Ambassadors
ambassadors
Carson Rayner
Appropriately nicknamed Starvin Marvin, Carson is one of the smallest riders you'll come across on the track. Carson has ridden bikes his whole life which lead him to the downhill format. it’s all gone downhill from there... Once I’ve finished my electrical apprenticeship I plan to head overseas to follow the mtb downhill world cup circuit. Usually you’ll see me riding my new Santacruz V10 at 440 Mountain Bike Park which is just around the corner from my house!
Passion:MTB
Nick Name:Starvin Marvin
DOB:09-11-1998
Hometown:Maraetai Beach, Auckland
Instagram:@carson_rayner
Andrew Redward
California-born Andrew Redward has been at the forefront of New Zealand drifting for over 10 years, first picking up the sport in 2003 as a hobby. Always trying to be different and having fun while pushing himself to the limits is what drives him to build and drift his V8 powered Mazda RX7 at circuits all across NZ and Australia.
Zak John Baikie
At 14 , Zak is the youngest grom in the New Zealand setup. After taking up riding at 5 years old, Zak found a passion for snowboarding and hasn’t let anything get in his way since. The luxury of being home schooled in the winter has allowed him to train and compete right thorugh the NZ seasons. Trips away to the Northen Hemisphere over the NZ summers have continued to develop Zaks riding. Zak currently holds three NZ titles for his age group. You'll see Zac cutting laps up at Cardies this winter while he chases his dream to compete at the X-Games.
Adam Strawbridge
Growing up in the Bay of Islands skating and playing music, it wasn’t until the age of 19 that Adam started snowboarding. A couple of years after that he made the move to Wanaka to ride Snowpark (RIP) and hasn’t missed a season since. Snowboarding for Adam provides an environment to channel all his energy, expressing himself and forgetting everything else. "whatever you do, do it with passion, intention and style
Regan Carlyon
22 year old builder from Hamilton, New Zealand. I have been Wakeboarding for 11 years. Competed for 9-10 years. Previously been 2x under 19 national champ and I am currently the NZ Open men’s champion for 2017! Currently focusing on pushing my riding level and tweaking tricks out to separate my riding from the other riders! When I’m not Wakeboarding, I’m a Resident DJ in multiple clubs across the Hamilton area.
Gavin Bisman
I'm a Black Heart Noel. A Surfer, Father and Husband. Born in Chch, grew up in Akld, moved to Dndn, back to Akld, travelled the world #WorkingOnSurfing and now very thankful that I get to live in Papadise. I'll be here until I'm not. Spend my time behind the scenes judging & MCing the SurfingNZ surf comps & other cool gigs like the Aotearoa Surf Film Festival! See you in the sea. Cheers, Gav.
Brad Smeele
Professional wakeboarder Brad Smeele dedicated more than half of his life perfecting his craft, and as a result he quickly became known as an innovator of the sport. He claimed two Junior World titles, became one of the first in the world to land a 1080 then won the 2014 Trick of the Year award with the world’s first double tantrum (back flip) to blind over a mega ramp... Unfortunately, just weeks later, Brad took a heavy crash attempting to land that same trick again, resulting in him breaking his neck, leaving him a quadriplegic. Brad now inspires people worldwide with his tenacity to regain movement, to live a full and action packed life and raising awareness and funding for spinal cord injury research. Brad has also remained involved in his sport as a commentator at international wakeboarding events.
Zoe Fleming
Started BMX at the age of 8, now 20 and still living the dream!! Competed internationally since the age of 11 and throughout that time have competed in 6 World Championships holding numerous world rankings, became the Junior Elite Oceania Champ, received a number of prestigious High Performance Sport and University scholarships!! And now through all the ups and downs of sport, living in the United States for my second year racing as a pro competing for 10 months of the year racing the USABMX Pro circuit!! Still being only my second year Elite we're constantly learning and excited to see what the further has to throw my way!!
Jayden Fleming
18 year old Jayden will be going into his first year in the Elite category racing the best of the best in their sport and competing internationally throughout the year. After racing BMX for the past 11 years Jayden has raced his bike in over a dozen countries at both a amateur and professional level. With encouragement behind him he continues to train, race and represent his country with pride. He hopes to share his knowledge, crazy experiences and life lessons with as many younger riders and the next generation of his sport to give back to a sport that's given him so much.
Matt Hewitt
Matt Hewitt came bursting into the world of surfing after only picking up a surfboard for the first time at the age of 14. He wasted no time and started claiming titles straight away which include 3rd in the World Junior Games, 2 Pro Junior wins (first kiwi to ever achieve this), numerous top 10 finishes in the QS, and the youngest kiwi to win the Open NZ national title. Matt is not only a surfing champion, but an all-round athlete, role model and influencer of the next generation.
Morgan Schofield
Grew up on the North Shore and started riding age 1 at Snowplanet and Ruapehu… just another planet kid growing up dreaming of endless winters and living the dream. Moved south to Queenstown in 2010 at age 17 and never looked back. Been heading to northern hemisphere winters locking down places like California, Hokkaido Japan, and more recently Alaska. Everything from punishing myself on street rails and backcountry has been years of hard work living out of my empty pockets, its all started paying off landing my first cover shot in manual magazine issue 64.
Blake Gillard
Starting racing motocross at 6 years of age 4 NZ Championships Career highlight 4th Junior world champs Czech Republic, Currently competing in MX1 contesting the NZ championship on a KTM 450sxf Favorite track, Harrisville
Leon Thomason
Yeah good thanks, yourself? Vegan. Loves a steak. Life is too short. Don't waste it reading my Instagram bio. Die with memories, not dreams. Pretty serious about snowboarding. Loves a toe side slash. Smack the lip wapchaa. Remember that guy that gave up. Neither does no one else. People call me Leon but you can call me tonight. Living vicariously through myself.
Craig Allchurch
I’m a wakeboarder from Christchurch and have been involved in the sport for 18 years. I’ve only just got back into the competition side of wakeboarding and it’s been epic getting to know a lot of the countries top riders and seeing what our country has to offer with our many beautiful lakes. My biggest achievements in wakeboarding are winning the Masters in 2017 and winning the North Islands in 2018 in the open mens.
Ben Rees
Born in Kaikoura, and raised in Sumner --‐ Christchurch NZ, Ben has grown up with the ocean on his back doorstep. Following his fathers footsteps, he began stand up surfing at aged 13. After an accident in the water resulting in a head injury, Ben traded in the surfboard for a body board and went on to win multiple national titles. Body boarding gave Ben a newfound appreciaiton of waves; from a different angle than a stand up surfer. But at age 20, he decided it was time to utilize his new thirst, and get back into riding a surf board. Ben’s passion for surfing and it’s thrill has taken him to locations such as Samoa, Hawaii’s North Shore, and multiple trips to Fiji’s world--‐class ‘Cloudbreak’, Indonesia, and Australia. Ben is all about chasing local waves too – road tripping throughout New Zealand’s South Island any opportunity he can. Also actively competes in South Island surfing contests.
Jason Connor
I've been riding bikes since before I could crawl and I fell in love with downhill the second I pointed a bike down the Rotorua National course as a young squid! I have had some pretty serious injuries and came back from a crash in 2012 that left me a temporary loss of feeling from my T12 down for just over a week. After a few years off I finally got back on the bike to win the 2019 National Series Championship and claim 4th at the National Championships with a crash. I had some incredible mentors as a young athlete that taught me the values of respect and sportsmanship which I take great pride in today. I now run a team and support young athletes that have both talent and high levels of moral fortitude. As an important part of my life I also support the Keep A Breast Organization to help raise awareness for breast cancer education.
Passion: MTB
Nick Name: Jase
DOB:25-02-1988
Hometown:Cambridge, NZ
Instagram: @jaseconnor14
Blake Ross
Blake Ross is a 16 year old mountain bike racer based in Cambridge, New Zealand. Blake has just competed in Crankworx Rotorua 2018 and managed to finish up with two 1st place's in his events, the main downhill race of the event and the national secondary school champs downhill. Blake is planning on spending the upcoming 2018 Europe season racing the IXS European downhill cups as he cant race world cups until the 2019 season. Blake is racing in the u17 category for the 2018 season and will be racing all of the up incoming global riders of his age group over the season. Blake has been racing downhill for the past four years. Before this sport Blake started riding Bmx from a very young age which gave him a good baseline of skills. Blake has raced his bike in a high number of countries at a top level in his age group. Blake loves the social side and adrenaline rushing side of his sport and is looking forward to working to racing with the fern on his back for the 2019 and 2020 season where he will be competing in his first years of the world cup circuit. He will always do the best to give back to the sport that has given him a lot over his years of racing and riding.
Willie Beggs
I grew up on Auckland’s north shore splashing around during stormy surfs at Takapuna beach. Out of school at 15, started working, got some money and tried snowboarding… I was hooked! I moved to Mt Ruapehu then dividing my winters between Queenstown and Ruapehu in the spring. I did some winters in the States and Europe and the summers around Auckland’s north beaches, west coast and Coromandal. In 2007 I started FTB snowboard camps operating at the iconic Snowpark and Mt Ruapehu. Camps ran during NZ and Ozzy School holidays and our coaches were the biggest names in snowboarding. Over the ten years I ran FTB, I worked with many incredible young people, some who are now at the top of the snowboard game or working in snow/surf industry and media. MC’ing on the microphone was (and still is) a big part of my life, sending me up and down the country hosting snowboard, surf and recently SUP comps and events. I spend my time now based in Piha beach on Auckland’s west coast with my family, surfing and sup surfing in the summer. Winter I'm at Mt Ruapehu a lot with a few trips to the south Island. I follow the comps and events and like jumping on the Mic now and then cheering on grommets and sharing the stoke. Spy Optic was the first sponsor for myself and FTB way back. I’m proud to be part of an awesome brand dedicated to helping young groms who get radical.
Nathan Wilson
Rising up from the depths of mangakino, Nate has consistently improved and impressed the wake scene and now offering coaching to up and coming riders. Gaining multiple north island and national wakeboarding titles, You’ll see him every weekend representing the finest shades in the industry and sharing the love with the local crew and supporting the wake scene
Passion:Wake
Nick Name:Nate
DOB:15/05/92
Hometown:Welly deep
Instagram: nathantutai
Gene Denton
Gene Denton “aka” Whitiangler – born and raised on the Coromandel Peninsula – Professional Fisherman. Mad keen diver, free-diver, spear-fisher, hunter – getting salty in Whitianga and living life to the fullest. Gene takes everyday people on adventures they remember for a lifetime.
Passion: Fishing, Diving and Hunting
Nick Name: Geno / Whitiangler
DOB: 80’s Kid
Hometown: Whitianga
Instagram: @whitiangler