Thank you for your amazing support this Dry July. With the support of my friends, over $100 was raised personally in cash and online donations.
This money will go towards assisting the many people in NZ who are going through Chemo-therapy.
A month with out alcohol and coffee went very well. Remembering that the company is more important than the drink kept me motivated to keep going. The health benefits were great too! My body (not to mention my remaining Kidney) are thanking me for it.
Thanks to all the support:
Rob & Janey Johnston
Dick Schulze
Keith Stubbs
Kristi Juliussen
Anonymous donor
Anonymous donor
‘A means to landscape some places, that otherwise I would never see’ A ‘selfie’ short film by friend & Director / DOP Tim Pierce. Enjoy some Central Otago scenery and creative expression thanks to the Bicycle and the passion that goes with it.
Why Not? For the month of July I will stay alcohol and coffee free. I figured it would not only raise a bit of cash for Cancer research but keep me fresh too. More than 2000 Kiwis chose to stay off the booze last July and gathered $550,000 in donations that helped Auckland Hospital’s oncology department purchase 30 purpose-built chemotherapy chairs, install free wi-fi and buy 70 TVs for patients.
As many of you now know because of the solo Kidney I am much more aware of diet and drinking, so this is yet another step in the direction of healthy living. Both friends and family of mine and perhaps yours have been affected by the draining results of Chemo Therapy… Please take a moment to click on the link and see my progress towards Dry July, thanks!
We were fortunate to enjoy some of the best opening conditions in ten years. Treble Cone put on a great day with lines stretching as far as the Motatapu Shutes. Enjoy the video below made by Jase at Basket Productions.
“Pay Attention” I tell myself as I set off down a narrow path riding two wheels in the woods. I’m following a group of locals who know the twists and turns well, which inspires the growing confidence in me. These locals have become good friends of mine during my season in Whistler which has made my season even more special. What better way to finish a Winter by spending most days exploring the immense trail network in the Whistler Valley area. Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and even some Vancouver trails kept me entertained during the last weeks I spent in Canada.
Below are some of the photos I snapped along the way including maps of the area using my Garmin cycle GPS.
British Columbia has plenty of trails to keep a keen biker entertained. I was fortunate to get a taste of what the area can offer. Returning to B.C in the future is definitely an option and these days spent in the forest with friends has only inspired me to enjoy a Summer… Soon.
Squamish Squamish Squamish2
Pemberton Pemberton Crew Pemberton Map
Whislter
Vancouver UBC Loop
Lost Lake, WhistlerEndless fun
Now that I have returned to NZ the biking is still near the top of my priorities. Old and new trails while exploring with friends continue to get me stoked. This weekend some friends and I will drive North and fly into the Heaphy Track with the bikes! Watch this space…
Racing back to Whislter in a rental car from Squamish I do the math in my head. Will we be able to pick everyone up in time and make it out to Big White before ‘Check In’? It’s a beautiful Spring day which makes for great road-trips and we certainly did as 7 of us squeezed our boards, boots, bodies and bags and took off down the Kokahala Highway.
An epic weekend filled with excellent snow, friendly company and a competition which is like no other. This is my 3rd season participating in this event and I can honestly say it was my most favorite weekend of the season. As I won the Mens’ 25-34 category last season it was only appropriate that I step up to the PRO division and compete with the big boys. World Cup racers and Olympic level athletes strap in beside me as I prepare myself for one of two runs down a rutted, fogged in & hair raising course. Day one went very well as I placed 3rd however a crash on a berm day 2 lowered my place to 8th overall. Martin Juare and JP Fok landed themselves with a podium! 270 keen snowboarders and snowskaters of all ages and abilities participated in what is believed to be one of the most respected banked slaloms in the world.
Many thanks goes to Flynn Seddon and his event staff along with Big White for hosting another fine event. The sponsors were proud to be part of the event and were yet again generous with their schwag and prizes. Of course there is a huge thank you to the special group of friends I had the pleasure of traveling, living and riding with over the weekend… Let us aim to make this event bigger and better for the Whistler Crew next season!
Earlier this month a friend, snowboard buddy and talented artist by the name of Kris Kupskay and I left the mountains and ventured into the city. Just outside of Vancouver is an area called Maple Ridge and there was a Gym in need of some love. Kris had been contacted by the local principal and teacher of Connex School to liven up the wall of the school gym. We wanted to create something interesting and unique so Kris had a yoga guru, Julia Mccabe join us…
Since aquiring a GoPro camera from Whistler Blackcomb, it has been a goal of mine to create a video like this. A goal and the passion to drive it, is the direction I want Mind Resolutions to move in. To help me portray this concept, I filmed and editied 4 minute video of the time lapse footage, Kris painting and Julia practicing Yoga. Perhaps you could share it to those who you think will appreciate it!
“Become ‘one’ with the sled…” I hear the assistant say to me as she sets my duct-tape-covered sled free. The ice 2 inches from my chin seems a lot harder and colder from this perspective… Within seconds I reach 99.5km/h down the Olympic track feeling up to 4G here in Whistler setting the fastest time and speed for the day. Memories of the Bob Sled experience a year ago flood back to me and I try to forget about the crash that happened on the same track a year earlier.
It was an honor to be selected as a winner of the 2013 Whistler Blackcomb I.C.E Awards. 3,500 employees are eligible and yesterday 16 of us were treated to a day filled with surprise and gratitude. Two weeks ago I was nominated by a couple of my supervisors as being I.C.E worthy. Inspiring Continued Excellence sum up the Core Values of WB and are an important part of the companies outstanding reputation. Mum happened to still be in town so the night was even more special with her there.
Russ Wood, one of my supervisors shared some kind words and stories. An unexpected surprise and a humbling time for me to be recognised this way. This award really is a reflection of the environment I am fortunate to work and play in. My colleagues become friends and it is awesome to be surrounded by many inspiring people here in the mountains. This way of life here allows us to freely let our passion for the outdoors excel us in many ways. It certainly is a privilege to be here.
Mind Resolutions (MR) is now on Facebook! I want to provide insightful and inspiring, easy to understand self-development resources that can be applied again and again. Even though the final website is not ready, the urge to get this project out there runs deep. This project of mine will eventually turn into a business practicing life coaching and sport therapy. The direction of Mind Resolutions is not quite set in stone, the idea of keeping it ‘plastic’, especially now in it’s early stages feels like the right thing to do. As time goes on, it will evolve into what it needs to be.
Delivering presentations, health & wellness retreats, goal setting and collaborating with other lifestyle professionals are interests of mine I would like to see grow! Inspired by the NLP certification I went though in 2012, it blends nicely with the teaching and training within the snow sports industry. It has helped me create success in sport, work and given me a fresh resourceful outlook on life.
All of your support and feedback is appreciated and helps me stay on track. If you want to make a contribution. Perhaps you would like to like the page?
Richie Johnston 