Wānaka man's new book shows NZ as mountain biking epicentre

From Queenstown’s alpine mountain biking trails, to backcountry trails, heli-biking, and personal stories from professional mountain bikers.

It all features in a new book hitting shelves that celebrates New Zealand as a ‘Garden of Eden’ for mountain bikers.

Eden: A Portrait of Mountain Biking in Aotearoa New Zealand is the brainchild of Wānaka-based film producer Nick Stevenson.

During Stevenson’s day-to-day work with athletes and photographers he would see photographers take incredible shots that then ended up hidden away on personal hard drives.

"There was just so much incredible work that wasn’t being seen because there wasn’t a real format for it.

"All of these friends of mine that were incredible photographers had incredible work sitting on hard drives and occasionally they might post something up on social media, but mountain biking had grown so much in the last 10 years that a lot of people would never have seen those images."

Stevenson wanted to find a way to showcase the images.

"No one had ever done a longer format or coffee table style publication on mountain biking and I just thought there's a huge opportunity here to showcase this incredible work. The images are pretty exotic to international people, but they're also really incredible for local people here in New Zealand."

Book editor Nick Stevenson. Photo / Graeme Murray

And so Eden was born. Initially the publication featured personal stories from the photographers alongside the images, but the concept grew when his publisher suggested looking at the "bigger picture".

"That's where I thought, having some of the pro riders that have put New Zealand on the map or have made New Zealand their home would add another layer.

"It naturally evolved."

Professional riders contributed personal essays to the book which also features an overview of New Zealand trails.

Mountain bike fans will be familiar with the contributing riders turned writers.

There’s Kiwi Robin Goomes who recently won Red Bull Rampage for the second straight time, there’s Kiwi-Canadian Casey Brown who also featured at Red Bull Rampage.

"Those two athletes are the head of women's free ride globally so I feel privileged that they've taken the time to contribute an essay to the book," Stevenson says. 

Then there’s Australian free rider Remy Morton who’s made Queenstown home, Canadian Brandon Semenuk and Swedish slopestyle star Emil Johansson.

Jake Hood riding the Queenstown Missing Link trail, Queenstown. Photo / Callum Wood

Sven Martin, arguably the most iconic mountain bike photographer globally has written the foreword.

About 12 photographers and 30 to 40 athletes are represented in the book - some of the sport’s most respected photographers and riders – many with "unique connections" to New Zealand.

Dramatic and diverse landscapes captured in the images in the book cover a wide geographic spread showcasing New Zealand as a mountain biking “epicentre” but it’s no surprise Queenstown and Rotorua are heavily represented.

"We’ve got stuff from backcountry trails up in top of the south, right through to heli-biking experiences in Queenstown that are pretty hard to come by. There are even shots in there that are from video projects that we've worked on where the public will never be able to ride those trails.

"It might be a one-off trail that was built for a specific project so it's almost like a time capsule. No one will ever ride that again but the imagery is quite iconic and that helps to showcase that New Zealand backdrop and unique narrative that we have which is pretty special."

The book was released internationally on September 9 and Stevenson says it’s already been well-received. In fact, it has already won the Mountain Image award and category at the 2025 Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival. It is currently in the running for the Grand Book prize as part of the festival.

Stevenson said it was a "big surprise," but they were thrilled to win.

The New Zealand edition features a special cover and $10 from each book will be donated to local mountain bike trails of the buyer’s choice.

In Queenstown, some of the funds will go towards a training programme for people to be trained by professional trail builders to help on trails. But Stevenson says in each community, what the funds will go towards will be different.

"Some might be raising funds to build a trail. Some might be doing it for a young athlete that is going to compete overseas. For me, it's really just being able to support that.

"Mountain biking has given me so much in the last 10 years, it's the least I can do."

Stevenson said it was also a way for people to support trail building and connect with local clubs.

"We've got a huge really core group of people that are involved in trail building and are really keen to help support the trails but there's also a lot of people that don't have that skill set but still want to be involved in some capacity."

The book also features a dedication to Kelly ‘McGazza’ McGarry. Originally from Queenstown, McGarry died suddenly in 2016 but was a professional freeride mountain biker and recognisable figure in the sport.

"For us he's a pretty big inspiration for mountain biking," Stevenson says. 

"He is the reason mountain biking is so big in New Zealand and why we're so well known internationally so I'm really pleased to have that included in there.

"He kind of made it possible for Kiwis to do this on the world stage. I don't think we'd have the kind of success that we're now having um in racing or in free ride if it wasn't for him that's for sure."

Stevenson says the book is for "daydreaming".

"On a day you’re not going to get out and ride, maybe you’d sit down with it and I’m sure that a lot of mountain bikers that pick it up are going to have a bucket list after of trails they’d love to ride."

He hopes the book will equally encourage international visitors to visit, and locals to get out and experience what we have.

"But then also understand how these trails get built and have some respect for the trail builders that have contributed.

"Mountain biking has gone through a huge boom since Covid and a lot of the new riders coming in probably don’t realise what went into those trails. So part of that is getting people to really understand the core of the sport.

"I wanted the book to feel like anyone could pick it up, look at it, and it would inspire them to get out and ride."

Eden: A Portrait of Mountain Biking in Aotearoa New Zealand is being launched at events around the country including at Patagonia Queenstown on Thursday, 7pm to 9pm and in Wanaka at b.social on November 6 at the same time.

The limited author edition is available in New Zealand only, at select book launch events and online at www.edenbook.nz.

Main image: Ben Hildred riding the Coronet Loop trail, Queenstown. Photo / Callum Wood