Eric Wahn looks like he’s competing in a World Cup DH race, only down a trail twice as steep. He weaves between old-growth fir and hemlock with statuesque form, slamming his bike into corners with mere flicks of his weight. Where most people’s brakes would be cooked, Wahn isn’t even using his.
My host, fast as he may be, is no racer, though—he’s a 31-year-old professional forester, and this is just how he rides. That’s because his hometown of Nelson, British Columbia, is one of last places on earth that still holds a raft of this style of riding: steep, deep, technical, and really scary. While mountain biking as a whole has been sanitized over the last decade, and smoothed out for smaller bikes, Nelson remains a throwback to the unsanctioned terror of yesteryear.
The hills above the Queen City of the Kootenays are still laced with the work of the sport’s most demented heyday. The picturesque lakeside town, known for its soft-sided arts and culture, has paradoxically maintained some of the most rugged mountain bike trails in North America. In Canada’s westernmost province, Nelson might just be making DH’s last stand.
[continued...]
From Bike Mag
Bike Magazine showcases the sport of mountain biking like no other publication. It captures the sport's personalities, trends, and issues with a style all its own. With insightful features, columns and gear reviews coupled with the best photography, Bike is sure to make you want to get outside and ride.
