With a Lynx and a Fist Full of Dollars

Whip Off contest in Big White - photo by Yoann Barelli

Kelowna was hot, dry, and offered an abundance of fresh fruit. Tanya ate a lot of fruit… Tanya loves fruit. We scored a fantastic sleeping spot and parked the van next to a popular climbing hangout. We enjoyed a short hike and dipped our feet in the chilly KLO Creek. The following day we attempted to ride Mission Creek MTB Skills Park, a dirt jump location, but after a few laps we bailed. It was too dry, hot, and heavy so we went and jumped in the Okanagan Lake, a recommendation from a guy who was off to pan for gold. We took it easy, relaxed with some clean laundry and planned our adventure to Big White. 

During the drive to Big White we perfected our climbing technique with the van and settled on an approach that kept things relatively cool – she goes slowly but she goes! We slept with the van nested into a stand of small cedars along a logging road. As dusk approached we relaxed with a cup of bedtime tea and spotted a lynx silently slipping into the bushes across from the van. Perhaps the lynx wanted to join us for the beautiful salmon dinner we had enjoyed about an hour earlier. 

We planned our arrival in Big White to coincide with the Big White Freeride Days. In it’s second year, the Tom Van Steenbergen Slopestyle Slopestyle Invitational was not to be missed. We decided to send an email and sign up to volunteer for the Slopestyle and Air DH events – anything for a free lift ticket and a fried chicken sandwich. Seriously, the Broken Anchor food truck served up a crazy delicious fried chicken sandwich and everyone likes a good fried chicken sandwich. Volunteering as course maintenance/course marshals meant that we were well positioned to see the best slopestyle riders in the world from within all the action. It was incredible to see legendary athletes like Nicholi Rogatkin, Emil Johansson, Erik Fedco, Tom Isted, Reed Boggs, and Carson Storch land big tricks and rival each other for the win.  

From the top of the course

Along with the Gold Invitational, Big White’s Freeride Days included a bronze slopestyle category with an invitation for the top 5 competitors to join the Gold competition, a women’s slopestyle category, and a Whip Off event. A Whip Off is a contest that has riders sailing through a single massive jump while attempting to create the biggest whip, a trick that involves moving the bike sideways in the air before bringing it back to centre for the landing. After working as course marshal, FX quickly grabbed his Specialized Demo 8 and lined up alongside legendary freeriders like R-Dog, Casey Brown, and Mark Wallace for the whip off. He executed a perfect suicide no-hander, sailing through the Clif flags and was rewarded with a stunning photograph taken by Yoann Barelli. Tanya marshalled the Whip Off and was rewarded with a massive arm workout after lifting everyone’s DH bikes up onto the start platform. 

Strapped in and ready to rock

The weekend was over, the event wrapped up and we were ready to start riding. The day parking in Big White requires you to take a shuttle service up to the lift. The driver of the shuttle service deserves a 5-star review for safely securing our bikes and always playing the best tunes. 

After loading the bikes we headed up the mountain and rode lap after lap of Ace of Spades into The Joker into Black Mamba, three connecting flowy jump trails. Ace of Spades, a black diamond flow trail provided jumps, drops, and a beautiful view before snaking into The Joker, Big White’s double black jump trail, a trail with classic style that starts with a gap jump.  

The drive to Kamloops was absolutely incredible. With our eyes peeled open scanning for wildlife we spotted 2 moose and a couple of coyotes. Sleeping in the van, we usually try to find a dark, quiet, secluded spot to sleep but highway 5 offered a view too gorgeous to pass by.

With a tinge of nervous energy, we ate dinner and tried to get some rest before the following day’s big ride. Resting was not an easy task as we were incredibly excited to ride the infamous Kamloops Bike Ranch, the largest municipal bike park in North America and a prominant location renowned for freeride jumps and features that have riders soaring across the semi-arid landscape. The terrain is dry and hot, desert-like, with a dust finer than talcum powder. We walked the trails, spotting the numerous features we had seen in bike videos and taking a moment to visit the old FEST series line. 

Drop on Fist Full of Dollars 

We rode Tumbleweed, a blue jump trail, and decided we needed to score some lunch. As it started to rain we headed off to buy some snacks and brake pads – we always need brake pads. The climate in Kamloops is very dry but when it rains it pours! The rain came hard and fast but within minutes after stopping the sun baked the soil and the trails were dry and sticky. We returned to look at the drop on Fist Full of Dollars, the first feature on Kamloops’s double black jump line. Just to be clear… sometimes a double black trail is a small step up from a single black and sometimes a double black trail is a very significant step up from a single black. Fist Full of Dollars requires riders to sail through the air across very large gap jumps to execute perfect landings and maintain the speed required for the next hit. The jumps are massive, technical, and hold heavy consequences. All with the backdrop of beautiful sage bushes, a wide everlasting sky, and the occasional coyote. We hit the drop on Fist Full of Dollars, the biggest drop Tanya’s ever soared off of, and FX worked on a couple of the jumps that came after the drop. 

Taking flight on Fist Full of Dollars 

The features look intimidating and the landings are precise but the adrenaline fueled satisfaction that follows makes it worth the risk. The black jump trail Wrangler was also a favourite, with impeccably built jumps and optional lines that push the rider to hold onto the speed needed to clear the features further down the trail.

Working on large jumps and features can be both physically and mentally exhausting as it requires the ability to read the lines in the trail, calculate perfect landings, regulate speed, and assess risk. Or you can just send it – sometimes that works! Kamloops Bike Ranch left us in an athlete infused mix of contentment and an aspiration to go bigger next time. As we planned our exit from Kamloops to Pemerberton we realized a much needed rest was in order. Sometimes a cup of coffee and a relaxing nap in a hammock is all you need to recharge and be ready for the next ride…. but that’s a story for another day.