Steve Knox - Team Manager
Favourite Beer: Paydirt Pale Ale
Steve is not only the manager of our team - he’s also our unofficial Rossland Beer Co. ambassador. Or, to keep it within the sports realm, he’s our volunteer mascot, Knoxy: a man full of beer (as pictured). A resident of Rossland for approximately 25 years, Steve is a skiing and biking enthusiast who enjoys the outdoors year-round; he’s also spent time as a city councillor, furniture builder, and ski hill facilities manager. Steve is impressively skilled at celebrating the team’s achievements with great vigour and an invaluable member of our crew.
Steve would “really” like to leave you with these words: “GET’R DONE!”
Frith Murray - Team Captain
Favourite Beer: Paydirt Pale Ale; nope, it’s 7 Summits Milk Stout; oh wait, it’s Straight Outta Rossland Pale Ale...he’ll get back to you.
You may know Frith as the 2016 Canadian Enduro Masters champ - but did you know that the year he moved to Rossland he was also a member of the 3rd place team at the 2006 Rossland Legion Beer Olympics? Participating in races of all kinds has this mountain biking marvel topping podiums and grinning post-faceplant in nearly equal measures. Frith is a pro when it comes to keeping it fun; in addition to biking he enjoys camping, pedal boat fishing, golfing, and drinking great local beer with friends and family.
Frith also represents Revolution Cycles and would like to thank his “main sponsor,” his wife Jackie. He’d also like to say: “Hold my beer...watch this!”
Katie Spittlehouse - Athlete & Fun-Haver
Favourite Beer: Helter Smelter Amber Ale
Katie grew up in Thunder Bay, ON, skiing short icy hills in the winter and water skiing and biking in the summer; she moved to Rossland after graduating college in 2014. She responds to the nicknames “Katieo,” “SpittleGiver,” and “Splatterhouse.” An accomplished mountain biker and skier, some of Katie’s recent achievements include being the 2017 Canadian Enduro National Champion, finishing top 30 EWS Whistler 2017, and hitting multiple podiums in the 2018 BC Enduro series. As she’s navigated XC mountain biking, road racing, and enduro, she’s remained impressed that her 13 year old dog can keep up with her. An alpine skier since the age of 3, Katie also coaches the Red Mountain Racers. What else is there to know about Katie? Well, she works as a Diagnostic Medical Imaging Technologist at KBRH...oh, and she hates red candy.
Katie’s favourite quote comes from John C. Maxwell, who said: “Dreams don’t work unless you do.”
Nick Smith - The Runner
Favourite Beer: Helter Smelter Amber Ale
Born and raised right here in Rossland, B.C., Nick is always pumped to get outside like the true local he is, running trails and exploring the mountains. He recently placed 2nd tackling the 12k course in Rossland’s very own 2019 5th Annual Broken Goat - an event that’s a feeling as well as a race. With a deep appreciation for music as well as his athletic endeavors, Nick jams perfectly with his RBC team members. He loves taking advantage of the incredible Kootenay region by hiking, skiing, mountain biking, and rock climbing; he can even be found outdoors during his day job working in forestry as a logger.
Nick’s favourite quote is from ancient Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu: “Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.”
Jamie Rizzuto - Freeride Phenom
Favourite Beer: Paydirt Pale Ale
Jamie, also known as “Rizzo,” counts himself lucky to have grown up shredding the slopes of Red Mountain here in gorgeous Rossland, BC. In the winter a snowboard is his weapon of choice, although he also uses snowshoes, skis and air mattresses to scratch that mountain-conquering itch. Jamie’s racked up several impressive Freeride World Tour finishes, including 1st in Utah in 2014, 2nd in Chamonix, France in 2014 and 2016, and 2nd overall in the 2014 Freeride World Tour. In the summer he turns to skateboarding, mountain biking and dirt biking between beach hunting sessions.
Jamie can often be found wishing for more snow and asking you to please: “Fill it up again!”
Tegan Bonnet - Athletic Beer Drinker
Favourite Beer: Paydirt Pale Ale
When asked what sports she most enjoys, Tegan, or “Teegs,” counts drinking beer among mountain biking, road biking, skiing, xc, golfing, paddle boarding, and hiking - because it’s having fun that counts the most. Growing up in Canmore, AB gave her plenty of opportunity to enjoy heaps of outdoor activities, including skiing - her first love. After periods of time living in Indonesia, Whistler, and Banff, Tegan came to Rossland where she’s found mountains of happiness biking. Winning rail jams and slopestyle ski competitions and participating in enduros saw her named Red Mountain’s 2015/16 Staff Appreciation Athlete of the Year, but Tegan isn’t too focused on compete stats. She’s looking to explore more of the Kootenays - perhaps on a road bike - and to one day become a scientist.
Tegan likes to leave with the friendly goodbye: “Ski ya later!”
Rory Belter - King of the Bike Nerds
Favourite Beer: 7 Summits Milk Stout
Originally from Coaldale, Alberta (near Lethbridge), Rory “Belterskelter” Belter has been spinning wrenches at Revolution Cycles and tuning skis at Red Mountain Resort since 2005. As an athlete he enjoys freeride, downhill and XC mountain biking as well as cyclocross and BMX freestyle and racing although he can also be found snowboarding or snow skateboarding. His true passion is creating weird contraptions - like a split board toboggan - to ride, and he’s proud he has yet to lose any important limbs. Always with a million artistic and eclectic projects on the go, he’s building bike frames now too (@aplombcycles). Rory leads the winter fat bike trail grooming project with help from volunteers, donations from trail users, and assistance from local businesses. He’s also the organizer of the Huck ‘en Berries Bike Jam, the longest-running Kootenay based mountain bike dirt jump event.
Rory wants to give kudos to Rossland Beer Company for their excellent community support. His favourite mantras include: “When in doubt, air it out!” & “If you’re in trouble, air the double”
Vince Boothe - Athlete & Photographer
Favourite Beer: Paydirt Pale Ale
Hailing from Winnipeg, MB, Vince can now be found crushing it at the Salmo BMX track all summer. In addition to BMX racing and freestyle he enjoys mountain biking, fat biking, skiing and snowboarding. Although he counts his XC racing days as behind him, he’s still a solid mid-pack enduro racer and an active champion of the biking lifestyle, serving as a board member for both the Kootenay Columbia Trails Society and the Rossland Mountain Bike Society. Vince says he “measures things for a living,” and that he “sometimes takes photos,” but he’s basically downplaying his skill, dedication, and talents as a valuable member of the team.
Vince would like to remind you: “It’s never too late to get your shit together.”
Jeff Ashton - Outdoor Adventure Supervisor
Favourite Beer: Green Jacket (or whatever fun seasonal is on tap!)
Jeff “Camp Daddy” Ashton has spent most of his life on skis, taking steep, deep turns in the Cambodia/Roots areas of RED’s Granite Mountain. Born and raised in Castlegar, he first got a taste for speed when his uncle Troy stuck him on a magic carpet and sent him careening down a snowy hill at 3 years old. He’s committed his life to carving powder ever since, competing in the 2016 Freeride Junior World Championships in Andorra. He’s featured doing what he loves in several ski magazines, including SBC Skier, Forecast Ski Magazine, and Powder Magazine. In the off season, he can be found ripping through local trails on his MTB or searching for sick local campsites in his Toyota Tacoma. But he’s not just about shredding and exploring. Jeff is also a registered nurse at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail. Fun fact: after a year living in France, he’s bilingual-ish.
Jeff takes inspiration from one of Canada’s national treasures — Ms. Shania Twain — when he belts out, “LETS GO, GIRLS!”
Keanan Patershuk - Light Heavyweight Champ
Favourite Beer: Milk Stout
Keanan may have grown up in Kelowna, but he now calls the Kootenays home. His nickname “Porrada” has Brazilian Portuguese roots, symbolizing Keanan’s intensity and fierceness in combat as a pro Mixed Martial Arts fighter. After becoming the two-time Light Heavyweight champion in Proving Grounds Amateur Cage Fighting, he’s now a 5-1 pro fighter. A self-proclaimed gym rat, he trains at Pride Gym in Trail, building the strength and stamina to face anyone brave enough to take him on in the cage. When he’s not KO-ing his opponents, he loves a quiet movie night with his family.
When Keanan needs to hype himself up before a match, he chants, “It se provoco leo dor mio paro se manus.” Basically, don’t provoke the sleeping lion if you want to keep your hand.
Simon Hillis - Ski Superstar
Favourite Beer: Paydirt Pale Ale
Known to his friends as “Ninja” or “Young Jedi,” Simon traded the tropical surfer’s paradise of Bali, Indonesia for Rossland’s mountain snowscape when he was 3 years old. He quickly discovered a passion for steep trees and big air, making a splash as Red Mountain’s youngest ever sponsored team athlete by the time he turned 7. His relentless hunger for freeskiing caught the eye of Warren Miller Entertainment, and he's appeared in three ski movies: Face of Winter in 2018, DayMaker in 2022, and All Time in 2023. He’s also featured in Teton Gravity Research’s (TGR) films, Magic Hour in 2022 and Legend Has It in 2023. When he’s not shredding RED or filming around the globe, this “tropical boy livin’ a mountain life” enjoys snowmobiling in the backcountry or riding local MTB trails.
In honour of his former legendary coach, the late Kenneth McAlpine, Simon embraces the Team Give'r philosophy: “Give it all you've got, 100%, full commitment, and give back.”
Erin Sauvé - Funhogging Freerider & Globetrotter
Favourite Beer: Mosaic Pale Ale
Erin originally hails from Mississauga, but upon discovering there’s nary a mountain in sight in Ontario, she bopped around BC for 9 years before settling in Rossland in 2017. With a tight-knit community and world-class mountains, Rossland offers the perfect backdrop for Erin to hit the snowboard slopes. The year 2023 was a whirlwind for the adventure-seeker, with three first-place wins under her belt: sweeping the IFSA Challenger series in Whistler Blackcomb, Taos New Mexico, and Snowbird Utah. These peak wins qualified her for the Freeride World Tour 2024, competing on some of the globe’s most intimidating mountains. When she’s not shredding powder, she loves to play disc golf — trust her, you gotta try it!
Erin appreciates the balance of life and lives by the motto, “Work hard, play hard.”
We know not to take life too seriously and we love whooping it up with this talented athletic crew, both in the wild and in our tasting room.
Kippis (cheers) to that!
- Petri & Ryan