Once in a while people ask me how I got into the cycling industry and what they can do to help open doors for themselves. My answer is simple: follow your passions.  From the beginning, I had no idea where I would end up but I knew it would have something to do with cycling, so I just kept riding.

When I finished high school riding was a daily event, responsibility was a distant, abstract notion and trails ran like veins through the forest straight from my front door. In the winters there was skiing every day and parties at night,  in the summers there was riding every day and, you get the picture.  Yes for seven seasons I spent my time deeply entrenched in the Whistler bubble. Sometimes I would escape for a semester of learning or a winter in New Zealand. But  seven years slipped by in what seemed like months and then one day I decided I needed a change, a drastic change  -working in a shop was good but it was time for something more.

When I came out of high school I had no idea what I wanted to do, well, other than ski and ride bikes so that is what I did. When I came out of Whistler I knew exactly what I wanted to do; get an education and one of those real job thingys, you know, the ones that everyone is always talking about. So I did two big years of school and was flushed into the workforce with the masses, but I quickly found I missed the cycling and skiing lifestyle because I didn’t fit into a normal work environment- apparently not everyone wants to spend their time talking about bicycles. I know, I am as surprised as you are.

Somehow, with a little luck and some skill I found my way back into the cycling industry, this time with a real job. Yes I would have my cake and eat it too. And, what a tasty cake it turned out to be. I never expected to end up where I am now. These days I ride and I work and it is the perfect combination.   There are still trails close to my front door, though I don’t ride them everyday, but they are there. It took some time but I found my way into what I wanted to do.

What was the seceret? Well, this story all comes down to one thing:  following your passions. People are more than willing to offer advice about where you should take your life, but being riders makes us different – we are used to following different paths. As long as you keep to the path your passions take you there is a better than good chance that you’ll find what you are looking for, even if you don’t know what it is you are looking for at the time. Keep on riding.

Nestled in the coastal mountain range of British Columbia sits the city of Port Coquitlam and if you found the industrial zone down by the river you would find the Mace headquarters. This is where we call home, but nobody knows where Port Coquitlam is, usually it is easier to tell people we are in Vancouver. Most people don’t know that, besides The Shore, the Vancouver area is littered with exceptional places to ride that few, but those in the know, will ever experience.

By most standards Burke Mountain offers exceptional freeride trails.  But you’ve probably never heard of it.  You see Burk Mountain is in Port Coquitlam, which is just east of Coquitlam which is just East of Burnaby, which is across a bridge from the world famous North Shore. And because of its geographical impediment the rest of the world has never heard of this gem.

Sure, if you get picky, Burke can’t rival the size and number of trails that the Shore boasts between its three hills. It’s not nearly as scary to ride either, unless you accidentally stray onto the shooting range that is half way down.  No, unlike the Shore you can make it to the bottom of most trails with all but a few tense, puckering moments.  But there is just something about the fun, loose, rooted trails of Burke that remind you of why you started riding in the first place.

It is more old school! Unless you have a key to the gate, you have to pedal or push your way up.  There aren’t a ton of structures, ladders and bridges; for some reason people tear them down when they are built. But the trails do have flow, variety and consistency and the trip up is a great chance to catch up with friends. And Burke has history; some riders you’ll run into up there have been frequenting these trails for the better part of two decades.

On the weekends the road is lined with cars as people meet with friends for their weekly ride. It’s a chill environment, with relaxed riders and fun terrain. No, it’s not the Shore, but it doesn’t try to be: it’s not pretentious or well known, it just is. Not many people know about it and that’s okay, because the trails aren’t crowded, they’re just good fun. You probably know of a place just like this in your area; a place that just the locals know that isn’t as flash or demanding as the well known spots but can be just as fun. These are the places that add variety to riding and finding a new one is always an adventure. If you ever run into someone from Port Coquitlam that wants to go ride Burke, take them up on their offer –Burke is one of the best places you have never heard about.