Part I: The Mountain Bike Matrix with Kenney Smith
Interview with Kenney Smith
Photos By: Ian Millar, Skippy Photo, Nicole Trigg
KENNEY SMITH
How long have you been sponsored by Cove Bikes and what are you riding?This will be my third season riding for the cove. I have a hardtail and DH bike. The Shocker and the Sanchez. It’s all I need.
How did you start riding for them?
I moved down to Vancouver after one summer in Whistler and lived in Burnaby which sucked and I was working in Horseshoe Bay so I had to commute every morning.
Why were you living in Burnaby? If you go there to ride, you live on the North Shore – you don’t go anywhere else.
My friend got me a place so he’s like you can live here it’s not a far pedal. I’m like dude it takes me an hour to get out there!
So you were commuting from Burnaby to the North Shore on a DH bike? <laughs> I didn’t know anything. I was a hillbilly kid right out of Prince George. I went to Van and it was reality check. Whistler’s like ya it’s cool to ride your bike and never work. Vancouver’s like what do you mean you just want to ride your bike. I think I was 19 - just blown away. It’s one of the coolest things I think I’ve done to learn about myself. I learnt so much about people and just everything. It was crazy. I lived in Burnaby for a month and was commuting and needed to live next to the mountains so I got a job at the gas station in Deep Cove and then I moved into a house on Mount Seymour Parkway with this dude who grew up with Gabe the team manager for Cove. I met Gabe at the Raven one night drinking beers then he just kind of had his eye on me all season I guess and I had a really good season - built a lot of really big jumps.
Were you riding mostly Mt Seymour?
Every day. Every day it was sweet. I didn’t care I was just so pumped to be riding. I rode in the rain every day. Ride all day then go work at the gas station. <laughs> It was awesome. I had such a rad time there. I got to meet tons of people. It’s my favourite place to ride in the off season. I lived there for ten months and ride there every winter as much as I can.
How did you get chosen for Roam?
I was building lots of jumps, hanging out and riding with our crew of guys in the Whistler bike park. We were pretty much the fastest guys around and they wanted to do a seggy and asked me if I wanted to be a part of it.
What’s your personal feeling about the video and what you contributed to it?
I think it’s a huge honour to be a part of that video. It’s probably one of the coolest videos ever made if not the coolest. The way the whole bike park thing came together – those were some of my best friends just riding and all joining in mixing with some of the best riders in the world and it filmed so well. It was such a cool thing. The whole summer was based on that video and going out and filming with our friends. It was just a really good time and the premiere was amazing because there were 1600 people there. It was the first video I was ever in. It was pretty sweet.
Did the success of Roam change your lifestyle?
I’ve signed a few autographs over the last year. My only goal in mountain biking was to be in a mountain bike video and get a cover shot. Cover shot’s on its way so I’m pretty stoked.
You’re about to leave on all-expenses paid trip to Europe – how did it come together?
It’s a full 12-page feature story for Mountain Biking Magazine. It’s my first trip that my sponsors are paying for. It’s all new to me. Ian Millar told me I want to go to Europe with you and some buddies. My team manager’s like what’s the plan? What’s going to happen? I’m like o right. So I phone Ian back and I’m like dude I can’t just go on this trip unless there’s some kind of a plan and Ian’s like man ya we’ll just start going around to resorts and it will be sweet. I’m like well ya it’ll be sweet but what’s the plan man I’ve gotta tell my sponsors what they’re paying for! <laughs> And Gareth Dyer he’s talking to Norco and they’re like what’s the plan? And he’s like uh yah we’re going to Switzerland then we’re uh going to France. <laughs> I don’t see how it can go wrong. Gabe’s like this is the biggest sh*t show I’ve ever heard of. You’re going.
Who else is going?
Gareth Dyer and Kyle Norbraten. It’s cool. It’s like 3 generations of mountain bikers from Prince George going to Switzerland, France and possibly Italy.
What else is in the plans?
I have lots of big lines that I’ve been working on and building and I want to take as many pictures as I can with different photographers. It’s cool working with different photographers because everyone has different ideas. I’m going to be racing a bit. I want to race Psychosis. I think I’m going to do Nationals and all the beer leagues. Psychosis I want to do ‘cause it’s a 15 minute long course which is more my style.
How are you training for Psychosis?
I just ride. I think guys around here have the best advantage ‘cause the trails we go ride every day are like 3000 feet. You go out to Pemberton and ride Gravitron - it’s like 3300 feet and takes 25 minutes to get down. What more training could you ask for?
