WHAT IS FREERIDE
Who you are, how long you’ve been riding/racing and why do you love Freeride?
My name is Emma Olofsson and I have been riding mountain bikes for nearly 10 years now. I used to ride lots of bike park laps and liked to push my limits to get better and hit bigger features which made me head into the freeride scene especially as I started travelling to ride, meet new people and therefore started getting invited to- and attending events. I love Freeride because it's freedom which is what I have always strived for. You ride what you want to, when you want to and how you want to and that's super important for me - I want to decide what and when I ride. Everyone is also so friendly and helpful in the scene and we all want each other to succeed - which is an amazing environment to me in.
What is Freeride?
To me, freeride is anything you feel like riding almost.... It can be jumps, bike park laps, scree slopes down big mountains, loamers, trick competitions and whip offs! Most bike riding that doesn't fit into a racing category I'd say is freeride...
What bike & kit do you need?
My favourite bike I like to ride is a 27.5 inch wheel DH bike but with stiff suspension so it's perfect for jumps and steep trails! And Hope Brakes are a MUST on all my bikes, there are no better brakes out there and I need these to feel confident and in control when I ride.
How can you get into Freeride? Riding & racing. To get into freeride events and more I think it's important to showcase your skills on social media so people know your riding ability and traveling to ride is super important as well because this is where you will meet people in the industry. Send emails to get into Crankworx Whip Offs, local events, go to Whistler and Queenstown and ride the bike park and be open, talkative and friendly - talking and riding with different people is a great way to get better at biking and get an invite to freeride events.
Links to Clubs/Community groups/race series/events
In Queenstown, where I live, we have a bike club called QMTBC and they organize group rides, dig nights, freeride- and racing events and more. You can get a membership on the app and they will send you notifications about community rides etc. QMTBC are involved in almost everything mtb related in Queenstown and the in to everything biking here!
Words: Emma Olofsson