WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES VINCENT
British Columbia. Those two words resonate with mountain bikers across the globe and conjure up images of legendary mountain biking films and epic photoshoots. From the deep, dank forests and wooden skinnies of Vancouver’s North Shore, to the sculpted jumps and berms of Whistler’s worldrenowned bike park, western Canada has got it in spades (whatever ‘it’ might be). Sure, sunny California might shout loudest about its claim to be the birthplace of mountain biking, but it’s the wetter, gnarlier environs of western and central Canada that are arguably closer to the hearts of UK riders. Before boarding the last leg of my flight over here, the departure board is filled with such evocative destinations as Kamloops and Whistler, and at once I realise this is it! I’ve been reading about these riding spots for most of my adult life and finally I’m here. This is my ground zero.