I wanted to take some time to introduce you to a friend of ours. Kiwi, as we know him, showed up in our world last Fall. A project was in place to reroute and connect all the mountain bike and hiking trails in the northwest corner of Boyle Park. I had been working on designing the new routes when another friend, Paul Norris, introduced me to this guy with a different accent. I had planned a section of the Boyle trail that was a bench cut along the side of a ravine. Kiwi had a different idea, a flow trail that went up and down the sides of the ravine creating a unique feature on a trail that would eventually be called “Grilled”. The ravine section is now a favorite part of the 3.4-mile ride among local mountain bikers. Kiwi designed and, with a team of young folks, built this fun section of riding. I am really looking forward to working with Kiwi this Fall designing some more features in Boyle Park.
Kiwi goes far beyond trail fairy designation as he has overcome a lot of personal challenges to give back so much to mountain biking. Please take a little time to read how he put these challenges behind him in his own words.
November 2011 I was testing a new dirt bike, when I got loose in a set of whoops, was thrown over the bars, and the next thing I know I am face down unable to move from the chin down. Without writing a novel, I was airlifted to a trauma hospital, and after two weeks of attempted surgery they finally got in and removed parts of my spine and screwed my C3-C4 vertebrae together. I was told that the chance of walking again was a stretch and that a wheel chair maybe the future of my mobility. Needless to say I am stubborn, and don’t like to be told what to do. With the support of my family and friends I first spent three months in inpatient rehab, then another three months in outpatient and gone was the chair, then the walker, and onto a cane. I regained the use of my arms and legs, although I lack over 50% of sensation in my feet and hands which makes riding a bike entertaining to say the least.
Source: Karl “Kiwi” Whitcombe // Back on the Bike and Giving Back | FLY Racing | Motocross, MTB, BMX, Snowmobile Racewear; Street Apparel and Hard Parts
