Ask Wade: Part II
Words from the Godfather
When Cam and I sat down at Brazza for a good coffee a while ago I had the idea that I wanted to be more involved with NSMB - well not just NSMB but with the whole body of mountain bikers out there that frequent the site. I proposed this "ask Wade" column and he seemed to be interested. After some logistical figuring out we launched it and in the first day it received a hundred questions! I'm stoked, then I realized I have to wade through them and choose the best. Not easy work because they are all good and bring up excellent points - and I want to reply to all but can't. So don't feel bad if I don't answer your question - if it really matters to you send it a few times and then I might realize the importance of it. Also I would like to dive into the political side of riding, the people and places and of course the emotion. I received not so much a question but a tear jerker of a story from Simon Gauthier who went through some tragic times but who is now back on the bike a more alive than ever!
This is good stuff!
Thanks for all the emails - keep 'em coming!
Wade,
Long time fan, first time emailer.
I was wondering how much input you get to have for product development when it comes to R&D for your sponsors. Have you ever simply phoned them up and said that something needs changing, then presto, it was on next year's line-up?
Cheers,
Adrian Daniel
- 22 year old UBC Engineering student: Freerider, XC geek and closet roadie living Point Grey, Vancouver.
You know Adrian that is a good question! It's not as simple as you state in your question about phoning them up and changing something but I definitely have the opportunity for some good input. With long time sponsors like Rocky Mountain and Marzocchi there is a trust that is built and a relationship with the engineers that facilitates the ideas. I really enjoy sitting down with the design team and working from scratch and seeing the proto-type on through to production! Another positive attribute to this is having some mechanical background which validates your ideas - because as you know engineers take things a little personal!!! ha ha
But like anything good it takes time and patience to create something great and this is the frustrating side of business, the "red tape." It
is absolutely a fringe benefit of the job though! You have any good ideas for me to steal?
Thanks,
Wade
Wade chained to a desk while the snow falls in North Van. Photo ~ Cam McRae
Well "hi",
Any advice is good advice...
My name is Cathie and I live in Victoria BC were I have been riding and show jumping horses since I was little,a true passion of mine until...
I sat my ass on a Banshee scream belonging to my new boyfriend (at the time) four and a half years ago (still a good date) at Whistler. I have never had sooo much fun in all my life!! I have since been riding locally when ever I get a chance and have a Banshee Chaparral (more my size) and an Azonic steelhead for park riding and such.
My question is:
Rob is very good at dirt jumping, ripping up the trails, jibbing about and well....you get it.
How can I as a 40 year old girl catch up to his skill level without making him crazy with the"baby take me riding so I can learn" line?
He loves to ride with his buddies and I know I am one of them but I learn so much more when we are alone. I am at the stage were I am doing ladder drops, skinnies, some gap jumps with confidence but need more miles and encouragement.
Thanks for your thoughts and do know we share your love for biking,
Cathie
PS. Whistler is my favourite place.
Hi Cathie
So sounds like you need to do some secret training then come out guns blazing and impress him with your skills! Maybe?.... Ha ha. Anyway - have you looked into some camps? It sounds like you have a good handle on your bike already and you might be saying "camps, bah I'm too good for them" but there is a lot to learn and there are some good ones out there. Kelli at Endless Biking can for sure teach you some stuff.
Another angle you can work is take him riding rather than him asking you to go out. Or maybe make him jealous and ride with some other guys! Remember - I'm not responsible for anything!
Good luck Cathie
Wade
Hey Wade,
M y name is Kale Mitchell and I am 22 years old and live in Calgary, AB. I just recently found out that you are a diabetic. I am also a diabetic and have been since I was 13 years old. Since I have gotten out of playing hockey and cross country running I have depended on riding as my physical activity to keep my sugars down and keep me active. Have you had troubles in managing your blood sugars while out on the road traveling and shooting? How long have you had diabetes? One other thing I want to ask is, we all know that us mountain bikers like to have a wobbly pop (or 2 or 3) once the bike is put down for the day. Do you give in to the peer pressure and have a cold one or is it something you have had give up in order to better maintain your sugar levels?
thanks for your time and keep on shredding hard!!
Kale
Hi Kale
How's it going? Yeah - diabetes hey - what're you going to do? It's probably forced me to live a healthier lifestyle. I know it seems like a bit of a bummer when the bros are having a bevvy and we have to watch but maybe its a blessing in disguise. I'm 33 now and I was diagnosed when I was 19. Being active like we are is the best thing for diabetes - the constant turn over of the sugar - but as you say I have sometimes problems when I travel. Not so much problems but limitations. Like for instance when we go filming somewhere remote for a long time like Turkey and you know that insulin will not be readily available. So I take a few insulin pens and stash them in the luggage just in case something gets stolen or lost. Really I just think of all the consequences that can happen and make plans for them. Which is a lot of extra planning along with all the bike stuff and everything. Then after the shoot everybody is partying and of course you have to participate! But given our condition it's probably not the best so I really just pick and choose the times. I also let all my friends know my state so if I do run into problems I have some support. Richie and Thomas can vouch for that! I feel the diabetes hasn't slowed me down at all but has made me more aware! I hope you feel the same. If we let other people know how much fun we are having everybody will want to be diabetic!
Ciao,
Wade
Hi out there Wade!!
(Editors note: Simon's letter was quite long so I cut some stuff - if you want to read everything click here)
Kind of pretty weird here, me e-mailing you out, though, I love it! It's been a real long time that I wanted to have a little
chat with you, for so many reasons! I'll first brief you up a little on me! (And sorry if my english not really perfect, - I'm a born french-canadian!) Well, my name's Simon Gauthier, I'm 19 years old, soon 20, and I live in Quebec, Canada. I've always been mountain biking but not really seriously until 3 years ago.
I have to tell you another short story. July 8, during the night, I was hangin' out in clubs with a bunch of friends, pretty nice soirée! Until I fell off a 26 foot balcony, landing head first on the street down there, half on the street, half on the pavement. I was straight away carried by Helicopter to Quebec City Mental/Chirurgical Hospital. I was in a coma for about 24hrs, the first thing I saw was my parents, sitting next to me, smiling at me, happy that I was still alive. They said that I had a Cerebral Trauma, category 3, the worst one. My head was multi-fractured, and every bone in my face were broken : jaw, nose, sinus.. They said that I was not expected to walk again, either to be speaking good, I would have no concentration, no memory, and worst than anything else, I couldn't sit on a bike for the rest of my life. I wasn't expected to live at all after my crash, I wasn't supposed to come out of my coma...
That last sentence, I will remember it forever... I was freakin' out in my hospital bed. When I wake up the next morning, my parents said to me that, during my sleep, I was pedaling in my bed, I was doin' '' Air Biking''! That was it, that was my resurrection. That was the light coming from inside me. And this is where you come in. A year before, I read the Darren Butler interview after his huge gnarly crash, that almost took his life off. I was feeling exactly the same as him, freaking out, and seeing my life passing in front of me, losing one after the other the things that I loved. I remembered when he was talking about you, when you two were in the hospital. He was saying that he was just simply amazed by the mental strength and desire that you had to be back on your feets, more solid than ever. And then, I remembered the interview that you did with a NSMB guy, before going to Germany, a while ago. Before this interview, I was seeing you as a Pro-Freerider, killin' it more than anyone out there, with a brilliant way of seeing things in life, and in your career, also about biking! But after I read it, I was just, whoa, this man is just THE man. I was seeing a part of myself through you, I was just, hands down, he his the meaning of free-riding spirit. Not just that though!
You were my inspiration way before my accident. Now you're a Hero for me, you're the one who pushed me up, inspired me, while I was freaking out in this goddamn hospital bed, the one in which I believed that I was able to be doing my things again, the one who saved me. The one who was coming right next to my bed, telling me to not put my head down, that told me that I could walk again, and be sitting on my bike again, and you told me not to worry, to always stay true and strong to myself, stay true to the people who loved me, to the things into I believed and put all my trust in. And I did that, I worked hard to be where I am today, and I continue to work hard everyday, never putting my heads down, for whatever could happen to me again. And if, well, sometimes I feel a bit weird about being here again, not dead, and sometimes when I feel down, I remind the things you said to me, and I remind Wade, the guy, the Godfather, then, the smile just happens!
Wade, I Thank You.
I thank you more than anything in this world, for being the man you are everyday, for being what you are, for being the true one, who helped me out, even If you didn't know until today who I was. Thank you for never selling out, you're my everyday inspiration, boy!! Thank you for helping me out, during the hardest times in my life, you were there, and you are still. Well, this is it, this is my story! And well, for now, I now work in summer time for Gendron Bicycles, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada, who is a Pro-Cycle dealer! Rocky Mountain, Miele, and we also sell Giant and Marinoni custom road bikes. During winter, I work for Cycles Devinci, for 2 years now! Working in the production side of things, building up bikes, and working with the sponsored riders we have here in connection with the guys in Research and Development, pretty damn cool job!! Next summer, I'm coming to BC for a whole month trip!! I'm self training too, pushing my physical health to another level. I'm doing kind of body building, spinning, and running too, to keep myself in a 120% physical shape.
Hoping to have the possibility to session a little bit with you and bushpilot biking adventures! This would be just so.. DREAM come true...!!
Well, see ya Wade Simmons!! On 2 wheels this time!, maybe one though!! Sincerely yours,
Simon Gauthier
Wow! Simon, that is all that comes to mind. That is an incredible story! Thank you for all the praise but it is you who you should thank - for not giving up and having the strength and focus to stay on recovery mode. That's so good to here that you are shredding again. You must now be an inspiration to the people who know your story as I was for you. Desire is a powerful thing.
Lets rip it up when you come out next summer, I would love to meet and ride with you. Johnny Smoke of Bush Pilot will flip when I tell him your story because we all know someone who was expected to never do something they love again only to prove the opposite!
Have a good winter and keep in touch. The powder here is freakin' ridiculous!!!!
Thanks to all of you who sent in letters. I read them all and was stoked to hear what you had to say.
Wade (click my name to send me a question, comment, suggestion or whatever)
If you'd like to comment on any of the questions or responses above click here.
Wade has chosen Simon's letter to be the winner this week so we're going to send him three movies you can see Wade in: NSX 9, BITS CKD and NWD 7. Email me with your address and phone number Simon and we'll take care of the rest. Wade won't be able to respond personally to your emails but you can bet he'll have a look at all of them.
Please include your name, age, where you live and any other relevant info if you would like to Wade to answer your question.
Wade will also choose a winning question from each set and the sender will receive a prize from one of his sponsors - Rocky Mountain Bicycles, Shimano, Oakley, Dakine, Alpine Stars, Bell Helmets and Marzocchi.
Send him an email by clicking here - wade@nsmb.com
Images courtesy Sterling Lorence
