Head Coach
XC Endurance, Enduro, Single Speed
Tristan is the Head Coach and founder of DirtCraft. His riding background sees him racing on three different continents across the globe. With endurance Cross Country experience Tristan focuses on XCO, endurance and skill coaching but also has plenty to offer in junior, youth, adult coaching across different codes of mountain biking.
Conor McCarthy
Senior Coach
Enduro, Downhill
Conors’ love for mountain biking extends beyond his own riding, and into his sessions. Conor delivers exciting sessions with a witty twist. His low helmet and long hair might trick you to think he can’t see what’s going on, but you would be mistaken, Conor has been riding since ages ago, and he knows what’s going on, and he’s the first person to put his hand up to give you the help you need.
Cameron McGuffie
Senior Coach
Enduro
Cameron is one of our more experienced coaches, his racing has seen him travel across New Zealand, but this is just the beginning of his vision. He want to take racing internationally chasing the EWS. Cam loves sharing his knowledge with the kids in a coaching role. His focus on Enduro riding and he has the trail speed and skills to match his coaching craft.
Coralie O’Connell
Women’s Lead Coach
XC, Enduro, Adventure racing
Coralie isn’t new to the world of coaching. With multiple years of experience as a PT at Beyond Fitness she has developed her coaching craft. She is currently in the process of transitioning this knowledge to the Mountainbike world as she becomes our lead female coach.
Ben Westenberg
Junior Coach
XC, Para Cycling
Ben’s bubbly attitude is infectious, his optimism and commitment may have been developed having grown up with a physical disability. Ben doesn’t muck around and has flipped this to an advantage, learning maturity very young and is open to talking about his experiences and inspiring others with a diverse range of impact.
Asher Hart
Junior Coach
Enduro, Downhill
Perhaps one of the most calculated and analytical riders in the Academy, Asher knows his stuff. And in the rare case that he doesn’t, he won’t hesitate to find the answer for you. Asher’s highly popular with the youngsters, perhaps its his riding steeze, speed or sharp humor. Asher has a great ability of converting his own thoughts and actions into words to share with others.
Olivia Tilby-Adams
Junior Coach
XC, Adventure Racing
Olivia or Oli for short, is not only an excellent young coach but also our lead female mentor for the younger girls. She organically fills this roll and has plenty of youngsters looking up to her already. Oli takes a serious approach to Mountain Biking but also has the ability to switch into fun mode when the time is right. Oli is relatively new to the MTB world but she has progressed rapidly and encourages others to do the same. Her attention to detail allows her to deliver great sessions.
Harry Kneebone
Volunteer Coach
Enduro, XC, Downhill
If you want a A Class example of dedication, look no further than Harry. His commitment, and determination make him a great athlete. But as a coach he is able to transfer these and other characteristics to role model to the kids in his coaching role. We are still trying to get Harry in lycra. $50 reward to the first person to snap a picture of him in lycra while racing. Harry has seen some great results in a range of events over the past few years, these results are a estimate to he love of Mountain Biking.
Toby McGuffie
Volunteer Coach
XC
Toby may be the most modest teenager we know. His kind heart and deep drive make him a great coach. He has a unique way of connecting with the kids, demonstrating some great qualities to our young riders with big ambitions. Toby often flies under the radar as a model student. In his coaching role Toby’s leadership qualities emerge as he facilitates play in a safe environment. Toby makes time for riding and coaching amongst his busy schedule of other sports, academic endeavors and pursuits in the arts.
Cameron Ford
Volunteer Coach
Enduro, XC
Cams knowledge in the bike world expands beyond riding. His knowledge as a young coach and young leader help him build confidence, and fulfillment, in the commitment he has to working with the kids. Cams experience in the bike shop make him a handy little mechanic also. After riding under the DirtCraft umbrella since 2017 he saw his first taste of victory in 2021 at North Island School Champs where he won his age group for Enduro. The confidence gained from this win not only boosted his riding but also his coaching.
Ellie Hulsebosch
Volunteer Coach
Downhill, Enduro, XC
A fun game to play with the kids is guess Ellies age. Although still young, her maturity far exceeds the number of years she’s been on this earth. But somehow her riding ability can keep up. Ellies balance of fear, confidence, skill and passion make her a fierce athlete and a wonderful coach. She has this contrast and is able to connect with anyone. The kids love her as a coach, role model and awesome human. She can strike up and hold a conversation with anyone. I don’t recommend challenging her to a race.
Thomas Winter
Volunteer Coach
Enduro, XC
Thomas is more than a friendly face. He has the conversation and passion to match it. Tom’s riding is rapidly catching his peers, and his ability to communicate and connect with the kids makes him an excellent coach. Thomas is still juggling Enduro, coaching and basketball all to a high level. Thus making him a great ambassador for the ‘balance is better’ mindset from SportNZ, as we encourage all our riders to participate in multiple sports.
Sam Cameron
Volunteer Coach
Enduro, Park jibbing
Sam(eron) Cameron. Perhaps the most relatable of all the coaches, Sam’s spark inspires all around him. He has a craft of using humor to teach, inspire and connect. Three hugely important factors of coaching. Sam has only been riding with DirtCraft since 2019 but his love for the sport overshadows limited experience to make him a great coach. He’s always up for a jibbing competition (he’ll tell you what that is) and is a great example of the ‘play bike’ concept that we encourage for all our riders.
Alex Pengelly
Trainee Coach
Enduro
Description to come.
Sebastian von Brause
Trainee Coach
Enduro
Description to come.
Poppy Lane
Trainee Coach
Enduro, XC
Description to come.
Grayden Robinson
Trainee Coach
Enduro
Description to come.
Alex Tilby-Adams
Trainee Coach
XC, Triathlon
Description to come.
Josh Young
Trainee Coach
Generic
Description to come.