Jake Fox
Intro
Definition of Ingenious:
‘Marked by originality, resourcefulness, and cleverness in conception or execution.’
The word Ingenious epitomises Jake, his style is uniquely and originally his own, in the adversity of his unfortunate accident he’s displayed his resourcefulness and cleverness to combat the challenge and defy scarily low odds of resuming a normal life, let alone riding a bike again.
Photos by Dylan Sherrard, Isaac Wallen, Bryce Piweck, Clint Trahan, Morgan Walter, Kaz Yamamura and Terry Park.
Describe yourself:
My name is Jake Fox, I am 24 and born and raised in Langley B.C.
How did you develop your passion for bikes?
I remember always biking and being drawn to it but when I was 12 my best friend at the time got a Garry Fisher mullet for his birthday. It was the sickest bike all the homies and myself had ever seen, then, two weeks later my old man surprised me with the exact same bike for my birthday. Ever since then all we would do is cruise around town trying to build jumps in every bit of forest we had in our rural suburbia.
Photo by Isacc Wallen
How were you introduced to the bigger world of MTB beyond your bubble?
When all my homies and I went to high-school we noticed there was a bike club, so we all went to the first meeting and met Mr. Simpson. He was a lot older than we expected, probably late 60s with a big white beard and white hair. He explained what the club was all about and I remember being so fired up. From that point on every weekend our parents would drop us off at the local bike shop and he would be there in his small SUV towing the wildest bike rack. I am pretty sure he got some kids to fab it up in the metal shop at school. He blew the door wide open on mountain biking and all its different forms because all we knew was our local skatepark and dirt jump spots. One weekend we would be bombing up to the airdrome in Whistler, next the woodlot in Maple Ridge for DH laps and after that a tour of all the best skateparks around. He would even drive us out after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays to race 4x. He was the man and I am certain I would not be as into biking as I am today without him.
How did your crew of homies come together?
I think a good riding crew is essential for progressing in this sport and not getting burnt out. I have been fortunate enough to always have a solid crew of dudes around to ride with. Airrec centre in Maple Ridge was really what brought most of us together and I owe meeting some of my best friends to that place. With such a range in riding styles we all push each other in different ways to progress. We have been on so many rad trips together and taken on a bunch of building projects.
Location that’s had the biggest influence on you?
I’d say Kamloops has been a huge influence on my riding over the years. It really got me stoked on DH/trail bikes and made me realise how fun that form of riding can be. The fast flow and variety of trails is addicting. I am hoping to make the move to Kamloops soon.
Photo by Dylan Sherrard
Whats your past involvement with slopestyle?
I started competing in 2015 at most local events around B.C. Unfortunately there were hardly any contests, maybe 2 or 3 a season. I never had the money or support to travel and compete anywhere else so my slopestyle season was always very limited. The past 3 seasons the main contest I rode in was at the Big White invitational hosted by Tom van Steenbergen. I never had much luck until 2020 when I ended up placing 2nd in the bronze event resulting in an invite to ride in the main Gold event. This was definitely the highlight of my slopestyle career and very eye opening. It gave me so much more respect to all the guys competing on similar courses, trying to link their best run multiple times a year. So gnarly
How do you process learning something new?
Definitely depends on the trick. If it’s a mellow trick or a new combo and the session is going good I will usually just try it. However if it’s a gnarlier trick I am fortunate enough to have Airrec centre and friends houses where I can take it first to an air bag and then to a mulch jump. Visualization is also a huge part of learning a new trick. If I can’t first visualize the trick in my head then there is no point in trying it.
Landing your first partnership, what did that mean to you?
In 2016 I was lucky enough to land my dream sponsor Chromag bikes. When I was a young grom I always remember thinking if I could ride for any company it would be Chromag so landing the sponsor was super surreal. It didn’t change my approach to riding, more so just fired me up to progress and create good quality content.
Photo by Liam Wallace
How have you gone about funding your riding career?
I have been lucky enough to get support from my sponsors over the past few years to always keep my bikes rolling with fresh parts. Besides that I have always been self funded. Since I graduated I have worked full time as an electrician and am now red sealed. Finding a balance between work and riding has definitely been difficult at times but my company has always been rad with giving me some time off in the summer for riding trips etc.
Do video projects work as an avenue to release you creativity further? Any interesting stories behind them?
Every year I try to put out at least one video project I am proud of. Video projects are definitely one of my favourite aspects of riding because of the creative freedom. Usually I will plan out most of the video in my head and jot down notes of location, what tricks I want to do in the video and song ideas etc. Each edit definitely has some funny memories, usually revolving around trying to find a place to crash for the weekend.
How in the last year had your riding been developing?
Once the 2021 season got rolling I was definitely feeling the most confident I have ever on my bike. I had a really good year in 2020 but unfortunately ended it with a broken leg. Once I fully recovered from that, the gained confidence from the previous season came back right away. I was fortunate enough to join Knolly bikes for 2021. This new sponsor came with some added responsibilities but they lined up with my plans for the year anyways so it wasn’t overwhelming.
Photo by Bryce Piweck
The accident…
On July 5th I took a slam that brought an end to my riding season. I was riding a good friend of mines Airbag landing in Langley. I was always hesitant to riding an airbag landing because I always thought they were kinda sketchy but I decided to give it a go. I was probably 6 or 7 hits in on my trail bike when I went for a pretty stock trick for me (flip tuck-no hands). I fumbled my hands slightly on the landing and was fighting to get them back on the grips the whole way down the landing. I finally got them back on but was super over the handlebars and when I dropped off the end of the air bag my body position sent me over the handlebars straight to the top of my head. I ended up blowing my c5 vertebrae in my neck to pieces. At the time I knew it was serious because I couldn’t move anything but I could still feel my toes and was able to identify which toe was which so I thought I just pinched a nerve or something less severe. It was pretty wild because I never lost consciousness during the crash, definitely a session ender for the boys hahaha.
The odds of walking again you were given?
Well crazy enough I didn’t know my odds were that low until I was already walking in the rehab centre and I had a follow up call with my surgeon to see how everything was going. He was very shocked to hear I was walking. I think not knowing the odds may have helped early on in the hospital but I was pretty stubborn and determined to walk again so I don’t think it would’ve mattered. The surgeons did make it clear early on to my parents that the chances of walking again were pretty slim, I just didn’t know how slim at just 5%.
How did past injuries help with this recovery process?
I remember thinking how fortunate I was to have experienced the recovery process multiple times at different severities. From a broken leg, collarbone, wrists and foot they all were great learning experiences to help with this recovery which was significantly more gnarly. I think the biggest thing they taught me was to trust the process and take it one day at a time with an end goal in sight. Taking it day by day and getting juiced on the little victories and improvements helps keep you in a positive mindset. I couldn’t imagine going through an injury that severe without any previous experience.
Photo by Clint Trahan
How were the first few weeks in Hospital?
The first 3 weeks in hospital were definitely the shittiest couple weeks I have ever had. Just being completely useless and relying on other people for everything was a very hard thing to overcome and it made me realize before this injury I was bad at asking for help. Seeing the toll it took on my family and loved ones was also super tough. At times I feel like this whole thing was harder for them than it was for me. The worst parts about the hospital for me personally were the feeding tube they had to put in. For anyone who doesn’t know the process, they shove a tube through your nose and try to snipe your esophagus and not your windpipe. I found out this isn’t an easy task and it took 3 nurses 45 min to hit the right tube. Once they get it in the esophagus you have to swallow it all the way into your stomach. This was the worst hour of the whole process, and then not being able to drink or eat for 3 weeks was also super tough. I love food and water and have a whole new appreciation for it after getting a machine to pump it through my nose. The other really horrible aspect was the whole catheter situation. I'm sure I don’t have to go into detail on why that was so shitty and if you don’t know what a catheter is google it hahaha.
Thankfully being my stubborn self I never got that down or in any negative head spaces and managed to stay super positive throughout the whole hospital stay. I think it was 3 or 4 days post surgery when they told me my chances of walking again were so low and I had a bit of a break down for a couple hours. After that I regrouped and was dead set on beating the odds, I knew being sad and bummed wasn’t going to help anything. I just accepted it as is, sort of a shit happens that’s the way she goes let's get on with it and get a better mentality. I think as soon as you can accept your injury and get on with it the faster you can get to healing, having a ‘why did this happen to me attitude’ doesn’t help anything.
What were the biggest contributors to your recovery?
I think there are a couple factors that led to my speedy recovery besides being super lucky. As soon as I crashed my friend's dad with tons of first aid experience was driving up the hill to come watch. As soon as he saw me crash he sprinted over and c-spinned me right away. So from the moment of my crash to the surgery table my neck never really moved preserving a lot of the nerves running in my injured spine. Another aspect I am pretty convinced helped speed up my recovery was all the mind body connection work I did early on in the hospital. I would put myself in a meditative state and just imagine my body as one whole entity with tons of moving parts. I would focus on one part of my body at a time and visualize my body repairing my nerves from my brain to this body part. It sounds kind of crazy and who knows if it worked but I would get movement back in said body part after a couple days of focusing on it with this practice. Being a fairly healthy person and being in good shape going into this injury definitely gave me a leg up as well. Also never taking pain meds or sleeping aids may have helped speed the healing recovery process. Lastly I think the positive mindset throughout the whole process really helped. I just thought of it as, if my headspace is negative and down there is no way my body will be healing as fast/as well as if I have a clear motivated head space.
Stand out milestones in your recovery so far?
There have definitely been some stand out milestones so far. Obviously early on in the hospital each day getting new movements in different body parts were all huge wins. At about week 2 I got off assisted oxygen and was able to fully breath on my own which was a huge win because having to sleep with the oxygen machine was ruthless. Next was being able to pedal the special physio bike at the hospital. Then leaving the hospital and getting to go to GF Strong was a huge win. A couple days into being at GF I got the feeding tube pulled and got to switch to a pureed diet, I never thought I would be that stoked to eat blended pork chops and baby food. Then on my birthday I passed my swallow test and was able to eat regular food again, best birthday present ever was getting to crush pizza and a beer that night. I also feel like this really helped speed up my recovery process, I noticed significant gains after getting to eat healthy and fuel my body with the nutrients it needed to recover. The next milestone was a huge one that a lot of people would never even think about seeing someone in a wheelchair, gaining my bladder and bowel function back. Next obvious one was getting out of the wheelchair and into a walker/cane combo. I remember I went on my first day back home and tried wheel chairing around my dad's house and got over it, so we went to the local pharmacy and bought a cane and that was the last time I used the wheelchair. Which was huge cause I was horrible at maneuvering that thing. Then probably getting approved to drive again, leaving the rehab centre and getting on my own program at home. The last and most recent milestone was getting back on the bike and going for an xc pedal. That was the first time I was 100% confident I was going to make a full recovery.
What does all the support you received mean to you?
Man, all the support throughout this whole thing has been insane. I truly feel like the luckiest guy on the planet for the support system that I have. From all the kind messages, phone calls, hospital visits and donations to the go fund me. It has really made staying positive and stress free the last couple months a breeze. The amount of love I received from the biking community, from close friends to people I have never had the chance to meet really made me thankful to be a part of such a cool supportive sport. I also have to thank my close friends, family and my girlfriend. They have had my back throughout this whole process. With endless hospital visits, if I needed anything they were always there and I definitely could not have done it without them.
How did your stay at GF strong rehab centre help your process?
After I got cleared from the hospital I was fortunate enough to get a spot at GF strong rehab centre. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this facility and if it wasn’t for them I definitely wouldn’t have progressed as fast as I did. Everything there is geared for you to get to as far along as you can with your rehab and gets you prepared for living at home with your injury. I owe a lot to my occupational therapist (Anousha) and my physiotherapist (Siobon). They got me in for extra sessions and were amazing at letting me push and progress but knowing when to hold me back. Luckily after a couple weeks they let me use the gym equipment on my own time so my three hours of physio a day turned into five. I was lucky enough to have a couple of really solid guys at GF at the same time as me, it was nice to have some friends to talk to who were all going through similar circumstances. We were all good at motivating each other's recoveries and it was nice to have some homies to eat meals and hang with when we weren’t rehabbing.
How much did the go fund me help put your mind at ease?
I can’t thank everyone enough for the generous donations to my go fund me. It was so nice to not stress about being in extreme debt from this experience. Especially early on when it was uncertain if I would need a wheelchair for the rest of my life, which brings a bunch of expensive equipment along with it. It allowed me to just focus on getting better and was one less stress and weight off my shoulders.
Photo by Isaac Wallen
What helped you beat the odds you were given?
There were obviously tons of things that added to me beating the odds but I think the biggest thing was my mindset through the whole thing. I managed to maintain a very stubborn positive attitude that I was going to get better and make a full recovery regardless of the odds or what the surgeons/doctors said. I am a firm believer in mind-body connection, if you're sad, depressed and down in your head then your body isn’t going to heal and want to get better. If you're positive, motivated and confident in your head about getting better I feel you have a way better chance of making a faster recovery. I am no doctor but these are my thoughts from my experience.
What passions do you have outside of biking? Creativity seems to flow through your analogue film captures?
I have many other passions besides bikes, It’s pretty hard growing up in BC and only having one. I'd say my other main ones have got to be skiing and photography. I find taking a couple months off the bike in the winter and focussing on skiing really helps keep everything fresh. I also find skiing so fun because there’s no stress or expectations, not that biking is very stressful but it's nice doing a sport with zero obligations. Photography is something I have always been super into. It has always been a sweet thing to do when I am injured because it still gets me out to the sessions with the boys and gets me involved. Shooting film always interested me, a couple years back I got my first 35mm camera (canon ae-1) and since then I was hooked. I love the idea of not being able to edit the photos. It makes it that much more special when you get a nug and keeps you from rifling off a thousand photos. I also love having a hard copy photo, looking back on the past 3 years through my photo albums is something that I find very special.
Photo by Morgan Walter
How have your sponsors helped through this ordeal?
I feel so lucky to ride for the companies that I do, they have been nothing but supportive throughout the last couple months. They have all said just focus on your recovery and don’t feel any pressure from us to put out any content and know that you have a spot on the team whenever you get back to riding. This was such a relief and is just one less stress off my shoulders and allows me to just focus on rehabbing and getting back on the bike. Huge ups to Chromag, Knolly, Ryders eyewear and velocity cycles.
Photo by Kaz Yamamura
Future plans/ program to get back into riding?
Since I got discharged from rehab I have been on an at home workout program. Every 2nd day I do a 2 hour dumbbell/calisthenics workout that has been constantly changing as I build muscles back. I have also been doing a bunch of stretching every day and fit in a yoga session whenever I can. Then finally everyday I just get out for some form of cardio usually a bike ride or a walk/hike. Having a dog has actually been great because it forces me to get out and be active multiple times a day. As far as future plans go, mainly just keep rehabbing till I am back to 100%. I am definitely planning on skiing a bunch this winter and then hopefully by spring my body will be back up to strength and I can start riding and building confidence back.
Final words of wisdom
Life is way too short not to get after it because everything can change in an instant, so live it up while you can. One love.
Photo by Terry Park