Mason Mashon
On the surface, Whistler-based Mason Mashon lives a charmed life. If you follow his adventures from the peripheral world of Instagram, the TK-year old who refuses to be defined by any one term—mountain biker, snowboarder, photographer, artist, TV host—appears to always be at the centre of something radical.
He’s surfing in Central America with his long-time girlfriend Diane. He’s photographing A-level freeride mountain bikers in remote B.C. locations. He’s floating above a bizarre Turkish landscape in a hot air balloon. He’s traveling across Russia on a ski trip…by train. Indeed, the travels of Mashon are far-ranging, unique and desirable, but the life Mashon leads goes deeper than any Instagram profile could show.
The Vernon, B.C.-raised Mashon moved to Whistler out of high school with an eye on professional mountain biking in 20TK. The young rider with the easy smile could be found railing daily berms in Whistler Mountain Bike Park, but eventually opted for university. It was there that he fell into a group of like-minded adventurers called Voleurz. The now-defunct clothing company was less about what you wore than what you did, and Mason and friends did it all.
Over the past decade, Mashon played a key role in the young wave of Whistler shredders who do it all. No longer satisfied with just being a skier or snowboarder, the modern mountain man aspires to surf like Slater, sing like Vedder, and whip like Semenuk. Mashon is the perfect example. Primarily a snowboarder, he’s also a solid skier, but mostly pow surfs—snowboarding binding-less—in the Coast Range’s backcountry stashes. He can handle a snowmobile like a seasoned pro, but has moved on to snow-biking—think motocross in deep powder. He builds his own boards, and does his own artwork for the top sheets. He has fought his way into the hard-won tight-knit circle of Whistler photographers who actually make money, but has also pulled a wage from hosting events like Crankworx, being featured on a TV show, and working as a cinematographer. Still, out of all the details that make Mashon stand out, it might be his relationship with Rory Bushfield that keeps people double-tapping his desirable Instagram profile so hard.
