If you’ve attended a downhill event or kept an eye on the MTB world at all in the last few years then you’ll know the name Wyn Masters. From pictures in the magazines to clips in the latest DVDs and web edits, Wyn has started to become a media darling, with his “Taranaki style” humour, riding style, goofballing and riding in jandals!
Wyn has become one of the legends of the sport, blazing his own trail with a recipe of hard graft in the off season, and riding his bike as much as possible while having as much fun as he can!
Oh yeah, he’s also current New Zealand Downhill Champion…
How old are you? 22
Where do you live? New Plymouth, but lived in Rotorua the last month or so.
Who makes it possible? Kenda Playbiker team, THE, Infamous Designs, Backflips Clothing, Rockstar racing, Lapierre Bikes, Taranaki Elite Athletes Foundation, E.13, Southstar Shuttles, Leatt Brace, WynTV, and finally Mum and Dad.
First bike? Can’t remember my first actual bike, but my first MTB was some shitty Marin hardtail that was way too big and more like a farm gate but back then i thought it was sweet.
Best thing about traveling around the world riding your bike? Getting to do it all doing something I love doing.
Best spot in the world to ride? That’s a hard one for sure I’ve been so many sick places, but Whistler was pretty sweet.
What can’t you travel without? My Macbook
What can you not live without? A cellphone, I don’t use one at all when I’m overseas.
What’s your day job? Well this year it was working at a sawmill stacking wood all day.
What motivates you to get out of bed and go to work each day? The only thing that motivated me doing that was that I was off overseas soon and didn’t have to do it for long, hopefully I don’t have to do that again too!
Goals for the next MTB season? To be consistent throughout the World Cup season and to start breaking in to the Top 20
What are you doing now the New Zealand Nationals are finished? Well I was working and training in Rotorua up till a week ago when I went home to the Naki to pack up and now I am back in Italy, so yeah been busy.
What’s wrong with mountain biking? The lack of sponsorship and media coverage for a start, the Lycra.
What’s right with mountain biking? The people and the buzz you get doing it! The amount of progression going on at the moment in the New Zealand scene.
Who do you look up to? Well lots of people, James Stewart, Lance Armstrong, Steve Peat, and Justin Leov.
What do you like best about living in New Plymouth? It’s got a bit of everything… the mountain the sea. And sick dirtjumps.
What do you dislike about living in New Plymouth? The lack of descent facilities to train for DH, hence why I moved to Rotorua to prepare for this season.
Favourite piece of bike kit? Lapierre bikes, those things are so sick.
What are your vices? Sushi, iced coffee, spending too much time on the net.
Got any dirt / story of a pro MTBer you’d like to share? Sam Blenkinsop went home with a rather big-boned ginga named Dunja after the Maribor afterparty last year.Thanks Wyn, best of luck for the coming season!
Check out Wyn’s blog to read his insight in the world of pro downhill.
