Bikes and Buddies on B&W

Lizzy Woods Spring Jam - Kodak Tri-X 400

Few things compare to the feeling of flying through the air on a bike. Feeling and hearing the buzz of tires as you, gravity, and the shape of the earth become one. Pushing and then pulling as the ground falls and rises beneath you. The buzz grows in pitch as you accelerate through the transition from down slope to up slope. And suddenly, with a zip of the tire, it’s gone, the ground disappears beneath you along with the that friendly buzz. It’s replaced by the sweet whizzing sound of the back hub, and a feeling of weightlessness, freedom. The gap of a big booter is the ultimate playground, a seemingly timeless limbo where the bike becomes light as a feather, free to be played with as you desire. The rush of wind rises from under neath you, you’re now head first hurtling toward the ground. Your wheels smoothly reconnect with the shape of the earth, front first then the back. And suddenly you’re back pushing the bike into that firm smooth clay, as if you never left the subtle pushing and pulling between the ground and gravity. The magic pump track.

Like anything, the amount of glory and adrenaline is equal to the risk and challenge of the task. Dirt jumping is about riding the line of self destruction, trying to escape the cold hands of injury, always one step behind you, ready to hunt you down at the slightest mistake. Dirt jumping requires a particular type of precision to place yourself, at high speed, 5 meters in the air, across a gap onto a nearly vertical pile of dirt. Just one miscalculation, a moment of stiffness, and, the ground greets you not with its usual gentle reception, but with the eye watering sting of bruised muscles, torn skin and broken bones.

Covid Lockdown 2021 - Kodak Tri-X 400

Pretty stark contrast to my last lockdown where I lived in a hotel in Queenstown entirely by myself and didn't talk to a single person for 5 weeks. This time I was lucky enough to spend it with my 8 housemates. Lots of trampoline time, a spacenet in a tree, a backyard zipline, a couple house boogies, and many family dinners. Pretty nice to slow down a bit and hang out with each other for a few weeks.

Lake Hawea- Kodak Tri-X 400