DOWNHILL CHAIRS

Just a couple of months before my accident I spent a couple of days volunteering at a bike show in Toronto. While there I saw what would shortly be my option for off-road riding. Kinda spooky thinking back because I had spent quite a bit of time admiring this bright yellow, one-off racing wheelchair that had been handbuilt in Toronto. Fascinated by its trick full suspension design, fully hydraulic brake system, and indy car styling I was curious but thinking more about the next downhill race bike I planned on buying.

Two months later I was lying in Sunnybrook hospital paralyzed, never to ride a bike again. I was on the phone within a few days tracking down the genius fabricator who created it. It happened as many things in my life do, that the man, Ivan Samila worked right next door to Lyndhurst, the rehab hospital where I got to spend my summer holiday.

At first he was a little hesitant to let me in it but my persistence paid off and a couple of months after my accident I sat in the Stinger for the first time. I only wheeled down a small paved hill outside his shop but this was enough of a feel to give me something positive to focus on while I was in rehab.

It took quite a while before I was healed enough to climb in for my first ride but this happened soon enough on a small hillside close to the rehab hospital in Toronto. For its maiden testing the suspension was not so dialed and the brakes were reversed so I got to have my first tumble in the dirt in months. A pretty modest initiation but more importantly the beginning of a powerful friendship in my new life. The snow was falling soon and back to school for the fall and winter but the spring was just around the corner and off to the races we went.

My first race was at Mansfield in southern Ontario. It was great to be out with my old racing friends again cause they were a very supportive and enthusiastic crowd. I finally got to open the throttle a little here on dual downhill course. A pretty modest race thinking back but probably just as well. I got to try my hand at a little air again which was pretty sketchy but surviveable. The Stinger handled amazing this time, like it was one rails. It cornered like a dream, especially when thrown it into the banked turns.

Between then and now I have been to Vermont twice, Mount Saint Anne, Big Bear California, and most recently Whistler. Every event has got bigger and better with faster and more challenging courses. The US is great becasue they actually have a wheelchair category and there has been five or six of us competing. Whistler ruled because we got a couple days of exhausitng freeriding in and our friends from south of the border came to play too. The courses were insane with huge bordercross style jumps at the bottom where everyone was going off. I finally got to learn to jump the Stinger in a big way but it took its toll. Torn spokes, bent and snapped axles, cracked frame, demolished steering and blown brakes later, it's just about time to retire the Stinger to a calmer pasture and make room for the new rig coming Spring of 2001. Stay tuned........

SUMMER 2001

OK, typical of the evolution of wheelchair sports, a new chair never materialized for the 2001 season but the Stinger has received a make over like no other. Recovering from last season's bout of destruction and a crash caused when three axles snapped off at speed, my West Coast support crew (Toby's Cycle, Norco and friends) pulled together to get the Stinger ready for new heights.

2001 has been my first season to freeride since my accident in 1997 and it has been tremendous. Whistler has become my favourite weekend passtime and there are finally some good pics to show for a little persistence on my part and a ton of support from my team.

WHISTER SUMMER 2001

SCUBA DIVING

One of my most recent endevours has been to start scuba diving. I was recently certified in Victoria by Ocean Sports. They are a great bunch, really patient and accomodating. I only have couple of dives so far but we checked out two wrecks outside of Sydney. One was a huge military vessel that was decommissioned and sunk for divers. Just massive. I really want to go back to check it out again because there is plenty to see. It was my first dive so I was suckin back all my air in a hurry and didn't get to see that much other than sediment and a few toilets. Next time.

Its an amazing hobby once you can overcome some of the fear and claustrophobia. It is probably one of the most mentally challenging sports for me right now as I have always had some fear of diving. It has been totally worth working through though. The under water world is almost surreal. It gives you time to just be. Totally at peace and one with the ocean, completely free from life's many stresses. You really notice just how much of your being is liquid after spending some time in the ocean. After getting back to land I could still feel the rhythm of the ocean in my body for hours. Real trippy, maybe it was the nitrogen off-gassing.

HANDCYCLING

I don't spend as much time out as I like but I am starting to work it into my routine. I am fortunate to have such a sweet toy thanks to Ivan again. My chair is a feather, and corners like its on rails. It's a little sketchy at speed but overall a fantastic ride for a prototype. You lean to steer and I have set it up with a rapidfire shift/brake lever on the right handle so you don't ever have to take your hands off to shift or brake. You can pedal and brake through corners and you don't loose any rhythm.

My first ride was with John Ryan during his Regeneration Tour accross Canada. It was about 70km. I was dying by fourty so we stopped for lunch and filled up the tank. Starting out again was brutal. It felt like all my muscle fibres were wrapped with barb wire that had been superglued together and pulled apart. Not a suggested first ride for anyone deciding to try out the sport.

I got to ride with John again when he made it to Victoria. He was just about dead from a systemic infection and I still couldn't keep up with him. He travelled over 8500km by hand that summer and raised over a million dollars for spinal cord regeneration. You can check out tour details at www.regenerationtour.org if you are interested.

SIT-SKIING

I started out on a bi-ski, which is a stable, low to the ground rig that is relatively easy to learn on. It is somewhat limited in terms of speed and terrain but is a great starting place for anyone looking to try out skiing.

The winter of 1999 I start at monoskiing. Way harder. All my years teaching boarding paid off a little here and made the learning curve a little less brutal. My first day was at Mt. Washington on Vancouver Island. They have a great disabled program there and pretty solid equipment. The equipment makes all the difference between a great day and a real letdown so if you or anyone you know is going out to try it, make sure you get a good sled and a strong helper.

My own rig finally arrived toward the end of the winter 2000. Another fantastic toy built by Ivan Samila. Much of the credit must go to Mike from Strange R&D and Stacy Kohut for all their hard work and testing of this incredible toy. I waited three years for it to materialize and am finally able make out carving up Whistler a regular part of my life again. I have to thank the many generous souls that gave so much for me to get this ski and my handbike. All the members at Snowhawks Ski School in Toronto and the North York Ski Centre pulled together almost $7000 to pay for these toys. Without such help I wouldn't have been able to afford such fantasic equipment. Thanks for all the support, I couldn't have done it alone.

WHISTER WINTER 2002

WHISTER WINTER 2003

Many thanks to Chris Rollet for all his patience, coaching and incredible photography talents!

SKYDIVING

This is more up and coming but I thought I would at least start the section.

I had six jumps before I broke my back and was just starting to get hooked. In the fall of 2000 I did a tandem jump with a fantastic instructor named Rod Mack at Ultimate High in Victoria. I definately caught the buzz again and am planning on working with these guys to develop solo skydiving for paras if its possible. We think it is. I'm in the process of trying to round up sponsorship to cover a parachute and some of the costs to develop adaptive equipment and pay for some airtime. IF ANYONE HAS ANY POTENTIAL LEADS PLEASE EMAIL ME. I hope to start this project in the spring of 2001. Click here to download the video. It's 11MB so I hope you have a decent connection.

PARAGLIDING

Up and coming this spring too is paragliding. My good buddy, Flyboy Ben Whyte just got his instructors ticket so I will be hitting him up for lessons soon. There is also a local guy in Vancouver that flys in a chair. Spring will see these connections coming together cause this is one rad sport. Totally free like a bird, no engines required, just a little updraft. The only noise is the wind in your hair and 1000 feet between you and the ground.

HIKING

I haven't been able to get out much because of my previous time commitments at school but this upcoming summer should see some better times hiking and camping. My new Compact chair, once again developed by Ivan at One Step Beyond absolutely rules the trails. Not only that, it totally shreds the urban jungle too. Slicks in the city and I can fly-or a pair of massive 24 x 3" knobbies and the chair rules snow and sand. The beach is finally possible. This is the best set-up for travelling.

Mom and I got to do some hiking at Long Beach and the Cathedral Grove old growth forest on the way up to Tofino on Vancouver Island. The forest was breath taking. It was so old and magestic, like something out of a fantasy novel. The trees were so massive, its hard to think that most of BC was once covered with trees like this. A definate must see for anyone wheeling or not. There is a section that is a little sketchy in a chair, hence the lameass sign. Get a Compact for the full experience. Just make sure you split left after the no wheelchairs sign. This way you end up going down the stairs instead of up. Other parts of the trail were submerged in water. Mom rode my lap and I couriered her through on my lap. I was able to wheelie through 12" deep puddles and keep my feet dry. This chair is by far the best and most versatile ride I have ever tried.

CARTER BAY MANITOULIN ISLAND - SUMMER 2001

CATHEDRAL GROVE VANCOUVER ISLAND - SUMMER 2002

KAYAKING

Two kayaking trips in the summer of 2002. One with Sea Otter Kayaking and the second with Power To Be. Both were great! Sea Otter was extremely well organized, great food and great guides! Tim and his gang at Power to Be specialize in recreation therapy for people all abilities and ages. We went out for three days filming with CBC's Joanne Smith with the show Moving On. Our crew of merry but not 100% abled folk tackled furious headwinds, wheelchair accessible (not even close) beaches and we had a couple of perfect nights under the stars with the racoons. Kayaking has been on the best ways for me to get off the beaten path and back out emersed in nature.

GULF ISLANDS - SUMMER 2002

 

I will keep this updated as things progess. In the future each sport will have its own page with more detail about equipment, whos involved, where to get it and so on. For now, it you have any questions or comments feel free to drop me an EMAIL