InFocus - Evan Wall
Evan Wall is Team HARO's Canadian import, hailing from Squamish, BC. A gearhead in every sense, he loves 4X4 trucks, snowmobiles and every aspect of bike setup, with a laser-like focus on suspension tuning. Evan played a key role in the research aspect of the new HARO Greer full-suspension MTB. We wrangled Evan for a few questions about his background, his thoughts on joining the HARO crew and what he's all about, on the bike and beyond...
Where are you from?
I am originally from Calgary Alberta. That is where I discovered mountain biking, met lots of my past and current friends, and developed my love for racing. When I graduated high school I moved to Revelstoke BC, primarily because I loved the riding there, but also to sled and ski, as those have always been a huge part of my life. In 2020, when I started racing full time, I moved to Squamish so I could focus on riding throughout winter, and surround myself with a good group of people to train with.
How did you get into MTB riding?
When I was about 8 years old my Dad and I started racing BMX in Calgary. We did that for a few years and eventually were drawn to mountain biking. We had a great network not far from us, and weren't restricted to certain track times and waiting all day for heats. I immediately loved the descending, although it took me a few years to warm up to the climbing involved. My Dad and I rode together all the time and eventually, I started racing enduro at 14 years old. It was pretty cool back then, when everything was small and grassroots. We could ride a whole race together, not being split up by our categories.
What other types of bicycles do you ride?
Growing up I always had a BMX bike. This eventually transitioned to a more Dirt Jump oriented bike, as well as Mountain Bikes. I love a good dirt jump sesh, although I need to get out there a bit more than I have recently. The moto seems to come out in its place more often these days. As far as mountain bikes, I have basically always ridden enduro bikes. I've only ridden a handful of laps on borrowed downhill bikes, which is funny based on how much shuttling and gravity based riding I do.
Thoughts on riding for HARO?
I'm so stoked to be riding for HARO this season and onwards. Growing up racing BMX and watching freestyle BMX, I always wanted to have one myself. HARO is a company that I feel like every kid has wanted at one point in their life, and I feel like that stoked kid getting to own one now. Being on the new bike has been great and I feel honored to take it across the world and re-introduce HARO to the mountain bike racing scene!
Short term goals?
Looking forward short term, I would like to continue progressing my race-craft, from fitness, to technique to mental game. I would like to see myself in the top 20 in the overall, with days in the top 10, and top 5 stages racing World Cups next year. I am quite comfortable with my setup at the moment, but I would like to expand on my ability to test and make changes with the bike and get everything I can out of myself and the rig. Aside from that, the bike community has always been super important to me, so I would like to continue being a part of that, and ultimately making more people stoked on biking!
Outside of riding what other activities mold your personality? Outdoors, Moto, trucks? What keeps your stoke burning besides bikes?
Biggest two things right now are moto and skiing, depending on the season. Lots of time spent driving and working on my truck. I used to do a lot more sledding (snowmobiling), but it’s expensive and a big time commitment, so I’ve put that off to the side. Pretty much I like thrilling outdoor activities.
It's clear that you're a hard worker, on and off the bike. What motivates you to keep training and put in the extra work to keep the fun alive and continue your MTB career?
The biggest motivation is how much I love MTB and how cool it is that I can do it for a job. I’m definitely motivated by results and have goals, but simply the idea that I get to do this is what keeps me motivated. I enjoy all the people and all the different places I get to spend time in.
What about Squamish drives you to keep progressing in Enduro riding? Is it the culture and community, trails, or the lifestyle with other like-minded individuals?
Everything about it, the number of athletes is insane. Most all the world cup enduro racers live here, the community here is crazy. You can have about three or more people show up within an hour’s notice. It’s all friendly competition, you want to be the fastest guy, but if you’re not, it motivates you to ride fast to catch up. There are so many trails here--any type, and generally quite difficult!
Ride along on Evan's European Enduro Series journey here:
