Coen Skrypnek: Bike to the Future

Camber Aviation is very proud to be an official sponsor for Coen Skrypnek, a mountain bike racer from Squamish, BC who’s representing Canada in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. It’s been a busy couple of years for Coen, so we caught up with him as he was preparing for the qualification round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, held in Leogang Austria on 10th June, to find out how he’s been navigating the extreme ups and downs of world-class mountain bike racing.

You recently did a fundraiser “Dawn till Dusk“ for the charity Sea to Sky Community Services, where you rode some of the most popular trails between Mount Seymour and Pemberton BC – over 170km apart – in one day. That looked like great fun but a little scary!

Yes, that was really cool! Over the past few years I’ve seen a lot of family and friends go through some tough times and my family puts a lot of value on mental health, so I feel like it’s a really important thing to support. And here, in Squamish, there’s a youth organisation: Sea to Sky, that’s planning to build a big center with support and tools for young people struggling with their mental health who don’t know who to turn to. I really wanted to fundraise and help them get started as much as possible, so I was really happy to be able to raise some money for them. I also wanted to help raise awareness for them because the projects they’re taking on aren’t easy and it’s super important that people realise the impact of mental health on a kid’s life and how important it is to have support.

Growing up in Calgary must have made it difficult to practice mountain biking!

It wasn’t so bad because my family used to send me to summer camps where I’d spend days doing activities like biking or rock-climbing, and that’s when I found out that I just loved biking. After that, my family sent me to a summer camp dedicated to mountain biking, where I realised that I had an aptitude for it and really learned to enjoy competing. From then on, I’d practise more and more every summer. Calgary wasn’t the best place for mountain biking but the Rocky Mountains are about an hour’s drive away, so my parents used to take me out there to practice. That made it a lot easier but, if you’re making that commute every weekend, it’s a bit far. When we moved to the West Coast, about four years ago, it made things much simpler.

Did your family move to Squamish because of the mountain biking?

Yes, partly, but it was a little bit of everything. My family always wanted to move closer to the mountains and we have family close by here, so it made a lot of sense. Also, my sister had started at Vancouver Film School so it meant she was able to commute for the first couple of years and being here really helped me because the mountain biking here is unbelievable.

What’s the mountain biking community like in BC?

Mountain biking is huge here – a lot of it has to do with the training and with the kids who’ve grown up here and are familiar with the terrain. So their ability level is generally way higher than someone coming from Alberta who’s at a disadvantage. But I’m really enjoying the challenge and I’ve been blending in more and more – I think I still have a little bit of catching up to do but that’s no problem at all.

What made you decide you wanted to get into mountain biking?

Well, I’ve always been an adrenaline junkie. I used to snowboard a lot when I was growing up and my family are all active, so we’d spend most weekends on the slopes in Banff or Canmore - close to Calgary. As I got more into mountain biking, my love for snowboarding faded a little but they’re still similar things. There’s something about being out in nature with close friends and pushing yourself to your limit that’s really special. Ultimately, I’ve always been in love with the feeling of going fast – it’s a passion.

You’ve worked really hard at this – what are the moments that make the effort and sacrifice worthwhile?

There’s been a few, actually. Getting to travel overseas was exciting as I’d never been to Europe until last year and being able to go race in a World Cup was phenomenal and a huge learning experience. But mostly, I just love the feeling you get after a really clean, fast run. When you’ve laid it all out there and everything’s going really smoothly, it’s amazing. It doesn’t happen very often – you know, you get slip ups and mechanical issues and you work through them and that’s ok. But those moments, when everything goes smoothly, is probably one of the best things in the world. And that’s the goal, of course – particularly when I’m standing on the top step of the podium afterwards knowing that I did my absolute best, there’s just nothing like it.

It’s great that you can bring this type of personal experience to your fundraising and as an inspiration to others who’ve seen you overcome your own internal battles.

Totally. I think there’s a certain stigma in sport that comes with this weird pressure that you can’t let anyone know that you’re not OK. But people do struggle with their mental health and it’s important to ask for help when you need it. That’s what I want to help do – raise awareness and help destigmatize mental health issues.

Do you have any tips for kids that are inspired to get into competitive mountain biking?

Yes, the ambition and drive has to come from the kid and from loving the sport, not from trying to live up to other people’s expectations. If parents are super-intense and are pushing their children to achieve then that’s not great because it’s a high risk sport and that kind of pressure can lead to crashes. So I would say that, as long as a kid’s having fun then there’s no pressure, especially at a young age. As long as they’re enjoying themselves, they’ll want to keep doing it and it’s good for them. Obviously, pressure always comes with any sport at a competitive level but if it’s based in a love of the sport then they’re going to perform better and be stronger when things sometimes go wrong.

You come across as very grounded, is it fair to say you’ve been quite lucky with the support you’ve had from your family?

Yes, definitely. My parents have always been very open to letting me do what I want. I’ve always had guidance from my dad who’s very wise and has given me a lot of good advice and support over the years. But I haven’t been pressured, it genuinely all comes down to where my heart is – this is what I want to do. But, you know, if I’m making bad decisions or I’m acting out of character, then he’ll call me out. And much as I might not show it in the moment, I’m honestly thankful for it as it’s helped keep my feet on the ground.

So what’s next for you?

Well, I’ve just done my first two races this season and then I’ll be travelling. I’m heading to Austria to the Leogang Mountains for my first World Cup of the season, so that’s going to be exciting. Also, the race season’s just kicking off so I’ll be racing every other weekend.

And you’re graduating as well – that sounds like a tough schedule! How have you managed to fit all of this in?

Well, actually – when the pandemic hit, I was able to get ahead of my schoolwork a little. I took classes online throughout the summer, then took more courses online during the period where the schools were closed. As a result, I was able to graduate a semester early in January which gave me more time to train and riding as much as possible.

What are your plans after school?

I’ve just been accepted into the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island but I haven’t decided yet if I’ll go next year or if I should have a gap year. Victoria’s a difficult place to beat for mountain biking as there’s some phenomenal riding around the area so I could do that alongside going to school on the island.

What will you be reading?

Psychology. Obviously things can change but eventually I’d like to go into sports psychology. I think there’s a market for that and I love the idea of helping other athletes reach their potential.

That’s wonderful – Camber Aviation is incredibly proud to support you on your journey.

I’m really grateful for Tom’s support – last year, Camber helped me out with my flights which was hugely appreciated and took away a lot of the financial pressure that comes from competing. I’ve managed to travel across the world and visit places that I never thought I might see which has been an incredible experience. Tom’s been amazing not just in support but also in offering advice and guidance. Sometimes we’ll go have a coffee and he’ll tell me these phenomenal stories that are hilarious. It’s been a really important relation to my Dad and I over the years and we’re incredibly appreciative of all Tom’s help.

Update:

As of September 2022, Coen finished his final race season in the Junior men's category. He's had a roller coaster of a summer having lots of fun with incredible take aways, great results and lessons learnt. Above all, getting the opportunity to travel the world while racing his mountain bike all summer is something Coen wouldn’t trade for anything.

The year started off strong with Coen's best ever World Cup result. Achieving 14th place in Leogang, Austria set up the beginning of the season on a high. Then, with multiple podium appearances at the local races, as well as a couple of bigger races in Washington State, momentum was building.

Throughout the summer, Coen kept his focus on maintaining that success despite some obstacles. Crashes and mechanical failures are a reoccuring problem and can shake confidence in any rider. There was a period where it was hard for Coen to find a groove but, with the support of his family, friends and some professional sports counselling, he regained his momentum and finished off the summer on a high.

After an eventful summer, Coen's now back home and adjusting to a steadier rhythm, working four nights a week in the kitchen at a restaurant in his home town. “Switching it up” is something most athletes need to do periodically in order to balance out their everyday lives. Stepping back from their main sport is very important, particularly after such a huge season.

Our best wishes go with Coen over the next year and we're looking forward to catching up with him on the next big adventure in 2023.

Author: Tom Chatfield, CEO Camber Aviation Management, www.camberaviation.com / solutions@camberaviation.com