seasons

i saw a leaf fall today. it's coming. here's Teton Gravity's latest trailer from their upcoming movie "Session". The cast features Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Seth Morrison, Kye Petersen, Ian McIntosh, Dana Flahr, Dylan Hood, Erik Roner, Wiley Miller, Dash Longe, Tanner Hall, Sammy Carlson and Callum Pettit. The movie was shot in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Alagna, Italy; Poland; Slovakia; Haines, Alaska; Stevens Pass, Wash.; Colorado; Utah; Montana; and Pemberton, B.C. Want to see the film on the big screen? Click here to get the tour schedule.

More Danny MacAskill Riding His Bike

We're you one of the 10 million people who watched Danny MacAskill's ultraviral trails vid recently? You know the one. Here's another piece of Scottish trails action by MacAskill, an ad for a job recruiting firm. Impressive. Makes me want to get a job.

the way it used to be

I like this photo. It was taken three years ago on the top of a lift station on the top of a mountain in Switzerland. This is a private group of friends that joined us on a super Cloudraker all-mountain trip that i will not soon forget. We laughed and we rode a lot. Back then on Cloudraker we'd spend several nights sleeping in alpine huts which made the trip more exciting but also more challenging logistically and more tiring for all. Now we stay in two hotels for the 9 night duration - unpack your bags, saunter down to the bar after a day of riding - it's more of a holiday now then in years past. That's not to say that we don't enjoy the more adventurous itineraries...if you have a group and you'd like us to take you on an epic all-mountain trip where we stay in huts most of the time, just holler. What about a circumnavigation of Mont Blanc?

One of those experiences that sticks

It's been a few weeks now since i've returned from the Yukon, one of Canada's three northern Territories. I'd had several close friends who had been and some who'd even lived up there for a few summers. I'd heard good things, but I didn't go up expecting too much. Now that i'm home though and i've had some time to recover and reflect...it was a trip that i won't soon forget. I hope that you enjoy this video and I hope that you consider flying up to Whitehorse next summer to join Ray on a great trip. I'll be up there again in 2010....

Midnight Sun: Yukon Territory with Big Mountain from big mountain on Vimeo.

Joe rides iceland

On assignment for Bike Magazine, Kona rider and Big Mountain guide on our Swiss Alpenrock DH trip, Joe Schwartz drops in off of Blue Mountain in the remote southern mountains of Iceland...

Icelandic Mountain Biking from Joe Schwartz on Vimeo.

Photos: Mitchell Scott

downhilling in switzerland slideshow...

great photos from Matthew Trudeau who joined us on an Alpenrock DH trip this summer...

kluane

we decided not to ride the Cottonwood trail yesterday which was probably a smart idea but it was still a tough one. it just means that we'll have to come back. cottonwood is a 12+ hour truly remote adventure in a zone with the highest concentrations of grizzlies in the world...in a gorgeous national park, kluane. our crew is a little punched from the many days of riding so we thought that it'd be best to not attempt this big ride. instead we rode another great and much shorter route and ended up tipping back our first martini around 430pm in a cool cabin with no electricity and in the middle of nowhere. ah...how nice it is to be up here...and the riding rocks!

larger than life

cruising on a sunny afternoon along the Yukon river. very beautiful.


Paul and the horns of a sheep that he took down on a local mountain, and carried out himself. Kona is licking his lips...

big. wide open. the Yukon. day 3 here and i feel like it's been a few weeks. i was told that the riding was good, but i did not expect this. the singletrack is unreal - from man-made mountain bike specific singletrack that makes you howl outloud to high alpine remote action with staggering views of remote northern Canadian landscape. internet is sporadic here so i won't go into too much detail. one thing for sure, if your looking for a great xc trip next summer (august 2010) on barely-ridden trails then keep in touch. more to come soon...

Riding bikes and UFO's in Yukon Territory...

So we're heading up to the Great White North in a few days to explore some new trails in the Yukon Territory and get our Yukon Gold trip finally up and running for 2010. As journalist Dave Smith writes on Twitter, "Whitehorse weather report calls for a 30% chance of rain and 40% chance of grizzly bear mauling." The grizzlies are one thing, but how about the UFOs? Turns out that we'll be riding Montana Mountain which just happens to be where a solid UFO sighting occurred from a geologist in 1988. Here is a spine tingling excerpt from his diary on that fateful night...get the full scoop on the UFO BC website.. Check back here for updates on this adventure...

EXCERPT FROM DIARY OF DES CLARK:

Tuesday 15 March, 1988

"Cabin very hot from cooking stew and wood stove – went for walk @ 2430 hrs. Had experience of a lifetime! Coming back and almost to cabin, aircraft came over south ridge very slowly lost altitude and hovered around sta’s 26-1 à 26-2. Craft was so called UFO – blueish aura on periphery of inverted bowl – very low pulsing hum; no wind so everything quiet except for barely discernable humming noise. Cannot describe blue/grey light – didn’t seem to have any specific source – just all over edge and upper overt. Craft was below the ridge to the west of cabin so distance easy to determine due to our survey grid lines – large diameter – noticed blueish light or glow on my hands and clothing – dog and I are being observed I’m sure of it as the craft sideslipped to within 150-200 meters horizontal and possibly 30 meters above us – damn! Could almost touch the bloody thing – when craft slipped in, dog started barking and ran behind the wood pile at the cabin – first impulse was run to cabin and get shotgun – stupid – just stayed there – not frightened somehow – cannot determine if any control surfaces – seemed omni-directional – no port, starboard, nose or tail – movements were smooth and I sense very deliberate. Christ! I’ve been at this cabin 3 weeks and even as I write I know some will think I’ve gone crackers. I’m bloody sure we (dog and I) were being observed but so overwhelmed did not notice ports, windows or such. Seemed like forever that craft in the valley. The machine left in a tight 180 degree turn to the NE quadrant; through east and up through the south – gained altitude with tremendous acceleration although no propulsion noise except humming and no sound of air displacement -- the latter I found strange as it defies physical law! Will not call this UFO because it isn’t – it’s a bloody flying machine – true and simple. Although not frightened when all was happening; went into cabin and it took me 4 matches to light the propane stove – noticed that dog wasn’t around – went back outside to call him – no dog – back into cabin – had to hold my cup of tea with both hands to keep from slopping it all over. The time is 0222 hrs of the 16th March and it has taken me and hour and a half to stop shaking enough to put this to paper – dog isn’t outside – he just crawled out from beneath the bunk – he has been hiding under the bed all this time! As I write this the impact of the experience is coming home – I know I’ll never be the same again and why wasn’t there someone else here to witness it also – if only dogs could talk!"

Peru in Pedal Magazine

Check out the June issue of Canada's Pedal Magazine for a great article on our Peru all-mountain trip, Unforgettable Andes, from journalist Jason Sumner. This trip is absolutely unreal. Trust us. We'll have our 2010 dates posted in the coming weeks.


Big Mountain guide and mountain biker extraordinaire...Andreas Hestler!

crankworx slopestyle finals slow-mo footie

Watch this video and you'll really appreciate what the riders were pulling off in the slopestyle finals....very very impressive.

2009 Crankworx Slopestyle Finals - More Mountain Bike Videos

zermatt last week from the eyes of joe schwartz...

Swiss Bliss! from Joe Schwartz on Vimeo.

two girls and a fixie...

riding with Joe in the Alps

Our annual Swiss Alpenrock DH trips are happening as we speak. Want to ride with Joe next year in Switzerland? Keep your eyes peeled here...we're working on 2010 dates and details now and will have them posted very soon. Enjoy the rest of summer!!
Read Joe's Kona Cog blog here.
Thanks to Scott Hagarty for these fine photos.


Schwartzy hitting a little wall ride at the Crans-Montana bike park.


The group of Alpenrock I on top of Gornergrat, high above Zermatt. Looks like a great day!

more crankworx...sat ride!

Ahhhhhhhh....Khyber. So we were graciously given some free day passes to the Whistler Bike Park which we put to very good use. After several coffees and a crack-of-noon meeting in the village we boarded the gondola for the 20 min cruise up Whistler Mountain. A few scenic viewings and token pointing to distant vista, we boarded our steeds for the 30 min climb to the peak and down to the Khyber into Babylon and into Tunnel Vision, a head-shakingly sweet and technical singletrack descent that ends near Creekside. Highlights...taking turns following Gray Rodier and Paddy Kaye on Khyber - railing tech root sections that can be taken at speed with uphill slopes that can be coasted up...Babylon and it's video game of overgrown saplings a la two wheel drift and finally Tunnel Vision which has been worked on and has some killer wood ramps and new berms. What a ride! Rolled home for a quick shower and a few beers and straight to the Crankworx Slopestyle event...


PK negotiating some roots and rocks and trees...


Gray with his wheels in the air, again.

crankworx..friday ride

my Crankworx Whistler week-end was all about riding epic all-mountain singletrack with Pemberton + Whistler + Squamish friends...what a blast! On Friday our good friends at Chromag Bikes hosted a fantastic ride-bbq-beers event. We left the Chromag headquarters in Function Junction and headed up Flank trail on the westside of the valley and rode Cheap Thrills and a quiver of other trails that i can't remember and 4 hours or so later we were enjoying cold beers and smokies. Thanks to Ian Ritz and Kevin Phelps and Chromag for the great times. That night turned into a shaker...drinks are the Blake Jorgenson Gallery and then more drinks and carousing at the Fireside and the 10th anniversary of New World Disorder. Congrats on the milestone and thanks for the great movies.


Ryan Sullivan, Paddy Kaye, Ian Ritz and Paulo Valle...and 19 other rippers about to start off.


Jonny I from Pemby Bike Co and his dog.

performance

Peru with journalist Jason Sumner

Why don't you come to Peru with us in 2010? It's quite possibly the best mountain bike destination on the planet!! Read journalist Jason Sumner's words here and start planning...

Brandon Semenuk's Crankworks Colorado practice runs...

Brandon Semenuk POV Camera Crankworx Colorado... - More Mountain Bike Videos

PK's summer

Our friend Paddy Kaye's helmet cam footage...Park City Utah, Nelson BC, Gray Rodier on Windy Pass near Whistler and some from our Swiss Cloudraker trip from a few weeks ago. Looks like a great summer...

09 rides from paddy kaye on Vimeo.