Porcupine Rim iphone shots. Cactus and a contender for the best trail ever.

I’m going back every year for the rest of my life! The Sight 1 and Gunner’s Sight got a ton of attention (they absolutely killed it out there) and Strand and I brought the sideshow with our matching outfits from day to day. We sure are so lucky to have such an amazing sport as a part of our lives.

Our week-long caravan of Strand's subaru with Strand, Tobias and Paulo and the Gunner and Sarah show in the Much Vibe. Not to mention the amazing trailheads.

We loved the 10, 000 vertical foot ride down Porcupine Rim (check out Coyote Shuttles at the Chile Pepper Bike Shop) so much that we did the shuttle twice – and of course, had an aim to shred it as fast as we could the second time around, stopping as seldom as possible. I think it might have been one of the best days I’ve ever had on a bike – and that is saying something!

Porcupine Rim hammer shred. We started near the top of those mountains and still had so much more to ride!

It sure was rad to go away for two weeks and come back to summer time in Whistler. Just did a lap on the west side on the trail bikes and the bike park opens tomorrow. The energy in town right now is awesome and tomorrow is the Strength in Numbers Whistler premiere! Stoked…

-Leishner

-Leishner

Smith eyewear has arrived!

Just finished a pretty big shred around Squamish today with a great crew of folks. Let’s just say the riding season has fully begun in the Sea To Sky and I’m loving being on my bike!

-Leishner

Reuben landed that snow photo I posted earlier and this one of Strand and I as double page spreads in MBR last month. Win!

Strand and I for Reuben Krabbe last year. Double pager in MBR magazine this month.

Been trying to get some riding in on the Sight again…

Not a bad pedal up Nimby this past weekend...

Aaaand counting down the days to the end of winter. Tough to imagine when it looks like this day after day…

Storm days.

-Leishner

Top Of The World – NEW Alpine Trail from Whistler Blackcomb on Vimeo.

Summer 2012 can’t come soon enough!

-Leishner

Chris Rudolf. Rest in Peace.

In addition to all of his work to get the Stevens Pass Bike Park going, Chris was responsible for compiling hours and hours of video that told people Stevens’ story. I picked one of my favorites but you can find many of his videos on You Tube. This was put out last spring to show the efforts the team at Stevens went through to build trails…

-Leishner

Reuben Krabbe's photo of Strand and I.

-Leishner

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

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.

"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