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Gravity’s Coaches

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 Wilfred Spearing, as well as a number of junior coaches plus guests coaches including Loui Harvey and Jess Harvey.

Below is a small outline of the mountain bike riding and coaching background of some of the members of our team:

MTB coaching, mountain bike coaching, crazy horse nelson

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
Mountain Bike Coaching, hard-tail mountain bikes, full-suspension mountain bikes, advanced mountain bike skills, mountain bike jumps, mountain bike gaps, technical cornering

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:

John Butler nailing the chute of doom at the Mammoth Enduro, Nelson MTB Club, Sven Martin photo

Wilfred Spearing aka “Wolfie”

Originally from Wanaka, Wolfie grew up riding and racing bikes from a young age. He then moved to Greymouth for two years to study a Diploma in Outdoor Adventure Education where he learnt the skiils to teach everything that is outdoors, from rock climbing to white water kayaking to mountain biking, he’s a jack of all trades. While coaching, Wolfie loves to stop and session features, finding fun alternative ways of riding things that people often miss.

His qualifications include:

  • PMBI Level 1
  • NZIOA MTB 1
  • Diploma in Outdoor Adventure Education
  • Pre Hospital Emergency Care
  • NZOIA leaders awards in Rock climbing, white water kayak, and bush (tramping)
  • Grade 2 raft guide certificate
  • SBINZ level 1 snowboard instructor

Wilfred specialises in:

  • Body position and pumping, beginner to intermediate.
  • Beginner to intermediate cornering
  • Breaking down challenging trails or features from intimidating to achievable
  • Sessioning new trails beginner to advanced.
  • Beginner to advanced flow / technical line choice

 

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.

 

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