Had a great meeting yesterday with RaceFace at the HQ. Strand was there too. Very excited to be working with such a motivated company – I think we’ll be doing some pretty rad stuff this summer! Just so happened Claire posted this photo Reuben had published in Wideopen magazine of Strand and I on Whistler last September (ya – it lasted that long!). Stoked.
Reuben Krabbe's photo of Strand and I.
-Leishner
The end of 2011 became really hectic for me. Patrol had started up and was as busy and physically demanding as ever, I took and completed my Canadian Avalanche Association Operations Level 1 course and then Christmas hit. Christmas is an insane time for everyone, which is why I was so pumped when my complete 2012 Norco Sight showed up at Fanatyk Co’s doorstep on Christmas Eve.
2012 Norco Sight - so pumped!
The Sight 1 weighs in at just over 27lbs with a Rockshox Reverb and tires with tubes (rather than the tubeless conventional seatpost weigh in that happens a lot). This is nothing short of impressive for me, especially since I’ve spent years pedalling 34lb + bikes until now. I took it out for a shred with Gunner, Strand and Paulo a week and a half ago in Squamish and it pedaled super well (Shimano ten speed with the new XTR derailleur!) and shredded on the descents. I think I’m gonna love this one – and why wouldn’t I – it was designed by Owen Pemberton and PJ Hunton, the rockstars who brought us the Aurum!
Thanks Norco. So stoked to be a part of the program again.
-Leishner
It saddens me to add my first post in a while as a note about my friend Duncan Mackenzie, who passed away a week ago today in an avalanche in Caspar Creek just outside of Pemberton.
The news had come to both the skiing and biking world last week as a shock. Duncan was a good skier, a great person and incredibly knowledgeable in the backcountry. I saw him last Thursday morning as I prepared for an avalanche control start on my Monday and he got ready to head out with his friends to Caspar Creek (three other patrollers who are insanely experienced and skilled both in rescues and snow safety alike)…he was so pumped.
There are about a million details of my last few encounters with Duncan that have been ripping through my head like wildfire but the bottom line is that he was a great guy. In my rookie year of ski patrol, he would take the longer sweeps that I would be left with at the end of the day (that no one else wanted) so I could make it to work at Fanatyk Co on time. This past Christmas day, he figured out who all the patrollers were who were out working, pulling “wrecks”, etc, and saved us each a specially marked plate of dinner that had been made by two other patrollers (a Whistler Mountain Ski Patrol Christmas tradition). He didn’t take credit for it. He just did it.
Tomorrow is his “Celebration of Life” at the Telus Conference Centre in Whistler, which, I doubt will be big enough even though it’s likely the biggest venue in the Sea to Sky. In a way, I’m looking forward to it. It has been a gnarly, gnarly week and I’m ready to celebrate my friend Duncan, try to say goodbye with my friends who knew him and loved him and smile when I think of him. There have been so many painful, gutwrenching moments since last Thursday and I really can’t do them any justice in words. I will miss him forever and I will appreciate the time I did spend with him, laughing, carpooling, skiing and chatting on early mornings in the locker room. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, his best friends and his girlfriend who he adored and admired so much…
Rest in peace, Duncan. You will be missed.
6 days straight on the bike in Pemberton turned directly into my first days putting in fences and temporary boundaries on the mountain. Training with Strand Training has commenced and the work-to-offset-biking-season has fully begun!
"What, are you made of sugar?" - that's what Paul Stevens said to get me out to Pemberton on this day. At the end, I felt like I absolutely was - but it was still worth it.
Out with the genetic freaks - Gunner, Strand, Sylvie Allen and Paulo. Another super rad day.
Solo mission on the dream lap - my last ride to date. No Err, Cream Puff - Moby Dick - Dark Forest 2. Ah. Pemberton.
Yesterday. Day one in ski boots in the middle of a storm. Hard to believe I was riding my bike in a jersey the day before just down the road. Here we go winter - Whistler Mountain opens tomorrow!
-Leishner
Yep. Here it is. Winter. Patrol training last week. Current holding pattern for full time on the mountain again. Getting really great at riding stationary bikes so I figure I’ll have slow race domination down to a science come spring time.
I usually try not to double post photos from the Canadian DH Girls site to my own, but this is worth it. Patrol training last week - gondola evac process.
-Leishner
From almost a month in Calgary/Fernie, that is. I headed out to my old zone of Canada Olympic Park to run some sliding sessions at the bobsleigh/luge/skeleton track there for my old Vanoc friend Tyler. He needed a hand getting the Control/Timing operators all set for their winter season over there and was shorthanded experienced folks for a couple of weeks. Perfect for me – he sent me out there, I got to stop in Fernie to hang with the Leishman clan and then I caught up with my old colleagues at COP for a bit. Even got to hang out with my very good friend Laura Frank. Gunner flew in at the end and we shredded Moose Mountain too…I call that winning in the off season!
Mid climb up the Moose Mountain shuttle road on my first attempt. Found out later that there is a designated climbing trail in place there now - 10k of mellow climbing to super fun descents!
Inside Canada Olympic Park's Ice House - indoor training facility for sliding athletes to work on their track starts in the summer.
Driving along a chinook arch on our way to Longview, Alberta.
Ranch Time! My friend Laura's family's 1920s ranch outside of Longview, Alberta. So impressive.
And now I’m back and it’s already snowing to the valley in Whistler. This week is ski patrol training week and I’m prayyyyying that I can get back on the Vixa next week before I’m in my ski boots full time again. Fingers crossed.
-Leishner
This has been coming for a while but what I love about being in Bern Unlimited’s catalog is that it’s with a photo that Gunner took. Sweet. Chad Hendren (especially) introduced me to Josh from Bern last year. They have the best pumptrack and ski helmets out there (and they’re working on a fullface design!)- I love mine so much. Thanks Bern!
Ya Bern Catalog! Gunner photo.
-Leishner
Yep, that’s me these days. As I book my time into October and our “off season” (not really!), I am looking back at my September calendar. Kinda nuts – after trips to Stevens Pass, the Gravity Logic Forum, our recent trip to the Chilcotins and days here and there patrolling and working at the shop, it’s been completely non-stop. Not that I’m complaining – I’ve had tons of time on my bike and as soon as we got back from our awesome trip to the Chilcotins, it was go time in the bike park with all of our friends in rad indian summer weather.
Stopped for a second in the Chilcotins with 3 of my favorite women and another 11 of my favorite shredders from Whistler (you can also see Jay Cyr, Paul Stevens and Chris Kovarik in the background).
Todd Hellinga snapped this one on our big day up to Camel Pass. There were moments when it was hard to take in the views because of the wind or just having my head down grinding out the distance, but it pretty much looked like this the whole time. Rad.
The Chilcotins trip last week was great. A new experience for me, but I enjoyed myself. We didn’t exactly rough it, though, as we all stayed in one of the Morrow Chalets in Tyax (the biggest one for all 12 of us) and cooked amazing meals for the entire 3 day trip. We managed one alpine day (above) but were forced into the lower areas of the area after the crap weather settled in. Still awesome and a bit of a learning curve for me – even though I have spent more time on my trail bike than ever this season, it doesn’t come as easily to me as being on my big bike does. It’s getting better though!
Strand says I should be entering the “active recovery” stage of my training cycle this season, meaning still riding but not as hard or far or long as we did all summer. Feeling a bit tired but already setting goals up for next season that are motivating me to do double headers on the gym/trails. I guess it’s still a one step at a time kinda program…
-Leishner
Got home the other night from Stevens Pass Washington. What a rad trip. We wanted to head down there (Strand, Claire and I) to take some photos in their brand new bike park built with the help of Gravity Logic this summer and the timing and players involved with the trip couldn’t have worked out better. Mason Mashon agreed to join us at the last minute to ride and work behind the lens and he proved to be the perfect addition to our crew. Mellow, hilarious, hardworking and an incredible rider…ideal!
Strand takes a turn behind the lens while Claire and Mason take turns shredding.
On the first day we rode a shuttle trail in Leavenworth. Gnarly. Totally not what the three of us are used to – sandy, hot (like 36 degrees hot), exposed and with pretty big jumps. In half a day, we managed to get one scouting run in and another to shoot – high intensity, high consequence. Fun. So glad I was with Claire and Strand and Mase – it was the perfect crew to learn some of the features on the trail with and manage the heat with great jokes.
The next morning we were up bright and early to play at Stevens Pass. They have done an incredible job there on the trails they have done so far and they were super kind to have us there. Pro shuttled us all morning, we had lunch with their amazing crew…it was perfect. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, Stevens will be the place to shred nearby!
That’s pretty much all the info I’m going to share for now – we’re putting our work together on this and you’ll see more of it somewhere soon!
Thanks to Joel Martinez at Stevens Pass and Tom Pro for the kindness and hospitality. We had a great trip and we really appreciate the help!
-Leishner
Very excited to start working with the newly reconstructed Race Face in the women’s soft goods world as of last week. The company had a bit of a rough go last spring but is famous for over a decade of time developing products for mountain biking based out of their Vancouver location. So pumped – this is a small group of people who wear so many hats with the company. They love the sport, love their brand, work their asses of to come up with stuff we love and are good to riders like me. Thanks Race Face!
Thanks Race Face! Stoked...
Now off to Stevens Pass, Washington to check out their brand new trails with Strand, Claire and Mason Mashon!
-Leishner
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