*lede image byTaylor Burk
I’ve never really owned a mountain bike, nor have I ever been on a mountain biking trip. But things are about to change.
There’s a beautiful thing about mountain biking that we can all relate to—pure outdoor enjoyment. I grew up snowboarding and now spend my winters riding professionally. My summers are spent skating and chasing waves. With a long history of outdoor living and thrill seeking I’m always keen to try new ways to go fast and catch air.
The opportunity to do so recently materialized in the form of a long weekend with our friends at Specialized in my new favorite mountain town, Fernie, British Columbia—a quaint little town tucked away in the Canadian Rockies miles off the well traveled path.
Born from coal mining and released of its curse in the 1960s as it began to evolve into an outdoor enthusiast’s playground, Fernie is what I’d call the perfect town.
Surrounded by mountains, the mountain resort is just minutes from town, offering endless bike trails ranging from groovy scenic rides to full throttle downhill gnar. And if that quick drive is a little too far for you, the local bike park is just a few blocks’ pedal away at the bottom of the Montane trail network, where our adventure began.
It wasn’t long into my first day of riding the new Enduro that I realized some surprising parallels between mountain biking and snowboarding. You pick your line and go, using all the terrain that gets in your way to bank a turn or pump for speed. And if all goes right, a permanent smile will be plastered on your face for the rest of day.