February 8/06 3:50 am - 2006 Rocky Mountain Business Objects Freeride Team

Posted by Editor on 02/8/06
 

2006 Rocky Mountain Business Objects Freeride Team

Wade Simmons, winner of the first Red Bull Rampage in 2001, will stay with Rocky Mountain for another 2 years. Wade has ridden for Rocky Mountain Bicycles since 1995 and, with Richie Schley, the two were some of the first to Send It with style. Wade is known in the Mountain Bike World as the Godfather of Freeride. He's been a leader in Freeride and, along with Richie Schley, helped attract sponsors for the discipline that has now made it possible for the new generation of riders to land contracts in the sport.

Many times Simmon's has had shout outs in reader polls as the World's Favourite Rider. In 2005 Wade started to host Wade's World rides in North America and Europe with Big Mountain www.ridebig.com, which this year has a 9 day epic big bike assault of the Swiss Alps with Wade. Bush Pilot Tours www.bushpilotbiking.com offers some great trips in North America.

Richie Schley has been a staple of the Mountain Bike media for the past eight years. Also a successful Big Mountain Free Skier, he's been one of the most published Freeriders in the World. Schley also comes from a BMX background and is a former Canadian BMX National Champion. He's been one of the regulars in the New World Disorder Series of Videos that has set the standard in the MTB media for years.

Richie is a big part of the Whistler Mtb Bike Park scene, helping with trail development and Slopestyle course design. He put his design work into Crankworks Slopestyle in 2005 and also has his own "Schleyer" trail at the World reknown Bike Park. The Richie Schley Freeride Camps are full on most weekends in July and August for 2006 . Richie will offer customized camps in 2006 designed to fit any riders needs and ability.

The Rocky Mountain pro Freerider's are also known also as the Fros. This name stuck from when another company challenged the right to use the description Freeride for their new style of riding a few years back . Simmons and Schley became known as the Fro riders after that. Thomas Vanderham is the third Fro rider, in his fifth year with Rocky. Vanderham stepped it up the past few years to be consistently in the top ten results of all the Big Mountain Freeride events and Slopestyle competitions. He's been very influential in the latest versions of the Rocky Mountain RMX, giving it more of a performance DH feel.

The Fros have some young guns joining them on the Gravity and Freeride Team. 2005 Junior Womens DH World Championship Bronze Medal Winner, Micayla Gatto will expand in to 4-Cross as well as Downhill. She will compete in Canadian National races, Norba National and key World Cups. She will race this season with her focus on the World Championships in New Zealand. At 18, Micayla is second year junior.

14 year old Alex Pro of Whistler is 2005 BC under 15 DH Champ, but will keep working on his fine style for Dirt Jump and Slopestyle competition. Alex is one of the team's best all round athletes. Ryan Vanderham, will race Junior DH after finishing 2nd in the 2005 under 17 category for BC. Rob J. from Germany is another new rider who had some great coverage in the media the past year.

"We are thrilled that Wade, Thomas and Richie have chosen to ride our bikes," declared Jean Poisson, General Manager of Rocky Mountain Bicycles, "They are great role models and most importantly they will provide continued insight to what will keep our bikes the best in the business"