Thomas Vanderham started 2012 with strong showing in Anthill Films’ “Strength in Numbers,” and capped it off by becoming the only rider to place in the top ten of every Red Bull Rampage ever held. 2013 promises to be another jam packed year for Vanderham as he travels the world filming, coaching, and attending events.
Thomas says “I grew up wanting their bikes and idolizing their riders, so to think that I have now been in the Rocky family for more than 10 years is really an honor. I couldn’t be more excited to continue working with them on a variety of exciting new projects.”
Wade Simmons, the undisputed Godfather of Freeride and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee, has been with Rocky for over 18 years; yet, despite his “elder statesman” status he still pushes his limits on his bike. With plans to attend several Enduro races, as well as select festivals like Riva del Garda and Crankworx Whistler, Wade is also invaluable to Rocky Mountain’s R&D process.
“I love bringing my experience to the design process as well. The R&D feedback loop is so short, it’s rewarding to see all these up-and-coming projects take shape. The great thing about being involved with a company so long is that sense of pride that can only be garnered from years of building and growing, and I’m looking forward to many more great years ahead.”
“It’s an amazing feeling to work with such a tight knit crew and see our input come to life,” says Geoff Gulevich who, despite struggling with injuries, still placed well at slopestyle and big mountain contests throughout last year. Now that he’s healthy, he’ll be focusing on more select events in 2013. “I love contests and I can’t wait to hit Crankworx, Clawworx, Rampage, etc., but this year my focus will be video parts and just getting back to shredding some raw, aggressive, big mountain stuff.”
Francis Argouin, Rocky Mountain’s Marketing Director, echoes Gully’s thoughts, saying that “while contests are awesome, and we’re one of the few companies producing a dedicated Slopestyle bike [the Slayer SS -Ed.], we know that the soul of mountain biking is about riding with your friends, exploring, pushing yourself, and not necessarily worrying about what some judges think.
As one of the original Froriders and Rocky’s resident “Director of Good Times,” Brett Tippie makes sure we don’t forget our roots. One of the hardest working guys in the industry, Brett will be bringing his infectious laugh and burly riding to countless events this year, from announcing at Crankworx, BCBR, Frostbike, et cetera, to coaching for Camp of Champions, to doing tours at Retallack this fall, to riding for the lenses of the industry’s best photo and video guys.
“Rocky has become a major part of my life; the bikes are works of art and I’m proud to be part of the team,” says Tippie. “We are all into having a great time, sharing the passion, and getting some wicked riding in… Whew! Looking busy but it’s gonna be awesome! Lets ride!”
“The tight-knit family we have here at Rocky is important to us both personally and professionally,” says Argouin. “It ensures that we support amazing riders, who are fantastic ambassadors both for our company and for the sport.”