From NSMB.com

WADE's UUUP...

Wade Simmons is the best mountain biker in the world. We could narrow it down and call him the best freerider or technical rider perhaps but that would be diluting the truth: No one rides a bike down a mountain better than Wade. That may be a contraversial opinion but to me it is a no brainer. The most difficult trails in the world are right here. Yes there are other places with scary riding but really this is the Bonzai Pipeline of the mountain bike world and Wade makes it look easy. When you watch a video there is no need to catch the downtube sticker on his Rocky or see his mug - his style is unmistakably graceful and fluid. Ask anyone who knows about Wade's riding and they will give you one word; SMOOTH. He lands huge airs without a bar kissing neck snap, nails transitions and lines others wouldn't consider at mach speed, rides urban or a set of doubles like a BMX star - and he does it all with a humble sincerity reminiscent of an original 6 hockey star.

Wade Simmons doesn't live in a 17 room mansion. He doesn't have a fleet of classic cars or a home on the riviera. But he is that calibre of athlete. Pro BMXers make great cash these days and Tony Hawk - perhaps the greatest skateboarder ever cruises around in a Lexus. Pro Snowboarders buy their first houses when they still have braces on their teeth and Craig Kelly never needs to work again.

If Wade were at the same level in most other sports he would be living a life of recognition, priviledge and cash. When confronted with this realization Wade shrugs, smiles and essentially tells you he has it all - the freedom to do what he loves.
I had the pleasure of a rambling conversation with Wade over pints of Shaftebury on the eve of his departure for Europe to ride and promote as a Fro rider. This is the first of 3 excerpts from our conversation.
Cam McRae

NSMB - You could probably live outside of the city in your line of work.
Wade - I enjoy Vancouver - it's the best of both worlds you can ride year round you're an hour and a half away from the best snowboarding - it's like this is the epicentre

NSMB - Where are you from

Wade - I did 9 years in Victoria- Well I was born in New Westminster, my Mum and dad had a farm in Langley, my dad was working for Sears at the time then he got transferred to Victoria and then moved to Kamloops and did 8 years there and then moved to Vancouver in '91


NSMB - so you went to high school in Kamloops?

Wade - Yeah - so that's kind of where I grew up. Even though I spent more years in Victoria alot of my influential times were growin' up in Kamloops

NSMB - So that's where you go to see the old buddies

Wade - Yeah - old buddies and I have a brother up there with a family - niece and nephew

NSMB - So where were you when you started - you started with BMX didn't you?

Wade - I started racing BMX when I was about 6 and Kamloops had a really healthy BMX population at that time - that's when BMX was quite large in the 80's like mid to late 80's - when the whole BMX thing was charging - it had it's full momentum and in 1985 Whistler had the world championships- and I was 11 at that time and I represented Canada - it was all right - it was great.

NSMB - And where did you finish?

Wade - Well I actually crashed in the "world" championships but the same weekend they had what they called a Canada Cup with the same riders and I was 5th in that. Who knows how I would have done in the world's.

NSMB - That must have been a blast.

Wade - It was pretty good - it was enjoyable and the funny thing is you know - the Rocky Mountain "Fro" Riders - Richie Schley who's a member of the Froriders - he was kind of a BMX mentor for me and there's a whole group of riders who spawned out of the BMX genre in Kamloops and now we're mountain bikers making a living out of it.

NSMB - And Brett Tippie is from that as well?

Wade - Not so much Tippie - he's from Kamloops but he wasn't from the BMX era.

NSMB - So do you think that's the way to go to learn to be a good mountain biker is to BMX first?

Wade - Oh yeah - of course - it's essential skills - plus a BMX bike is much more twitchy than a mountain bike so if you can master that - you know it's like comparing cars. If you jump in a Porsche that's like a BMX - an SUV would be a mountain bike - so you've got this zippy little thing that's hard to drive and then you get into an SUV and it's like "what can I run over."

NSMB - so do you think even after someone's been mountain biking for a long time they could learn alot from picking up a BMX?

Wade -Definitely - If you were to take 5 people and watch them ride you could pick out who came from a BMX background- because the riders who are just coming into it are learning on these full-suspension bikes and they don't quite have the finesse that is required to ride a BMX because they are rigid as hell- there's no screwing up on a BMX. You have no 6 inches of rear end travel to suck up the backside of a jump you didn't make - it just makes you more dialed.

NSMB - Do you still have a BMX?

Wade - I don't ride BMX now no - Not anymore - too many bikes - I'd love to but I have a full suspension bike and a hardtail bike- I go do BMX stuff like fool around on the track and stuff but I've adapted to a mountain bike now. I have friends who have them and I hop on them and have fun.

NSMB - So do you ever do other kinds of rides - jump on a hardtail and go for an epic now and again.

Wade - Oh yeah. I enjoy doing epics. I try to get out and do at least 5 or 6 epics every summer - I consider an epic like a 5 to 8 hour ride. There's many around Vancouver. Disneyland for example is an epic if you ride it and not take a helicopter up. There's one out in the valley - mount Thurston - You ride up and go across the ridge that's an epic and there's a couple up at Whistler - like what's off the back side of Whistler there - The Khyber Pass Then there's the Chilcotin area like Spruce Lake, Braelorne area. I've done it a few times in a helicopter but I've also ridden it a few times and it's an epic 8 hr - about 120k loop. Crack of dawn you wake up brew the coffee. Usually what we do is go up with a couple of old School guys from Deep Cove - Rabbit from the Cove he's the one who showed it to me the first time - Brent Possil - he's a lifer courier downtown - all the old school lifer courier guys are into the epics. W- It usually involves vitamins of some kind.

NSMB - That helps you get 120 K down. So tell me what you would say to someone who wasn't a rider if they asked you what you do? What would you tell them?

Wade - What do I do? I enjoy life to the fullest that I can. You know I am a simple man - like if I have whatever gets me by and I'm happy - I have no drive to be a millionaire - It would be nice to buy a house and lead a good lifestyle that way- you know hopefully biking can take me to that but if it doesn't - basically I'm a bike addict and this is where it has taken me. I've gone along with the flow and just steered down the river a little bit but always with the flow. This is my passion and I'm just starting to understand now how it could be a job or a living. Number one I am a bike addict. I enjoy the woods I enjoy getting out and riding. You know when you're out there shooting you're 20 minutes from the city but you'd never know it. And the thing about it is about 80% of the population don't know anything about it. We do rides up Seymour and Cypress and ride by Alpine lakes at 2000 feet and then you drop right into Deep Cove. You know 45 minutes of single track and 3000 vertical feet and no-one knows about this.

NSMB - I don't know that one either.

Wade - Well you know the perimeter trail on Seymour? It's all illegal cause it's all a hiking trail but it's all on the East Side of Seymour. You go down by Goldie Lake by the t-bar or whatever that is and there's a single track and then there's a hiking trail called the perimeter trail and you ride that all the way down and that spits you out at the Deep Cove lookout and you either do the Hangman or whatever. So when you ask me that question "What do I do for a living" You know when Mastercard calls or the Government I say I'm a professional athlete. But I'm not professional in the sense that I'm going to the Olympics or anything like that. It's more of a lifestyle profession.

NSMB - What do you think about adding competition to - we'll call it Freeriding.

Wade - Well it may be neccessary for the masses to understand it - for the sponsors and the spectators because that kind of legitimizes it. It puts something solid behind it.

NSMB - and ranks everybody?

Wade - Exactly whereas You know someone says "he's the best freerider" but by whose criteria? So people are going to have to have competitions to prove that. As long as the competitions are fun and it doesn't get out of control I think it's great.

NSMB - So you'd do it?

Wade - Yeah I'd do it. But it's kind of a strange animal because it would have to incorporate a whole bunch of disciplines cause that's what freeriding is like. I go downtown urbaning on my full suspension bike or we did some filming of some airs the other day - I'll go chuck off some 12 foot airs. We're not like vert riders like BMXers like "let's go hit the vert ramps" or something like that. I like to do a bit of everything.

NSMB - I guess that would be really hard to incorporate in a competition - they were talking about doing one in Whistler.

Wade - It's going to happen this year - Paddy K is the guy who's organizing it and I feel like a tool cause I should know what name he's using for it - but anyhow in September they want to do something like that. They're going to have a dual downhill format, and a time trial with obstacles and sections you have to clean and a short course cross country but really technical and a big set of doubles and big air and the combined score is going to determine the best all around free rider.

NSMB - How do you think that's going to change what you do? Are freeriders going to start to get more recognition?

Wade - It might bring in more sponsors - more money. It's been kind-of stand offish the whole freerider thing. It's huge over in Europe but Canadians are much more laid back than Americans and the Americans are holding back about grabbing the whole freerider thing. I don't know why - maybe it's land issues and the whole renegade factor. They seem so caught up in like stock car racing you know what I mean?

NSMB - Have any European sponsors come to talk to you? Because it does seem much bigger over there.

Wade - Well I'm Meeting Richie Schley tomorrow in Frankfurt and he says it's out of control. He walks around and there's tons of people following him. He was in Italy at the Lake Garda German mountain bike fest and it's huge - like 30,000 people. Americans are so caught up with style like the who's who - maybe because it's such a young society whereas Europe's been around forever - I think they don't give a shit so much. They just party they rip it up and they're genuinely keen whereas American's hold off from their keenness because they don't want to look like they're geeks, being too keen into something. There's more celebration over there for being who you are whereas in the States there's more of a proving ground. You've got to prove you're no. 1 of the dual downhill before you're somebody.

NSMB - It seems like even the downhillers are having a hard time making a living and they have the recognition of being ranked in competition. Andrew Shandro was saying he's the only downhiller making a full time living in Canada this year.

Wade - Well that's Canada. There's alot of people in the states making alot of money - but in Canada it's slim pickings. There are payoffs to living so close to the states but there are also negative aspects - think about this: We're the Rocky Mountain Froriders You know - how are we going to sell the states on buying in to us? What do they want with a bunch of crazy canucks jumping off cliffs you know? Do you think they're going to welcome us into their economic sphere? They're going to say "why can't we get a couple of guys to do the same thing. That's why it's a hard sell to them.

NSMB - I don't think they can get a couple of guys to do the same thing- If you like at other videos I don't think there are other guys riding the way you do. I think that if they were really paying attention they'd be able to see the difference.

Wade - I think there are other guys capable of taking it to the same level it's just that this is what we do so we're on the upper end of it. All the downhill racers are talented people - basically it's what you practice. The reason I am good at doing this kind of riding is because it's what I do all the time. I was good at downhill when I was focussing on that. A few years back whenever I raced a national championship I was in the top 5. But I never really trained or focussed on it the way I do freeriding. And I am sure the top American riders could ride the kind of stuff we do it's just not their focus.

NSMB - So do you think the North Shore gives you your edge?

Wade - Definately. It's constantly challenging. I've ridden lot's in the states and you master a trail on the first ride. Taking the trail to the hardest it can go - you know? But on the shore you're constanly being challenged. There's always variations in lines and different lines in succession - that's what makes the difference.

Well that was about one pint into the interview. In excerpt 2, coming soon on NSMB.com, Wade talks about fear, filming and the changing face of mountain biking.


I have to say that I thought there would be a small outcry. Local riders probably wouldn't argue too much about me naming Wade top dog - especially those interested in our site. The funny thing is we have been getting traffic from all over the world - France, Austria, the U.S. and even places like Brazil and Singapore. I did receive 2 dissenting messages. One sang the praises of Nicholas Vouilloz the other talked about the lack of international downhilling or dual slalom hardware on Wade's mantlepiece. Otherwise it seemed like everyone found it pretty easy to swallow. I think this illustrates where mountain biking is going. Snowboarders wouldn't hesitate to nominate the best rider form the the non competitive ranks. We mtb'ers are a goal oriented bunch - show me results and I will tell you who's best. This is slowly changing as the popularity of videos continues to increase and the stars become more about personality, commitment and brilliance and less about podium finishes. I had the pleasure of tagging along with Wade and Ken Maude on a photo shoot on the Groovula - a trail with some massive moves. Wade was not wearing a full face and had no pads on. He was heading to the Dentist after the shoot (do the Fros have a dental plan?) and all he had to do was take off his gloves and helmet. I didn't see him out of control for a moment. When you nail virtually every line and stick every landing why waste time padding up? Wade is now home from his European vacation and charging already. Jorli Ricker (local filmmaker working on his second 16mm show - SHIFT II) built some massive gaps for him to punish and I am sure the Digger will put him to work for North Shore Extreme IV due out in September. Here it is folks; part II of the Wade Simmons interview

Wade - I remember reading an article that said even the bad Canucks are good. These Americans were describing riding on the shore and this guy from Toronto caught up to them on the uphill and they were like "where are ya going" and he said 7th secret and the Americans were like "oh good someone we can ride with finally" because this guy was from Toronto and boom - 5 minutes into the trail he was gone.
Wade - But I don't want to take anything away from the Americans you know - like take Dangerous Dan who's on the forefront of being one of the gnarliest shore riders and you take him to a BMX track - he's out of his element. You know - give him a set of doubles and you know he could jump them but not at the level of a decent BMXer.

NSMB - It's a niche for sure and if you only do that then that's all you're going to be good at. But it seems like the shore is expanding now too.

Wade - It's definately starting to evolve.

NSMB - Have you ever been anywhere where the riding is as challenging as it is here?

Wade - Physically challenging - I haven't been anywhere where the trails have been as challenging as here - you know I am sure in Washington or Oregon - the Pacific Northwest has the same geography - roots and rocks, steep and wet. There are going to be difficult trails down there - but all in all for a popular riding area I haven't experienced anything that's like here.

NSMB - What are some of the places where you have enjoyed riding.

Wade - I've been to Vermont, Mount Snow area where there's really fun twisty single track. Out in New England I've heard there are some really great trails. I've ridden in Nova Scotia and it's probably the same down the coast and it's similar to here there's lot's of granite roots, mud - technical trails but the thing they lack is mountains so you throw that in with the sustained vertical we have here and you'd have similar trails.

NSMB - What about other places in the world?

Wade - Moab's great. I've always loved Moab. California's a hoot for like super hard packed high speed.

NSMB - What about Europe?

Wade -Yeah. Europe's great. I've done the most riding in Italy around the Lake Garda area and I found it similar to Whistler - really rocky terrain. Lot's of steep stuff.
Wade - But we're kind of blessed here because we have such an expanse of land and such a small population that trailbuilders can build wherever - whereas in Europe it's frowned upon - if you start ripping a trail through the woods it could be someone's backyard. The same in the states too except for Alaska.
Wade - But you can't beat BC for variety. Just look at the corridor between Vancouver and Pemberton. You've got the North Shore in Vancouver you go to Squamish and it's a little different - a little drier but the same sort of roots and rocks and steepness. You go to Whistler where you've got the high alpine stuff - more shale and loose rock and then you go to Pemberton and it's dry - it's on the leeward side up there - it's like Kamloops riding. Within a 2hr drive you've got everything.

NSMB - What about the Kootenays?

Wade - The Kootenays would be like Squamish - that kind of terrain.

NSMB - But they're building more stunts aren't they?


Wade - Yeah they're starting to get into the stunts. It's just the base. You know what makes Vancouver so good is that you've got the riding base - you've got people who are willing to go out and build. Whereas Rossland which was labelled the mountain bike capital of BC at one time - those are all kind of old hiking trails and some mountain bike trails but say there are 20 hard cores there who are always kind of maintaining and building - maybe there are only 10 who actually live in Rossland whereas in Vancouver you've got tons.

Wade - Nelson is a bit bigger and you can tell by the amount of trails there - the mountain bike oriented trails - the building and stuff going on.

NSMB - Have you done a bunch of interviews - like in Europe do you do interviews?

Wade - you we're always being entertained by media people.

NSMB - Where are you flying to tomorrow?

Wade - Frankfurt - no stopover - 9hrs

NSMB - And then where do you head?

Wade - No idea.

NSMB - Is there a manager who goes with you guys?

Wade - No - there's a fellow named Dirk Jans who owns a company called Bike Action who are the distributers of Rocky in Europe and Rocky is very popular in Europe. Our man here, Mike Caroll and Dirk Jans make plans together - Dirk takes care of most of the inbound expenseS whereas Rocky Canada they pay for the flight and all that. Whenever we hang out with Dirk He's always buying us dinner and takes care of the hotels but there's always other stuff so we have a budget to pay for the odd room or rental car.

NSMB - I was remembering the Turkey scene in Kranked III and it looks like you guys are having alot of fun - is it a blast when you travel to go filming with Kranked or whoever.

Wade - It is. It's a great time - it's fun. I mean you want to be good and look good on film - you want people to go "wow" so there's that feeling like "shit I gotta do something big, throw some stuff down" or whatever but it's always fun just hanging out with the guys, joking.

NSMB - So when you go filming is riding only for work or do you go out and just have some fun sometimes.

Wade - No it's mainly work - Christian anyway he's a bit crackin' the whip - but you know he get''s the work done. We were 10 days in Turkey and we had 2 days off to ourselves which isn't alot and one day was ate up kind-of scouting. We rented motorbikes and that was one of the most fun days there just scouting, looking around up these dirt roads and stuff. But other than that we were up - like it's quite hot there in the day even though we were there - were we there in the Spring or the Fall - I can't remember now - I think it was the Spring - and it's kind-of desert like right. So the evenings are cool but midday like noon is hot as hell so we'd get up, crack of dawn get the morning light, shoot from about - like we'd be waking up at like 6 am to get the morning light- shoot till about 11 cause it's not the best light when it's high in the sky anyways and then we'd take the afternoon off which usually entailed driving to a new location and getting some food and then we'd shoot again from 3 until sundown - so it was long days. Like we were on our bikes from basically 6 till sundown which was 7:30

NSMB - Who does the nasty crash? Was it Richie?

Wade - Where it looks like he knocks himself out?

NSMB - Yeah. Wade- Well of course - who does all the nasty crashes?
NSMB - Brett?

Wade - Brett yeah (laughs)

NSMB -That was a bad crash.

Wade - You could tell his bell had been rung pretty good.

NSMB - He was alright though Wade- I think he had a slight concussion. But he's a tough bugger that guy.

NSMB - So you don't seem to crash very much.

Wade - I don't like crashing. I mean you go down - but when you're at this level you don't really crash that much. Everything I do is generally pretty calculated.

NSMB - But there are lots of guys who are attempting similar stuff who take lots of tumbles.

Wade - I went through that - you go through stages where you start breaking parts - you know your eyes are bigger than your stomach sort of thing - you know you bite off more than you can chew - go for a big wheelie drop and you just don't have the finesse yet and you start breaking bottom brackets, bending bars. Now I'm pretty smooth - I'm not such a great tester anymore - I'm not putting things through the integrity tests like I used to. I'm not naive and stupid like I was.
Wade - I'm not going to huck myself off a 15 foot wheelie drop to flat just to prove I can do it.

NSMB - So how do the rest of us get to be smooth?

Wade - Just time in the saddle - riding in every situation you know - experience - being a veteran.

NSMB - How old are you?

Wade - I'm 26.

NSMB - You've been around awhile - I would have thought you were older.

Wade - Well I've kind of done it all. I've competed at trials- I used to go over to Hornby - I had a 26" trials bike set up. I enjoy all aspects - because riding the shore is all that right? It's downhill racing high speed, it's slow mo trials you know it's balancing on beams. I used to like cross country racing until it got too competitive. When I was in sport that was a good distance you know cause you could hammer it out for an hour and a half but once I got bumped up to expert - to have as much fun as I was having in Sport to be up with the boys the training was punishing. I wasn't into it.

NSMB - My wife's taken up racing and I can't ride with her anymore now that I'm on a big pig.

Wade - That's the same with my girlfriend - you know the 9 mile climb on the test of metal course - you do 9 mile bridge - well I took my RM7 on that and she was making me pay - Yeah fatigue you know? But it's good to hurt like that.

NSMB - What about pedals - it seemed like you were riding clipless for a long time -and now..

Wade - Yeah - now I'm 100 percent flats all the time now and I'll tell you why - on clipless you can't move your feet around so I found when I was coming off big drops I was jamming my ankle cause I couldn't move my foot forward onto the axle. Say your pedal axle is under your toes there's alot of leverage on your ankle right - so what you can do with a platform pedal is slide your foot forward so the force is going down straight through your leg rather than like levering through your ankle. I had a couple of bad ankle injuries so I switched to flats and stuck with it and I raced dual slalom with flats and I come from a BMX background so I found the transition preitty easy. They're definitely punishing though - I don't find them bad on the flat when I'm going for a road ride but when you get a slight uphill and it's really rocky and you need to kind of drag your bike with you - you're out the back - because you got that one power stroke - if you spin out you're done.

NSMB - I rode up to the 19th hole with a bunch of pro racer hot shots the other day and I was 25 minutes back.

Wade - But you dropped them on the downhill right?

NSMB - The downhill was fine. Do you know Amber Chorney?

Wade - Actually I met her sister today out at Rocky.

NSMB - Oh yeah - she's Rocky sponsored isn't she? Well Amber is a hot technical rider - like she rode all of the 19th hole- and there are tons of..

Wade - Steeps..

NSMB - and tons of the other riders - the guys especially - walked most of it - she was just totally dialing it.

Wade - There's a few girls that have that in 'em you know.

NSMB - and who are they?

Wade- Well Karys is a good rider - I don't know it's letting go of the fear and harnessing the momentum and I just find - I don't know why it seems to be harder for women to go with the momentum and not panic and hit the brakes - that's what you gotta learn to do - you gotta crash a few times right and realize it really doesn't hurt that much. You can kind of control your crashes - you do get the ones where you bang yourself pretty good - but I mean the downhillers - the female downhillers in the last couple years have made leaps and bounds like Barb and Andrea and Damiaan.
Wade - Even alot of the girls - I don't know - I guess there is a girls ride every week - they meet at the On Top bike shop - there's alot of just North Shore girls who enjoy putting the pads on.

NSMB - Do you have some favourite trails?

Wade - I do - in BC here?

NSMB - Yeah. Wade- What's my favourite trail? One would think that I like circus type trail but that isn't my favourite trail at all - like the Uvula - what the Uvula is now - that's really fun. I like trails that have flow where you can really carry your momentum - like the Big Eye - there are sections of that where you're just maching - If I was to describe it it would be undulating - up and down and side to side zigzagging in and out, holes, airs, I like to transfer - you know you come down in and transfer into another transition. That's what my bike is basically designed for - my bike's not designed for the circus stuff - the high technical bridges - it's like riding a couch. Seymour's got some fun stuff - like the hangman - You know the hangman it's a new school trail but it doesn't have alot of skinny bridges - there's alot of cascading. You're waterfalling down the mountain. Really good steeps but not stupid steeps like you drop into this chute and it's like blow it out through the bottom. You drop in and there are kind of islands of satety and then you cascade down.

NSMB - How much time do you get to just ride.

Wade - Too much filming - I'm tired. It seems like I don't get any time. And I kind of get burnt out to tell you the truth - you know why I get burnt out - because I want to bring something new to a movie right instead of "film me on this" doin the same stuff. I don't ......every time I watch myself I want to see something new - I don't want to grow stagnant - and that's why I find it really difficult just because you know there are so many people out there that need footage - and I don't want my footage in one movie to look like my footage in the other movie- you know I want to do one thing for one guy and dial up something different for another. But I find it really difficult.

NSMB - It sounds like Digger's (Todd Fiander of the North Shore Extreme Series) got some ideas - Ken (Maude) was saying he was going to get both of you guys with helmet cams flowing an entire trail.

Wade - You have to do something different - people get bored with rehashing the same stuff. Of course the Wheelie drops will get bigger and all that but - people are going to have to be really inventive to keep it exciting.

NSMB - Do you ever think about that if you were a different type of athlete - say even if you were a professional snowboarder - that making a living would be a piece of cake - considering the level you perform at.

Wade - Are you saying that we as mountain bikers have a hard time?

NSMB - Well not necessarily a hard time - but there are lots of British Columbia snowboarders - even 20 year olds - buying houses and getting big cash.

Wade - You know what my philosophy on that is? It's that it's a much trendier sport - I mean if you look now mountain biking is starting to become cool with the kids - we're basically a fringe culture and when people think of mountain biking they think of Paola Pezzo and spandex - the masses that is. They think of Mum and Dad taking out their bikes on the seawall right and I think what makes the sport trendy is something that the adults can't do. In skateboarding and snowboarding what they're doing is so hip and cool because it's "extreme" to use that word - right it's something that older people can enjoy but not to the level that the pros are doing it and I think that biking has been associated too much with cross country racing or a certain style of clothing. You don't see packs of kids hanging out on mountain bikes like you do with skateboards but it's starting to happen now and I think that has delayed the growth of mountain biking in financial terms for pro riders because it hasn't had the same sort of cult status through kids eyes. If the kids think it's cool the parent are going to buy into it and up until 5 years ago mountain biking was a cross country sport and what kid is going to look up to some spandex geek who's an iron lung?

NSMB - It seems like Kranked and NSX are helping make Mountain biking cool and even the show at John Henry (The Bicycle Man) on the weekend there were tons of kids there who were just psyched - you were signing autographs.

Wade - It's great isn't it? See that's what it needs - kids seeing that it is pretty cool - it's not about going down to the family bike store and riding with your father on the seawall - there's a cool factor too.
Wade - But I think that I might be too late by the time corporations get into it and see that this is a marketing tool and put money into it I could be out of my prime - you know? But whatever. Look at (pro skateboarder) Tony Hawk.

NSMB - Well from my perspective it seems like you just keep improving - you haven't slowed down at all. It seems like there are lot's of young kids coming up and charging but you are still there.

Wade - I'm not falling off the horse yet - my skills are improving and I still want to learn new things. The one thing I feel like I'm missing a little of is the craziness - I'm a little wiser now - I don't have the safety net of Mum and Dad to fall back on if something does happen but that doesn't hold me back - well maybe it holds me back - uh you know from doing.... you know what I am trying to say?

NSMB - You don't take massive leaps - you take incremental steps.

Wade - Exactly.

NSMB - So what scares you on the shore?

Wade - Uhmm....like as in on a trail ...like what moves? You know what scares me? High skinny bridges you know because there is no margin for error if you slip off - a few of the uphill logs on circus - basically you've got to be so focussed and so confident that you can do it that you just put your head down and do it. If there's any thought of failing you're going for a 10 foot spill into hell's domain. I've taken some good crashes off there. They're going to hurt.
Wade - Nothing really "scares" me - that's a hard word. I find stuff difficult - I don't really get scared. If I don't feel up to something that day I might not do it but I don't really allow myself to get scared. If I am going to feel that I shut it down before I feel that.

NSMB - So you don't approach something and then not do it- you either charge in or don't do it at all.

Wade - If I feel confident - if I have the energy then I'm going to do it but if for some reason something's not clicking with me that day then. Like yesterday - You know the Wild Cherry? Well there's that steep rock line to the left or you can take the other line to the right. Well I had forgotten my gloves and I was a bit hesitant on it but I did it finally - it's really rutted out now - it's quite gnarly. I don't have any problem backing down - I can come back and do it another day. I don't get bummed out like "it beat me" I don't look at it that way. I have no problem backing down from stuff.

NSMB - What about the line up high with the root half way down.

Wade - The first steep drop in- that's pretty fun. That's the kind I just point it down and hang on.

NSMB - I haven't done that yet - I' ve been looking at it. Did you see the remains of the Cherry Bomb?

Wade - It's gone - but I was looking at that rock. It looks rideable if you clean out the bottom. I think you could roll it right out - it's on about a 60 degrees right to the bottom. If you made a nice tranny right to the bottom you could do it. It would be like dropping into a 12 foot high skateboard bowl. There's a bit of a hump 3/4 of the way down.
Wade - You know I lied before - I do get scared. I get scared watching people.

NSMB - Guys going above themselves?

Wade - Exactly - You can just tell that they're not confident but they want to do it - that's why I don't like going out filming with guys - I prefer to be by myself or with one more guy but when you start to get a few guys out there and you're matching line for line.

NSMB - It becomes a big pissing contest?

Wade - Yeah and I get scared because I don't want to see the carnage right because that puts bad memories into me and I don't want to see how they hurt themselves - I want nothing to do with that. For instance if some guys going to do something big and there's that minute of silence and everyone's thinking "should I say something" you know. And here I am sitting on a log and you're waiting for the impending doom.

NSMB - I remember thinking that. I was out filming with a guy who's a really good rider but more of a trials rider and he was looking at some stuff and I almost wanted to say don't do it. He backed down anyway but.....

Wade - You can sense that eh? Almost smell it in the air. But you know what people push themselves right - are we the ones to say no don't do it?

NSMB - And you can feed off that. I ride with 2 groups one better than the other and when the less skilled guys are pushing beyond themselves it totally charges me up.

Wade - But at that level it's scary. More so even with Urban - if you bounce off concrete it's nowhere near as forgiving as the Shore - So I get scared when guys want to huck off rooves and things like that.


My original plan with this interview was to distill it down to something fairly small. Those in the know say that nobody reads more than 2 screens online. Well judging by the response we've had with the first 2 installments Wade Simmons breaks that mold.

So here it is - the final installment in all it's unedited, gritty glory. More talk about riding, force vectors, Italy, money, Mexico and life after the Fro. Enjoy as many screens as you like.

force vectors/wheelie drops vs launches/Italy/ Mexico/being fluent

NSMB - Have you seen Digger's newest Rock?

Wade - The 30 footer - yeah I stood on top of it and just checked it out and the funny thing is you can almost see the line right- That's what I look for....if it's feasible. I could look at something first glance and go no way - like what are they doing right? But you stand there and kind of get a feel for it - if it's within your abilities. All the trajectories line up for you - all the variables have to be there. I think it might be doable but there's alot of factors. The transition and angles - alot of angles involved. That's the good thing about Jorli because he comes from a snowboarding background. He's the guy that did Shift.

NSMB - So do you think someone will have done it by the time you get back?

Wade - I don't know. You know, I'm not worried about it. If someone does that's great. I'm not into the pissing contest - I ride for myself - truly I don't ride to be the best on the shore say. I ride because I love riding. I'm just out having fun. What might make me a strong rider is that I have the ability to see things - to take my skills and apply them to a certain problem on the trail. That's why I step above alot of the riders.

NSMB - Where do you think that comes from?

Wade - I think it's from alot of different aspects of riding - being in different situations - knowing how to harness the forces. Just like how street riders or vert riders transfer - like transfer to different ramps and guys'll say "how did you see that line".

NSMB - That's the coolest thing when you see something in a video that no one else thought of. Like you on the big log on the circus where there's the ramp or the platform to launch off and you just roll down the log nail it in between the 2 stunts.

Wade - Which one is that?

NSMB - The big long log after the lobotomizer.

Wade - Oh yeah.

NSMB - And when NSX III was filmed no one else was doing that line - now that's how all the good riders do it.

Wade - For me that's natural. Honestly I hate wheelie drops. I try to air, carry momentum into things. It's the easiest technique but it's more mental.

NSMB - You need more speed going in and commit to it earlier.

Wade - Your force vector' s going more straight across than downwards - gravity's not pulling so hard on you because you're moving at a higher velocity so you don't hit the ground with such a vertical force.

NSMB - So where do you think things are going on the shore?

Wade - I'd like to see more gaps and things like that like the Uvula style stuff. Like natural transitions and transfers - a transfer is like popping out of one transition and landing on another one - not like a straight air - picking it up on the left and throwing it down on the right. I'd like to see more ladder bridges but a little more flowing - not so holey and muddy. Cascading.

Wade - Have you ever ridden Disneyland? That's the epitome of a nice flowing trail. No - I shouldn't say that. There are sections in there that are rooty and rocky - but that also has something to do with the terrain around there - lots of granite outcroppings, old second growth forest pine needle covered.

NSMB - Were you at the premier of Kranked III in Vancouver?

Wade - Yeah.

NSMB - I didn't see you there. It was such a zoo. Were you at the one in San Francisco?

Wade - Yeah.

NSMB - I heard Robin Williams was the host.

Wade - No. It was rumoured that he might show up and the band was...who were they? A Reggae band

NSMB - And was it a huge scene.

Wade - No no - not like Vancouver. I'd say maybe a quarter of the people that were in Vancouver.

NSMB - Were you surprised at the turnout in Vancouver?

Wade - No, it always goes off here. It's like the hometown and there's such a big population here - lot's of people come out to these things.

NSMB - I would have thought San Fran would be bigger - It's a massive place.

Wade - Wellll...technical mountain biking is not so big down there. They don't get it yet. I mean there's a handfull that do but the bulk of riders don't do that stuff. Most of the riders in that region are cross country riders.

NSMB - I did some riding in Bellingham that was supposed to be North Shore style and it just wasn't that challenging. But there are some good riders. We were out at the woodlot and there were some guys from Belligham who were really strong.

NSMB - So what would you be doing if you weren't a rider.

Wade - I don't know.

NSMB - What would you like to do.

Wade - I want to do lots of stuff- I'm just getting old fast. I don't want to do this forever. I want to become fluent in a couple of languages. This whole riding thing is slowing down my life for the kind of things I want to do otherwise. Because it's a good lifestyle I've had a taste of the good life - like Europe 4 times in the last year and a half all paid for. You know I'm living a dream life travelling and riding my bike. But I'd like to go to school - like live abroad somewhere - like Italy would be great. On the Mediterranean.

NSMB - That's exactly where we were.

Wade - Finale?

NSMB - We were not too far from finale - we were in Genoa - and we never got to Finale. We did some mountain biking but we took mountain bikes that were set up for touring - and everyone said Finale was great.

Wade - You know I could live there I think - I don't know what I would do but.

NSMB - Let me know if you want to go because I've got some good contacts to get you work for sure.

Wade - Oh really? Let's do it. Life is much simpler there.

NSMB - Is that your favourite place to visit when you go over there- Italy?

Wade - I like it there - I just like the feel of Italy. I like the lifestyle - I like capuccinos. Sitting back and BS ing - they're fantastic people all the Italians I've met, they're just so cool. They want to share everything with you and have fun and hang out. It's so funny, you don't meet alot of money to live over there. It's expensive but once you're established somewhere and your simple needs are met?

NSMB - We were teaching English and not making much money.

Wade - That's what my girlfriend and I want to do.

NSMB - Do it man - It was awesome.

Wade - Yeah?

NSMB - Oh Yeah. We basically headed over to Italy but we had a bit of a leg up because my wife's family is Italian so she had some family in the area but basically we just went over there, looked for work, looked for a place to live and set it up and stayed for a year - it was great.

Wade - See that's something I would want to do - My girlfriend she's an English major but she takes French as well and she wants to do a double in English and French and we're going to Mexico in September hopefully for 4 months. We're going to do Spanish school when we're down there - you get 2 weeks - and there are a few towns near Mexico city that have pretty cheap schools for Spanish and you can take anywhere from a year course to a 2 week course so we're going to do something like that when we're down there. There's so much to experience and I thing what sold me on it was going to Europe - everybody there speaks at least 2 languages and I'd just feel stupid you know. We're not stupid it's just a different way of living.

NSMB - There are so many things to learn and experience.

Wade - A lifetime of achievement - I think Spanish will come easily - I converse here and there with my girlfriend in French.

NSMB - So is 4 months going to make things difficult for you - September to December or do you get some time to do your own stuff.

Wade - Lisa's taking a semester off school.

NSMB - What about you?

Wade - Hopefully with my salaries I'm going to save up enough -cause you know living is pretty cheap - like travelling for a month I have to pay rent but I have no expenses. From Roach - they help me out with some salary and with Rocky Mountain I'm getting paid and with Deep Cove Bike shop I'm trying to get something out of them. So you know I'm making not a bad living - I'm probably considered to be living below the poverty line but for my simple needs I have everything. I can go away with that and have a couple thousand in the bank to set myself up for when I get back.

NSMB - you won't have any filming responsibilities during that time?

Wade- Well hopefully I'll have everything done by then - plus it's getting into fall and it's a great time to film September October but I've put the bug in the ear already so It's not like they're not forewarned.

NSMB - That's awesome.

Wade - Yeah I want to do it. We just got a volkswagen, an '87 volkswagen van so we're going to drive down and camp. My best mountain biking friend, his folks live in La Paz they just moved down there in Baja - Chaz the owner of the Cove bike shop just bought a place in Puerto Vallarta so we're going to rendezvous with him for a couple of weeks. My folks and my sister and brother in law are going to come down and we'll have a family do for a couple of weeks.

NSMB - That sounds great - do you have any filming responsibilities when you get back from Europe?

Wade - I don't really have any responsibilities - I'm on a contract so like basically the way I get paid is for exposure so I can work as hard as I want through the summer and then if I get ample exposure then I won't feel guilty for going (to Mexico) because I've basically done my job and that's why Rocky pays me because they want me to promote bikes through photos, through movies.

NSMB - Well hopefully you'll get something out of this once the site gets going.

Wade - Yeah - you know I'm not making alot of money but we've got a photo incentive and things like that. With all my deals I make about 23,000 which isn't bad plus what I make at the Cove (bike shop).

NSMB - How much do you work there?

Wade - through the winter time I'm there maybe 2 or 3 days a week and in the summer I do a day here and a day there.

NSMB - So you've got Roach, Rocky - does anyone else sponsor you?

Wade - I'm getting the Cove to sponsor me as well.

NSMB - What about Marzocchi?

Wade - They sponsor the team - through the team we get stuff so we can't individually ask them.

NSMB - It seems like they're getting a pretty good deal out of it.

Wade - They are - it's in the works.

NSMB - Glad to hear it. When I was away - life was great but I really missed riding the shore which is when I got this idea for a magazine.

Wade - So what's it going to be like a website magazine sort of thing?

NSMB - Exactly.

Wade - Think about doing things like - I don't know if I should tell you about this idea you might capitalize on it- you know how they have those digicams... lipstick cameras? You could feature sections of trail on the website like this week do the steep rock face and the long log ride with Wade Simmons you know.

NSMB - That's an awesome idea.

Wade - You could have a 3 minute video clip to download and they could watch someone ride a particular trail right? "Do the big gap on the Uvula"

NSMB - That's a great idea. So you don't want me to steal it? - I didn't hear a thing.

Wade - You didn't hear a thing but the taperecorder did. How fast can you steal that idea right - you gotta get one of those pencil cameras that are worth about 5 g's.

NSMB - Ideally I'd like to partner up with as many people as possible. Partner up with Digger and have a little clip of his and then click on it and buy his video.

NSMB - One of the things I was thinking when I was dreaming up this magazine in my head - I'd pick up a magazine and there would be one North Shore picture and it was like giving a junky an aspirin. It's not the right thing and one of the things I was thinking was that I could get exposure for guys like you who are supremely talented and undervalued. That's the way I see it. Like they said in Bike Magazine - "examples of Art and Artists of the highest order". That's what I think completely.

Wade - The company has to get their worth out of it - they have to see how they get their value out of North Shore riding. Like maybe people like Nokia - a phone company - they don't think it's their market but it is. "my buddy just nosed it I need a helicopter up here!"

NSMB - So far it seems pretty good - one of my partners went to talk to Ingrid (of Roach products) and she was like "sure what do you want?" Wade- Ingrid's very open minded.

NSMB - Without the North Shore where would she be? So are you happy with your set up - it sounds like you're living pretty good.

Wade - I'm happy. I'm living a good life. I feel the pressure of age getting on and responsibility bearing down but this is the time to have fun. But I have the rest of my life to clear that up. When your young and agile and virulent you know the time to do this is now because I'm never going to feel any better mind soul or body - maybe mind but my body's definitely going to start to get sorer and stiffer.

NSMB - It's funny though you can compensate. I'm 34 and I'm riding better than I ever have.

Wade - I'm looking forward to being 40 and riding the gnarly stuff.

NSMB - Well there's Young Peter. (a North Shore local who dropped the Big Stupid a couple of days after his 60th birthday)

Wade - Yeah - that guys crazy with those bar ends. That's great - he's out there ripping it up with his son.

NSMB - And then there's Ian Moult.

Wade - Ian's so good. 12 years old and he's schooling Dan off his stuff.

NSMB - He's not a big kid either - he's not physically mature for his age.

Wade - But he's a mature kid when you talk to him - he's wise - he's not just stumbling into it, like he's thinking about it.

NSMB - So who are some riders around who you admire or like to ride with. Wade-I ride with a lot of different people - the guys at On Top are fun to ride with. I don't have a core group that I ride with because I'm so spontaneous when I go out it's just kind of spontaneously all over the place. I enjoy riding with Ken Maude we're good friends from way back as well so we always have good times together and Johnny Smoke - I've ridden alot with Johnny Smoke and we've had some excellent times together and I enjoy riding with Richey (Schley) when we get together because you know we've got the history of Kamloops and stuff like that.

NSMB - You must have a blast over in Europe.

Wade - Yeah we do. Richey's so fun to travel with. Alot of people give Richey a hard time because they think he's kind of stand offish and stuff but you know he's a pretty good person, he's funny as hell.

NSMB - And talented in 2 disciplines. You know I have the impression that he makes a really good living.

Wade - But like you say he's got 2 disciplines.

NSMB - Someone told me that a couple of years ago he made 70 grand just from mountain biking.

Wade - Probably.

NSMB - Does he just go for it more?

Wade - He's a business man. The difference between he and I is that I'm more - I just enjoy it because I love getting out there - and he's like that too but he sees it more as a business. Basically this is life and he's a contractor and and what he does is he rides bikes and skis. And he's making a living out of it. This will probably never be my living you know like I'm not going to buy a house being a bike rider but I don't know what I'm going to do I'm probably going to open a business of some kind but I'm not going to be making a living from riding unless someone steps up and says "look Wade we'll pay you 45 g's to ride our stuff" I mean that would be nice but it's not my goal - my goal isn't to be a household name mountain bike rider. I just like the lifestyle. I love riding and that's why I do it because of the thrill I get from it. I just love being out there and doing it. Whereas Richey sees it more as a way of getting ahead financially so as a result -he is more cut throat but he sees it more as a business and he works it as a business.

NSMB - He's a go getter.

Wade - And I'm lazy - If I was on the ball I'd probably easily be making 10 to $15,000 more but I don't know why - I'm probably stubborn but I'm just not motivated to do it. People say I'm stupid, especially Richey. He's always ribbing me and smacking my ass saying "Go out there and do it I told this guy about you go talk to him" And I'm not at that level where I see it as a legitimate lifestyle - well no I see it as a legitimate lifestyle but maybe I don't see it as a legitimate career.

NSMB - So where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Wade - Italy - living on the beach. I have some ideas - I'd like to open up a place like this (the café du soleil on Commercial Drive) somewhere on the shore - something that's lacking over there with an open kitchen - I'm not going to spill out my whole plan here.

NSMB - I won't steal anymore ideas from you.

Wade - I've got a couple of people who are interested - I have the knowledge to do a bike shop thing but I'm not into that - I've been in bike shops for a long time - I don't want to make a living by opening a bike shop but I am sure I could make it fly, the knowledge and skills, but that's not my thing. I thought about touring or doing, like I took a couple of coaching courses last Spring so I could teach biking, teach kids. I've got alot of people asking me "Hey Wade you gonna do seminars" so that's always an option. I don't want to be chasing for contracts - some people like that but I don't like that.

NSMB - When I see you in a video it doesn't seem like you should have to. It really seems like - and everybody says the same thing - it really seems like you are head and shoulders above everybody else. You ride one line and it's clear.

Wade - It's just convincing the money holders of that.

NSMB - Maybe the guys who hold the purse strings don't see it, don't have the same knowledge.

Wade - But as I said earlier I think it's coming around - I may have missed the boat on it but I'm hoping I don't.

NSMB - I don't think so. If you look at the North Shore in the time we were away in Italy it has gone crazy. Just look at the number of cars on Grouse.

Wade - That's a huge problem. Or you go to Seymour on a - well it's the whole car shuttle thing - the full suspension technology - 'I can't ride my bike up cause it's too damn heavy gotta drive my car up '.

NSMB - What do you think about that? Do you shuttle all the time?

Wade - I've got to admit I definitely shuttle up more than I ride up but no I enjoy riding up. Sometimes I feel guilty and then I'll go for a ride myself, punish myself up the old buck and then go do corkscrew and the Boogieman just to sweat it out.

Wade - I remember once it was this kid's birthday and basically his folks asked me to go riding with him for his birthday and I said sure you know and they paid me a little bit of money for it - you know whatever but I rode up to meet them so I hammered up there and it blew them away you know - It was raining and I ride up and they were like "holy smokes". I was a little fatigued though to tell you the truth.

NSMB - Well then - this is awesome I've got lot's of stuff and you've probably got lots to do and get your ass to bed. Is the opera about over?

Wade - No they get out probably about 11ish about 3 hours. I left my helmet up in the woods today and Ken Maude went up and found it - I've got another one but my girlfriends like " you can't wear that cracked helmet!"

NSMB - It seems to me that - like why isn't Giro paying you money.

Wade - I get helmets for free - but I should be getting paid by them - Richey' gets paid by them. I just haven't talked to them about it yet you know. Like Richey works it as a business. He's always phoning them talking to them letting them know what's going on right. And they're like "what's Wade and Brett up to I never hear from those guys" and I don't think they want to hear from me - like I feel like I'm a nuisance asking for stuff.

NSMB - Whatever.

Wade - I know, it's just my small town mentality.

NSMB - I know buddy - I'm the same way. Even when I'm calling you I think that.

Wade - Well you're not right - they're too busy to call you - you just have to have that ball rolling to get the relationship going.

NSMB - Totally. Well that will definitely be part of my intro - that you are undervalued - what do they call it when a stock is ripe for the picking - it's about to jack up?

Wade - I don't know.

NSMB - I don't know either but it totally seems to me that's the case. If you ask anybody who's the best rider or even the best shore rider it's automatic and nobody says any different.

Wade - I hate it when they say that. Everybody's capable of doing it.

NSMB - Well it's like you and Richey - you're capable of doing that but you don't do it. There are lot's of things we are capable of that we don't do. We place our own limitations on ourselves.

Waiter - Are you guys staying for the poetry slam.

NSMB - No I think we're going to take off.

Wade - I gotta take off - I'm heading to Europe tomorrow so I gotta go pack.

Waiter - What do you do?

Wade - I'm going bike riding over there for a month. My bike's already packed. It sounds like fun - I didn't know this (poetry slam) was going on - we were just sitting here conversing.

Waiter - Well next month we'll be having it every Monday. Usually it's just the first and third Monday.

Wade - It sounds like alot of fun - a good laugh probably.

NSMB - It's like competitive poetry eh? The audience gives you scores and stuff.

Wade - Oh really?

NSMB - And the audience gives them points and at the end of the evening there's a winner.

Wade - So they've got a minute to incubate something and then spew it out.

NSMB - they have other ones where they come prepared and they have 30 seconds to perform.