Gravity Nelson is super excited about how its mountain bike coaching sessions have taken off, and that success is no doubt in part due to the extensive experience and qualifications of our coaches, plus our unique “bespoke, inclusive, enthusiastic, progressive and supportive” approach to mountain bike coaching for all levels and styles of riders.
Are you interested in becoming a part-time mountain bike coach? Gravity Nelson is currently looking for individuals who would like to get trained up and qualified as mountain bike coaches. Gravity Nelson’s founders Alistair and John bring an enormous amount of experience and passion to the role of coach trainers and mentors and can help you achieve your dream of becoming an expert mountain bike coach. Alistair is a trainer and assessor for New Zealand’s two mountain biking qualifications through Skills Active and NZOIA and can guide you through the process of getting qualified as you work for us. Email us on info@gravitynelson.co.nz if you are interested in learning more.
The Gravity Nelson core coaching team consists of Alistair Matthew, John Butler, and a number of junior/trainee coaches plus guests coaches including Loui Harvey, Jess Harvey and Kieran Bennett.
Below is a small outline of the mountain bike riding and coaching background of some of the members of our team:
Alistair Matthew: Mountain Bike Coaching in Nelson New Zealand
Alistair “El Jefe” Matthew: Mountain Biking in New Zealand and around the world for more than 27 years, founder of GravityBolivia.com on Bolivia’s infamous “Death Road”, 20+ years of guiding and coaching mountain biking.
- PMBIA Level 1 qualified (http://www.pmbia.org/courses/level-1/),
- NZOIA Level 2 senior instructor (https://www.nzoia.org.nz/qualifications/disciplines/mountain-bike),
- Skills Active Mountain Bike strand of the Outdoor Leadership Certificate (Level 4 Instructor, Level 5 Guide, Level 5 Instructor, and Level 6 Instructor… yes, all of them … how’s that for a mouthful) refer: http://www.skillsactive.org.nz/news-and-events/news/mountain-bike-assessors-hit-the-tracks/.
- Alistair also holds several first aid qualifications including Pre-Hospital Emergency Care and multiple workplace one day first aid courses (including mountain bike and volunteer fire brigade specific courses).
- Alistair specializes in:
- Cornering clinics for all levels of riders
- Drops clinics for beginner to intermediate riders
- “Mountain biking myth correction” for experienced riders
- Mountain bike squad youth development programs
- e-mountain bike sessions (introduction, intermediate and advanced)
- Parent and child sessions
- “Freelap” based advanced high-tech timing system based coaching
- Kinematics video analysis of body position and technique
- Confidence building mtb psychology, body position correction, and safe progression sessions for riders who feel stuck at low to mid Intermediate level
John Butler: Hard-tailing at the Gorge
John “Baby Face” Butler: John has guided, coached, built trail, ridden and raced around the world including Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Whistler, and New Zealand for far more years than his baby face suggests. His qualifications include:
- Whistler’s in house coaching course (Pre-PMBIA) Level 1 and 2
- NZOIA Level 2 senior instructor (https://www.nzoia.org.nz/qualifications/disciplines/mountain-bike),
- Cycling New Zealand Accreditation
- Pre-Hospital Emergency Care
- John specialises in:
- Intermediate to Advanced jumping, pumping and drops
- Advanced cornering on challenging terrain
- Riding Technical terrain
- Back country riding
John Butler nailing the chute of doom at the Mammoth Enduro, Nelson MTB Club, Sven Martin photo
Meet Alex our new coach from Canada
Alex Lefrancois
He’s been shredding the gnar and building trails for 20+ years.He went on to coach Snowboarding & Mountainbiking at Whistler Blackcomb’s legendary DFX mountainbike camps because just like snow, dirt is also his thing.He’s accumulated over 6 years of guiding experience & is pursuing a career as Avalanche risk assessment specialist & heliski guide.
His qualifications include:
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C.A.S.i Level 2 snowboard instructor
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C.A.S.i park instructor
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WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER (PRE HOSPITAL CARE)
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C.A.A Avalanche Operations Level 1 (Avalanche risk assessment)
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Backcountry Touring
Things Alex specializes in:
- Jump fundamentals & Jump progressions; smaller jumps/drops to advanced hits, shark fins, alley-oop type jumps, step downs, large jumps/gap jumps, small to big drops.
- Terrain reading & Line choice; Navigating complex terrain, Attacking Steep Transitions & slabs, Body position and brake modulation.
- Precompression and trail dynamics.
- How to apply the right amount of power in the bike; pumping & absorption, determining a good trail speed & flow
- Cornering; Loading and deflection, timing coordination, inclination & angulation, determine braking zones
- Freestyle and tricks – Tricks I am confident teaching: -no footers -one handers -suicide no handers -no footed cans -toboggans -tabletops -whips -tuck no handers
Are you interested in becoming a part-time mountain bike coach? Gravity Nelson is always happy to talk to individuals who would like to get trained up and qualified as mountain bike coaches. Gravity Nelson’s founders Alistair and John bring an enormous amount of experience and passion to the role of coach trainers and mentors and can help you achieve your dream of becoming an expert mountain bike coach. Alistair is a trainer and assessor for New Zealand’s two mountain biking qualifications through Skills Active and NZOIA and can guide you through the process of getting qualified as you work for us. Email us on info@gravitynelson.co.nz if you are interested in learning more.
