In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Nicole Kennedy. Originally from Colorado, Nicole is a gnarly rider who now calls Squamish, here in BC, home. Nicole has a DH racing background, races Enduro races blind, and as a member of the recently formed ‘Into the Gnar’ Progression Team, she is no stranger to danger when it comes to pushing her limits on the bike. Recent YouTube videos depict her dissecting some of the largest and most technical gaps and drops in the sea-to-sky region, and she shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.Listen in as we dig deep into the WHY, and the HOW behind her processes, training, and mindset that allows for such inspiring riding and growth.You can find Nicole on Instagram @Nicole.a.kennedy and Yoann Barelli's Into The Gnar Progression Team goes by the hashtag: #itgpt THE MIND MOUNTAINwww.themindmountain.comInstagram @the_mind_mountainFacebook @themindmountainYouTube @Jake Johnstone

In this episode, I chat with MTB YouTube legend Nic Zilinski, @Vancanmtb. Nic is an incredibly insightful guy and I had an absolute ball chatting about his journey into the world of Mountain Bikes so far.Originally from further East, Nic brings his solid BMX background, as well as his analytical science brain to the West Coast to make for some great riding and a super entertaining YouTube channel.We had a wide-ranging conversation touching on everything from progression, discomfort, & nervousness, to focus, visualization, and mentally cataloging trails and features to help remind yourself of your capabilities when riding new terrain.Have a listen to hear some of the biggest things Nic has learned whilst riding with an impressive list of Pro Riders as part of his YouTube Channel. You can find Nic @vancanmtb on Instagram and @VanCan on Youtube. Enjoy!THE MIND MOUNTAINwww.themindmountain.comInstagram @the_mind_mountainFacebook @themindmountainYouTube @Jake Johnstone

In this episode, I was lucky enough to sit down with Queenstown local, Simon Noble, for the second time.As a rider who simply can’t sit still, Simon recently completed a mega ‘Everest Challenge’ where he climbed an insane 9007m of vert in just 22hours, all the while descending some pretty gnarly trails down through the Queenstown Bike Park. We dig deep into what went on behind the scenes, and in Simons's mind on the big day, and talk about the WHY, including the amazing 'Making Trax Foundation' that he raised a bunch of money for during this suffer-fest.Simon is now well and truly into his next big challenge on the bike, as he sets out to ride a whopping 500,000 verticle meters in 2022. This means pedaling every day, about 1400m per day to be exact...Sit back and enjoy this conversation as we reflect on a broad range of topics including, recovering from crashes mentally, concussion, bike setup,  and confidence in relation to skill level.Simon can be found at @simeeze on Instagram and you can check out @makingtrax.co.nz here! THE MIND MOUNTAINwww.themindmountain.comInstagram @the_mind_mountainFacebook @themindmountainYouTube @Jake Johnstone

In this episode, I chat with Matt Bolton. Matt is an insanely talented and creative rider and trail builder from Squamish, BC.Known locally for pushing the boundaries of physics as he pioneers and rides new near-vertical slab lines in areas that have historically been only for rock climbing - Matt is not one to let fear hold him back from riding what most people would consider off-limits on a bike.With a host of rad films and projects to his name, Matt not only rides inspiring lines, but he also builds them too. We dig into the mindset behind his various riding, building, and filming projects. If you want to learn how high-level riders like this prepare themselves mentally, this is definitely one to listen to right to the end!You can find Matt @matt_boltz on Instagram and watch his awesome videos including Jurassic 5  on YouTube here.THE MIND MOUNTAINwww.themindmountain.comInstagram @the_mind_mountainFacebook @themindmountainYouTube @Jake Johnstone

In this episode, I chat with Emma Olofsson (aka. @mmurmaider). Emma is an absolute shredder who hales from Sweden originally and has spent the past 5 years or so traveling in between Europe and her adopted home of Queenstown, NZ. All in the pursuit of good times on two wheels.Emma is 110% laser-focused on her one goal of having fun - all of the time!!This simple yet powerful approach leaves no room for stress or mental chatter when she is riding, and it shows in her progression. As a rider who has really dove headfirst and all-in to the sport, she has been involved in all sorts of cool filming projects, races, and female progression camps which we explore - while picking apart the mindset that makes all of this possible.You can find Emma @mmurmaider on Instagram or at the Skyline MTB Park in Queenstown daily.THE MIND MOUNTAINwww.themindmountain.comInstagram @the_mind_mountainFacebook @themindmountain

In this episode, I sit down with Damian Stones.Damian is a professional MTB Guide, instructor, and pump track builder extraordinaire!With a long and wide-ranging career and life revolving around bikes, Damian has an incredible amount of wisdom to share, and a deep understanding of the processes behind progressing on a bike. Highlights of mine include hearing about the making of his multi-sport backcountry adventure films & his days spent building, riding, and learning with the legendary Kelly McGarry (McGazza).You can find Damian @Damian Stones on Instagram or on his website https://www.damianstones.nz/ where you will find his films 'Butters - skip the gym and go digging' and 'Waiau-toa odyssey' among others.THE MIND MOUNTAINwww.themindmountain.comInstagram @jakejohnoFacebook @themindmountain  

In this episode, I sit down with Anthony Boussetta. With a varied background of Enduro and DH racing, to self-imposed backcountry sufferfests, Anthony is always one to be out there getting after it. I’ve been fascinated with Anthony’s mindset and approach to fear for a long time because it differs from the way a lot of other people think and allows him to achieve an amazing level of riding - both up and down!We cover a wide range of topics all leading back to Mountain Biking and Mindset from his unique perspective. We dig into the HOW and the WHY behind his riding, mindset, and recent 'Triple-Triple Crown' of all three North Shore mountains here in BC.Take a listen to hear Anthony speak on how he uses visualisation techniques to channel his focus, WHY he loves riding trails blind, how unproductive language and negativity can seep into our subconscious, 'the equipment trap', and much much more!

Welcome back! In this episode of the show, we have Chris Mildon. Chris grew up in New Zealand and has been riding bikes for as long as he can remember. From hacking around his town’s old dump on homemade bikes as a kid to BMX racing in the ’80s, he eventually found his wheels of choice - the Mountain Bike. Since then Chris enjoyed some competitive years racing downhill and cross country, before starting on his path to become a Mountain Bike instructor where he now shares his huge passion for the sport.These days, Chris is based out of the sunny coastal town of Nelson and travels all over New Zealand teaching Mountain Biking through his business, Mountain Bike Skills Clinics. As it works out, Chris also happened to be my first ever mountain biking instructor when I lived down in NZ - the unlucky bugger! Chris and MTB Skills Clinics can be found on their website here:https://www.mtbskillsclinics.co.nz/

Simon Noble is a mountain biker and friend of mine who lives in Mecca that is Queenstown, New Zealand. Originally from Maffra, Victoria, Australia, Simon’s life has revolved around mountain biking ever since he saved up for his first DH bike in 2009 and started racing soon after.Although a huge believer in the positive experiences mountain biking can offer, Simon’s journey on the bike has not been without challenges, both mentally and physically.We dive into the nitty gritty of a crash that landed Simon in a wheel chair for months and how that experience has changed his perspective on life, motivating him to push the boundaries of his riding to new physical and mental thresholds, all for a good cause.Simon can be found at @simeeze and  @thelongestlongday on Instagram where you can follow his epic Everest Challenge journey. If you'd like to donate to the Making Trax Foundation, do so via this link: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/the-longest-long-day