Did the tragic
passing of one
of the biggest
stars in mountain-
biking lead to an
explosion of 26-
inch popularity
at the 2018 Farm
Jam?
Two years ago the global
mountain bike community took a
sucker-punch to the solar plexus
when larger-than-life Kiwi legend
Kelly McGarry suddenly and
tragically passed away while riding
the trails of his beloved home of
Queenstown.
While McGazza’s sudden death in
2016 rocked the industry, it came as
a sledgehammer blow to the Farm
Jam organisers Dan and Brett Frew.
As well as being close friends with
the larger-than-life, golden-haired
icon, the tragedy unfolded just three
days before the 2016 Farm Jam
and the brothers had to somehow
balance finding time and space to
grieve the loss of their good mate
with having to organise an event for
hundreds of riders and thousands of
spectators arriving on their farm.
“It was a really tough time, and
looking back, Farm Jam 2016 was
quite surreal,” reflects Brett. “The
whole vibe was quite heavy over
those few days, and everyone came
with the intention of sending it for
McGazza. For Dan and I, we wanted
to mourn the passing of our good
mate, but the show still had to go
on as well. I don’t know how we got
through those days because we were
devastated to have lost Kelly.”
From a star power point of view, the
Farm Jam’s mountain bike contest
was consistently the weakest of
the three disciplines on offer at the
unique action sports event. The
moto and BMX contests always
attracted solid fields featuring some
of the world’s best riders, but with
the exception of Farm Jam regular
wonder-kid Matt Jones (UK) and
the addition of the occasional
international heavy-hitter such
Andreu Lacondeguy, the MTB comp
was usually a mostly-Kiwi affair since
the event began in 2008. While the
level of riding was never lacking,
the MTB comp was a place for
homegrown riders such as McGazza,
Conor Macfarlane and Phil McLean
to put on a show for the thousands
of vocal spectators and push each
other to new heights.
£ Matt Jones
How things can change in just two
years. Where the field had been
dominated by Kiwis in previous
years, 2018 saw a complete reversal,
as internationals filled three-quarters
of the 24-rider line-up, and just
eight Kiwis throwing down on the
immaculately shaped jumps.
We’re not just talking any
internationals either – we’re talking
the likes of Red Bull slopestyle
shredder Carson Storch, whip- and
style-master Ryan “R-Dog” Howard,
American powerhouse Tyler McCaul,
the inventive and always-stylish Matt
Jones and hard-charger Ray George,
among a swathe of others.
So why the sudden change of
demographics? There are a couple
of factors.
The stunning alpine town of
Queenstown – just two hours
up the road – has become the
new go-to destination for riders
looking to escape the northern
hemisphere winters. McGazza’s (and
Conor Macfarlane’s and Emerson
Wilkin’s) home town has a vibrant
atmosphere, incredible scenery
everywhere you place your eyeballs,
a vast range of mountain bike trails
from spectacular all-mountain loops
to burly huck-and-hope lines, and
of course, the surreal and perfectly
sculpted Gorge Road jump park. The
likes of R-Dog, Antoine Bizet and
Bernard Kerr are summer regulars in
town, with Howard spending several
months soaking up the long summer
days and getting ready for the first
round of Crankworx at Rotorua.
At the same time, the Kelly McGarry
foundation – of which Carson Storch
plays an integral role – now holds the
McGazzafest in Queenstown over
the summer months. u
THE
BUTTERFLY
EFFECT