Richie Schley, Bio

Born: 1st August 1969

Home: Whistler, Canada

Living in Whistler with a ski resort on his doorstep led to a professional skiing career as a stuntman in films. Inevitably, Richie Schley's cross country skiing experience affected his mountain biking and, when the wider community discovered what he and his friends were doing, blew the cycling scene apart.

The birth of the Freeride movement dramatically altered the perception of cycling and Richie Schley was one of the primary influences behind the movement. Rather than focusing on racing or speed, Freeriding lets cyclists explore the more creative, trick-focused side of mountain biking. A side that fuses the jump-to-transition style found in extreme snowsports with the adventurous spirit of mountain biking.

Not only did Richie Schley help develop the Freeride movement, he also helped it mature into something tangible by developing the Slopestyle competition. The modern form of the competition, which is sponsored by Adidas, pulls fifty riders from across the world to compete to get the highest score from judges by tricking off obstacles on a downhill course.

Although no longer the young pioneer that helped develop Freeriding with his friends in the mountains of Canada , his partnerships with the biggest names in sport, like Adidas, show he is still a force to be reckoned with in the mountain bike world.

Frame

adidas Cycling Sunglasses

Career Highs:

Pioneer of MTB-Freeride movement
Uncountable print coverages
Created the first Slopestyle contest at Joyride (now known as Crankworx)