Name: Jaime Hill
Hometown: Squamish, BC Canada
Sponsors: SRAM, Rockshox, Juliana Bicycles, DHaRCO, Schwalbe Tires, Osprey Packs
Discipline: Downhill and Enduro/All-MTN
Instagram: jaimerhill (personal) and hilltop.mtb (business)
Favourite tune to listen to on the bike:
Tell us about your self, Who you are and what makes you so rad? My story began as a world-class competitive gymnast, where I had the opportunity to represent Canada at several World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and a host of other prestigious international competitions. I carry the same drive, determination, and work ethic required to be an Olympic-level gymnast into my career as a mountain bike athlete, coach, and mentor.
I didn’t get my start in mountain biking until the age of 26, four years after graduating from university, retiring from gymnastics and eventually moving to Whistler, BC. Since then, mountain biking has been an integral part of my life, and the freedom and thrill that comes from pushing my limits and exploring new terrain on two-wheels all over the world is what continues to drive my passion for the sport today.
After more than 10 years of racing internationally on the World Cup Circuit, earning some impressive results, I shifted my focus from racing to getting (and keeping) more girls on bikes.
In 2017, I formed “Hilltop Mountain Biking” (Hilltop MTB) to do just that!
My “Utopia”, is providing a space that is inclusive, supportive, and fun, where riders feel comfortable developing the skills, character and leadership to throw down on any trail… on bikes or beyond!
Contests or just riding? Why. It all started with just a simple love of riding and challenging myself… I think competition was naturally in my blood and so I gravitated to competition early on. But deep down it always been more about the riding and freedom of bikes. Mountain biking is pretty different than the sport I grew up doing, in that it’s easy to continuously try to improve even without the competition setting. The more you learn, the more terrain you can feel comfortable riding, which in turn deepens your love of the sport and the amount of terrain you have available to ride… it’s really a cycle because you just keep wanting to learn more and ride more!
What’s your all time favourite mountain biking trip? That’s tough because I’ve been to some great places and live in one of the world’s mountain bike meccas! But if I had to choose just one, it’d have to be Finale, Italy! Great riding, great beaches, great food, great people – what more could you ask for😊
What do you love about riding? The things I love most about riding would have to be exploring new terrain and the whole idea that there is always something you can learn/improve! I’d even have to say I love those “epic save” moments where you scare the crap out of yourself, or do something new and scary for the first time – that bit of adrenaline rush is probably something that keeps me coming back for more 😉
What you’re most proud of achieving through riding? I’m really proud of all the work I’ve done to get and keep more girls on bikes and thriving! It was really scary quitting my accounting job and starting my own business, but it has been so rewarding and really quite amazing to see the growth in the number of girls shredding bikes. Knowing I have had a direct impact in a young rider’s life is hands-down the most wonderful feeling!
One tip you would give to a grom wanting to become a pro rider like yourself. Be authentic, be you and “know your brand”! Work hard and find the fun in the process – it’s not always about the end result, it’s about the moments!
