My friend (Cervo) pick me us with my buddies and say these words: “hey guys let’s ride it’s only 4 o clock what do you think about riding CBC?”

This question still resonate in my head one month after.

The answer was “OH YES Let’s go!!!!!”

Crossing Vancouver was for me unreal big building, Stanley park, big bridges, sea, mountains, hot chicks…. Waw is the paradise here ??

We arrive at CBC Parking lot well now time to do mechanic. Building a bike fast with close to no sleep and being sure that everything is tighten is funny. In a half hour the bikes were build nice work guys! Let’s ride ! CBC was for me really crazy flow awesome trail building(I was a member of Wagrain mountain bike park Trail crew last summer) the armouring is such a beauty. (now I want do that on my home trail well there is no rocks…)

The ride was unreal we were half a sleep it’s like 5 in the morning in France that was crazy . We did CBC to salvation to pingu to team pangor (don’t really remember the order sorry Locals). Stoping in front of every stunt, every piece of slat of cedar I rode my first real log ride !!

At the end of the run I was so tired but our smile were cutting or face in 2 pieces this moment was magical.

Then we drove to whistler on the famous sea to sky highway such a nice scenerary!

We crashed in a friend of friend unit at brio staff housing it 11 here and like 7 in france what a DAY!!

The following day was the time of accommodation and season pass buying. We didn’t even set up our stuff at our place we went straight for a ride!

And now we are discovering Whistler trails : B-line, Crank it up, heart of darkness for warm up a couple of times.

Then someone said” let’s ride A line ! “

And we did half a dozen of A line lap or Dirt merchant to A line . I started to be really tired then on my last run on A line I took a bad line and crashed on the technical section. That was just a simple OTB on this tiny rock face. But my Elbow hurt quite a lot, Pull the sleeve of my jacket and waw! A nice hole in my arm was here just deep enough to put a pen in it. I roll slowly down to a patroller who advice me to go to the clinic! Well what a holiday beginning!

After 2 days off the trail I ripped new lower crank it up, A line dirt merchant and others.

I met Alan very shortly just the time for me to do a quick test on the wildcard. The geometry is great the only thing this bike need it flipping doing 360 it’s like a mix between a dirt jump hardtail and a freeride that should be a weapon for A line and other jumpy trail.

The next few days was just ride ride ride and beer at the GLC.

We did the travel to Woodlot to have a look to platinium and the other trail.

The only thing is that it took us 5hours to find woodlot. We did the push up and start going down platinium but at the second jump cervo (my buddy) crashed pretty hard then we rode down slowly and we walk down heckle and jeckel. These are nice trails.

Back in whistler we spend time doing photo doing the sweep and drinking beer perfect holidays for mountain bikers. Some afternoon chilling at lost lake.

We did some XC runs (the scream can really pedal!!) These runs are really nice I advice everyone to try : Fountain of love, Pinocchio…

I met Shin at the Fitzsimmons lift that was great to share our idea about riding , whistler, banshee. When you meet banshee riders you know you are in a Pride and gives us a kind of identity among this massive business of bikes

One of my buddies left Vancouver one week before me then we drove back to Vancouver and we rode CBC before dropping him at the airport. After that we did bit of tourism: Grandville island the steam clock …

Then we went to Seymour for a ride we pushed up for 30 min but the night was running after us a local told us that we can go on the top but the ride would be a bit dark (That wasn’t a bit ) It was real night then the ride down wasn’t that great it was sketchy but we discovered Vancouver by night it was really beautifull.

The few days was just riding the park. And we did the peak to creek ride on Babylon. This run was really nice and long ( I thought that a Rune would be the perfect bike for this)

This was my last run on whistler I can’t believe that it’s all ready finish one month it’s too short I gonna miss all the run, the bears crossing the boneyard, the kokannee at GLC, the women Wednesday. Now I have the Whistler deprivation! I ‘ll be back!

I want thank Banshee Bikes, jay, keith, Spinergy to allow me to ride on awesome stuff and which give me so much pleasure and fun. I want thank Cervo, Molly, David, to be such good buddies for this trip, Shin for his availability and passion of bikes that was great to put a face on an internet name.