The Pill’s Fan Stories: Living a dream is possible, even in the middle of a pandemic

If I had been told that one day I could proudly say “I am living my dream!” I would not have believed it. I am Filippo Scalco, I am 25 years old and I have been living in Vancouver, Canada since May last year. I have always been a dreamer, with a great passion for MTB: I used to spend my time planning my adventures and watching all the new pro-rider videos. I used to think, “How cool would it be to be able to bike around the most famous bikepark in the world in Whistler. But even more so to be able to ride down in the middle of those magical Canadian woods…. Back up in a pickup truck, and then down again on the open throttle!”

Then, one day the spark went off and in a moment of craziness I decided it was time: “I’m going to Canada!” Dropping everything to pursue your dreams is definitely not easy, especially if you do it in the middle of a global pandemic. But after more than a year and a half of preparation, that plane to Canada finally took off.

So I arrived in Vancouver, a beautiful city set among ocean, forests and mountains. The happiness was even greater when I finally touched the ground of that much-dreamed-of Canadian forest with the pads of my MTB. I felt like I was daydreaming because I, those places, had seen them hundreds of times before, but only on video. And do you want to know how my first bike ride in British Columbia went? A real disaster!

I went to Seymour, on Vancouver’s legendary North Shore, where the MTB movement was born. On the first ride with the new bike (it was also my first time with the 29′), the very technical and super slippery trail made life difficult for me. But I didn’t care, I was so excited and happy that I almost had tears in my eyes. In the meantime, I also managed to get a job as a mechanic at a historic bike store in Vancouver, Dunbar Cycles, and met several guys with whom I started exploring the area.

Then finally, another long-awaited day arrived: it was time to take a ride at Whistler Bike Park. It was magical to fly in the huge jumps of the world’s most famous track, the A-Line! The first lap I was speechless, I couldn’t believe the size of those jumps and the speed they require to close properly. A few laps to gain confidence and off, down full speed in this two-wheeled paradise.

Another wonderful area where I went to ride this summer is Squamish, a very popular MTB location, only an hour from Vancouver. I’ve never seen trails and jumps so well maintained, almost on the level of a bikepark. I went to try the very famous rock slabs, unique terrain found only here. They are nothing more than long stretches of rock with mind-boggling inclines, which at first glance give you goosebumps. But then my Canadian friends reassured me, “Don’t worry Filippo, you will be surprised by these rocks because they have a lot of grip!”

I would like to tell you about the typical day of a Canadian rider, especially in summer: work, bike, shuttle with friends, beer and post-ride burger! Beautiful mood and community of bikers here: you feel part of a big family sharing the same passions and desire to spend time riding your bike. The bikeshop guys and I ride very often in Seymour, our home mountain. The types of trails are very varied, ranging from flow and line jumps that make bikeparks envious, to the more technical and rocky, with steeps and gaps of unclassifiable technical level.

In my opinion, the most beautiful trails are those created by the new tracks in the undergrowth, the loamer trails, where the earth is so soft that it feels like floating. The feel of the bike is crazy, the grip fantastic and the near absence of rocks make the descent exciting. By the time we reach the end of the trail, the six-pack of beers is ready to be shared and the riders can’t wait to tell each other about the excitement of that new ride they just experienced.

Regarding the kind of life in Vancouver, however, many things change compared to Italy, and the first among them is food. In the city center you have the opportunity to taste a lot of foods and cuisines from all over the world because Canada is a crossroads of cultures, traditions and people that are completely different and equally unique. A special atmosphere where no one feels out of place.

The thing I like most about this new world is the lifestyle that Canadians have: they live close to nature, they practice the outdoors, many ride their bikes to work or run in city parks and by the ocean. On their days off, the most popular activities are mountain biking, hiking in the nearby mountains, kayaking trips to beautiful lakes or tent adventures with friends, not forgetting all the winter sports like skiing and snowboarding.

I believe that the bigger the dreams, the more outstanding things they make you do. In the beginning everything is simple and seems to fit together perfectly, so-called “beginner’s luck.” As the journey progresses, however, things get difficult and complicated, almost as if it were a test to see if you are really prepared for the challenge in front of you, the adventure you are about to embark on. And that’s where the real personality comes out, the inner strength that everyone has within themselves. In Vancouver you can really tell if you care about your goal, because the easiest solution would be to give up. You always get to that point where everything seems to be over. But then you realize that when you never give up, dreams really do come true.

It has been more than a year now, and sometimes it still seems extraordinary to me to be able to live these adventures that only 2 years ago were dreams. It makes me wonder about the uncertainty of the future, unfortunately in this last period I have had confirmation that nothing is taken for granted and that our lives can be revolutionized from one day to the next. This leads me to the conclusion that our present is the most precious thing we have and that it is our great responsibility to use our time to pursue what really makes us feel alive and fulfilled. In words it is always easy, but now I have confirmation that with commitment any goal can be achieved!