BRITNEE BOYCHUCK: INTERVIEW WITH A SHREDDER

SOURCE: MUDDBUNNIES/RYAN PETERSEN

So last July 14 and 15th the NSMB Airprentice invitational welcomed their second ever female rider to compete for a spot on the NSMB team. She competed with 10 guys throwin’ huge tables, whips, flips, no-handers, and 360 X-ups. It’s a big day in women’s riding when a female gets an invitation to an event like this one.

Photo: Dan Barham

As soon as I heard there was a female competitor in the 2007 Airprentice I wanted to know everything about her! So after text-tagging for months, we finally met Britnee last year at Crankworx. She’d been staying in Whistler for weeks and was planning on competing in WomensWorx at Crankworx.

Photo: Dan Barham

Here’s the Muddbunnies interview:

MB: Some descriptions of your zodiac sign are people who are lucky, risk-takers, sometimes cocky, positive, jovial persons who see their glass as half-full. Does that describe you?
BB: Almost to the T, except I’m more confident than cocky! (Laughs)

MB: How would you describe your riding style?
BB: Naked, (laughs) just kidding, solid and flowy.

MB: What’s the riding in Kelowna like?
BB: Amazing, it’s got a lil’ bit of everything for every kind of rider: dirt jumps, massive wall rides, gaps, drops; a one stop road trip for sure.

Photo: Michelle Santos

MB: So you took 1st in the beginner category at Sea Otter, Hammerfest in Parksville and you were an Airprentice contender at Whistler this year. Talk to us first about your win at Sea Otter.
BB: Wow! Where to start: this was an amazing race and I wouldn’t want to have my first race anywhere else. The whole week was an experience that everyone should do at least once. The trip down with the Loeka team was a gong show then I had a few days of practise and checking stuff out. Race day was a mess; torrential down pour like tropical rain styles. Times were all delayed over an hour and a half and everyone was cold and wet. The course was a big mud bath and the lines I practised were all gone so it was a, “goes where my bike goes” kinda run. I was beat by the end but finished covered in mud and a perm-a-grin. So I get out of my gear and header to the liquor store. By the end of it, I had my 26 of vodka on the podium with me, making the girls take a swig. It was classy!

MB: Now tell us about Airprentice; it’s kind of a big deal hangin’ with the boys at Whistler. What was the experience like?
BB: It was an honour to ride with Cam (McRae) at Silver Star and for him to ask me to join them. I packed my stuff and was off to Whistler to ride with the big boys, (more like young bucks that could throw down like crazy). We sessioned the 4-pack on A-line; watching these boys throw down 3’s and huge tables, and suicides just made me want to learn more and ride harder. Watchin’ them in the boneyard, was like a front row seat to the best concert in town! The foam pit: wow is that a fun time for an evening. It was a privilege riding with those boys, and I plan on riding with them more often next summer.

MB: You competed at Crankworx/Womensworx this year. What was the female competition like at one of the best riding spots in the world?
BB: There are for sure some amazing female riders out there, and some amazing up-and-coming too that I hope I’ll get to ride with more next year.

MB: What would you do differently this year if you could?
BB: Get my cardio up for sure; that was my biggest downfall. I could ride the trails no problem but I would just get tired of pedalling.

Photo: Michelle Santos

MB: What is your training regime?
BB: Carry box of beer to the counter, carry it to my truck, carry it to the house, take bottle out, open bottle, lift to mouth, repeat and repeat. (laughs) Just kidding, I got a stationary bike that I ride at work on the rig plus swimming, running, and normal gym stuff, mostly riding my bike as much as possible.

MB: What’s your pre-race routine?
BB: Throw some country into my MP3 player and visualise my run, my lines, and my finish, slam an energy drink, and say to myself, “Self” (and I recognize the voice cause I’ve heard it once before) “just giver”.

MB: What are your bikes?
BB: My babies you mean?? My dh bike is a Santa Cruz VP-Free, with a Fox 40 and all tricked out in .243 parts. I love it, its money! And my HT, which is practically never used is a giant STP, frost green, also tricked out in .243 parts. Thanks E!

MB: How’d you get into riding? How old were you?
BB: Actually my ex-boyfriend lost his license so we both got bikes to get to work. Started off on a Devinci Hucker, and got on to pinkbike.com and met some locals and went to Gillard. I fell in love with it so I bought a fully.

MB: So what are your goals for next year?
BB: Well I’m taking the summer off of work to just ride so roads trip are on the list for sure. I wanna ride some new trails in new towns, meet some more riding buddies, and race a ton. Gonna podium and get my name out there.

MB: Okay tell us about girls riding. Where’s the future of it all going?
BB: Riding as a whole is just exploding but for female riders we have an amazing opportunity. Men opened many doors for us and we just have to ride through them and take it as far as we want really. I can’t wait for ’08, I’m gonna test a bunch of limits for sure.

MB: What about people who say women’s riding levels are far behind the guys?
BB: I believe that women riders are starting to push the limits and follow in the ever-so-large footsteps the men have made for this sport. I guess it just comes down to us being a lil’ more cautious and not having the weight mass and muscle mass like men. Just cause it’s a male-dominated sport doesn’t mean we’re not gonna give the guys a run for there money.

MB: Any female riding heroes?
BB: Honestly I don’t follow the pros too much but I had an awesome run with Micayla Gatto on A-line. I was just doing a normal run and heard someone coming behind me so I kicked it to fast gear and ripped. I stopped at the top of the bone yard and she rolled up beside me and was impressed with my speed. Amazing compliment from an amazing riding. She’s sick!

MB: What’s the race circuit like on a novice level?
BB: Its good times! The girls are all great and are here to have a good time, make a friend and ride their bike. More like a bunch of friends just riding than wanting each other to fall so they can gain a few seconds on them.

MB: Favourite riding quote?
BB: “No sense in forcing it, you just gotta let it flow” and my fav is, “As far as motors go bigger is better, as far as speed goes faster is funner, as far as life goes its better lived on the edge where the view, like the throttle, is always WFO.

MB: Are you single?
BB: #$%# yeah I am! (laughs) I’m too busy being here and there and all around and haven’t found the right guy yet.

MB: Describe your perfect boyfriend.
BB: Well where to start? He’s gotta be outgoing, funny, hardworking, athletic, trusting, and game for almost anything I’m gonna drag him into. Doesn’t hurt if he’s a cowboy, farmer, or ninja, or rides bikes. Oh yeah and a sexy hot body and eyes I can lose myself in.

MB: Describe your perfect day of riding.
BB: Any day of ridin’ is usually perfect, but what would top it off: early morning wake up, head to the hill do a warm up run, then 3 runs or so of Gillard, pack it up head over the bridge stopping at Subway in Westside, before shuttling Powers for a few runs and trying a new stunt on every run, pushing it a lil’ more each run and then heading to the lake for a dip before a bbq dinner and beers on the deck.
MB: DAMN! That does sound like a perfect day!

MB: You work on an oilrig in northern Alberta as a paramedic?
BB: Ya that’s true and I love it 🙂

MB: How’d you get into that line of work?
BB: For the money. I wanted to pay off my mortgage faster, and this was the way. Now I love the work and will be going to school in September in Kelowna for my Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) for a lifelong career, it’s a rush.

MB: What’s been the craziest experience on the rig?
BB: Going up to the crown for sure, (the crown is the very top of the rig, 100 feet in the air). It was a huge rush! Kane my driller took me up there at like two in the morning; so quite and relaxing. Either that or my heli evac I had; that was a rush.

MB: What kind of riding do you do?
BB: I would say I’m more of a freerider, love the DH too.

MB: Any style you want to try?
BB: Maybe 4X, but sticking to DH, freeriding, some dirt jumping and maybe a lil’ street. Staying completely away from spandi riding for sure!

MB: Favourite trail at Whistler?
BB: Kinda cliche but, A-line. I learned to make all the trannies last year and it makes it so much more fun. I also rip Slayer, Crank it up is a good warm up, and Karate Monkey just for the name. I’m a ninja you know?!

MB: Favourite life quote?
BB: “The way you do anything, is the way you do everything ” and “Pain is only an illusion”.

MB: 5 year plan in life and on the bike?
BB: I’ll be 27 by then, will be a paramedic with BC ambulance, enjoying life in the beautiful Okanagan, hopefully find me a good man to keep around, and riding like I am now I hope. Racing, travelling, maybe even teaching.

MB: Best thing in your life right now?
BB: To be honest my life is perfect right now! I have an amazing family, (love you mom and dad), awesome friends who are there for me, I love my job and make great money doing something I love. I’m travelling tons (Honduras, Venezuela ) I LOVE my bike, and my truck. Guess I lucked out.

Photo: Michelle Santos

MB: If you were a drink (alcoholic or not) what would you be?
BB: A cold beer on a hot day, no one can say no to you…. or tequila ” cause tequila makes your clothes fall off ”

MB: Last words?
BB: Guess I should say my thank you’s… Mom and Dad for being so supportive, and trying not to worry when I go riding, or call and say I’m on the way to the hospital because I crashed my bike. Cyclepath for being there from the start, always squishing my bike in, and all the extra support. Eric from 243. Racing, Greg from Straitline, Spencer with Rock Star Energy Drinks, and of course RYAN and MICHELLE for all there sweet loving. Thanks all, and to all a good night!

www.britneeboychuk.com