My name is Ulysse FRANCOGLIO. I'm sixteen, I live in France near Grenoble and practise downhill mountain biking as competition and freeride.

My greatest dream has been for several years to go and ride in Canada, in particular at Whistler and discover the most famous bike park in the world, the Mecca of mountain biking...

After reading so many articles about this resort in specialized magazines, after seeing photos and videos on the net, television documentaries or listening to reports from people who have been there, one really feels like going there. Even if we have never ridden there, it is as we knew the domain by heart. Names of trails such as A-Line, Joyride, Crank it up, Dirt Merchant, Freight Train, In Deep, No Joke, Clown Shoe, Schleyer, Heart of Darkness... are mythical. Rocks sections, endless bridges or skines, steep sections full of roots and stones in the double black are unique. Let alone all the tables and drops to jump everywhere, a real pleasure !

The trails are really wonderfull as they are constantly maintained by the bike partols. They are extra funny, perfectly signalled and secured, and therefore adapted to all levels to please a wide public. It's one of the rare resorts with so many beware pannels indicating "DROP" or "STEEP SECTION AHEAD".

The Boneyard is really very large and shows a big variety of modules not yet present elsewhere, perfectly shaped to correspond to all tastes and riding styles. It's not for nothing that "Crankworx" are the biggest mountain bike events and that the best riders constantly go there, not counting the foreigners. What could be better than riding with Richie Schley, Wade Simmons ou Dave Watson ?

Training camps are organized, numerous wash stations and shops are available...

Everything is done for pleasure, after riding, the resort proposes a wide pannel of activities, the riders move around in a magnificiant landscape with a vue on the lake which is made of a very pure blue water and on the surrounding mountains. Canadians people are very friendly, the atmosphere is super cool, and don't forget the pretty girls !

You see, it's as if I was there ! But however it's not the case.

In France, "free" mountain biking is not very well none, even though it is developping, whereas in British Columbia, it's one of the top sports. For the moment, no bike parks comes up to Whistler and we are far from getting there. In fact it's impossible because Whistler have all the best qualities : 2 lifts for more than 50 trails ! The difference in level and vegetation are perfect and the resort has important financial means... It's therefore fustrating not to have this equipment in Europe, and to see you have fun under our eyes. It's so much better there !

That's why we look towards Whistler, it's the reference for our passion.

But the problem at my age is mostly financial : I ' ve already inquired about the travel cost, the lodging, the price of passes and camps... but that would be very expensive.

So that in order to realized my dream I have to save up, make concessions, take little summer jobs.

I hope to go there with friends in 2008 and that means that I will still have to make a lot of efforts, in order to spend one or two weeks there. But passion has no price, has it ? We have to go to this dream place at least once in your life. More than, it's a duty for any real biker.

This is what Whistler bike park looks like for a foreigner. We have never been there, we are in a hurry to go there, and we already love it.

Submitted by:
Ulysse

Date:
July 10

Obsessed is too is preoccupy or fill the mind of someone continually, intrusively, and to a thorough extent. For me, this is no understatement. I am seventeen years old and have been mountain biking since I was fourteen. About 3 years ago in spring my mom asked my where I wanted to go for summer holidays, anywhere I wanted. Whistler, Whistler and Whistler was my response. So we had a trip that had Whistler as the star act, we came at the end of Crankworx and it totally blew my mind away. Ever since then every time I want to go biking my mind subconsciously focuses on Whistler. During school while other kids drifted off into space and fantasyland, I drift to Whistler.

I remember more of my next summer's trip to Whistler. It was blazing hot but I still rode from open to close every day, even though my riding buddies would ditch out at about 4 or 5 o' clock. I kept ripping it until the lift closed. I was going so hard my hands started to blister badly, riding a hardtail did not help that situation much. I was so exhausted at the end of the day I would almost pass out in the shower. But the next day I was back at it.

Also, whenever I would head up the lift, the people I was with would always ask me why I was on a hardtail. Being the only bike I had it was simple, plus I hadn't found a full suspension I liked that I could afford and I just don't like renting. Then they implied that I stayed off the gnarly runs like Schleyer and anything in Garbanzo and I said I still did all that and loved it. They couldn't believe me, but I stated I wanted to get the entirety of the Whistler experience.

Whenever I make a trip to a hill to go ride with buddies, they are all so stoked afterwards. Don't get me wrong I love to ride whenever, whatever I can but it's just not the same. It feels like a pack-a-day smoker suddenly going on nicotine gum. It gets my blood going, but not in the way it goes in Whistler. As my favorite run ever is A-line, I look for the hills so called "A-line style" trail, but none have ever come close. I fall into a kind of deprivation for Whistler. I love every trail I have ridden there and look forward to new creations of the worlds best trail crew.

Living in the prairies (Edmonton) it is extremely hard to find good trails close to home to bike on. That is why every year I make a trip to Whistler to ride my face off and get my fix of true mountain biking. It is always the climax of the summer and nothing else matters when I'm there. When I'm not, all that matters is planning the next trip to the heavenly oasis, also known as Whistler. So as I write this at midnight, I have brought back so many good memories. I will probably not be able to fall asleep because I will be thinking about Whistler, and when I finally fall asleep it is no doubt I will be dreaming of being in Whistler.

I eagerly await the next trip, which should be in a month. Happy Trails!

Submitted by:
Evan

Date:
July 5

I've only ridden Whistler once, but it was great. The builders do an awsome job (props)! First on the biker cross I blew out nine spokes, after getting my bike fixed at Evoloution I went back riding. Then on Aline I over shot a table by twenty or so feet, landing in a wheelie position. This knocked me out and put a crack in my new helmet. I only remember my friend smacking me to wake me up. I was super dizzy and couldn't stand up straight. After recovering my friend and I shreaded it in the rain and mud.

Whistler is sweet, but building my own lines, out in the trees, is almost more pleasing.

Submitted by:
Colten

Date:
July 4

Submitted by: Adam McCoy

Date: July 19

Submitted by: drayproductions

Date: July 19