Born in Tahiti, French Polynesia, raised in the Eastern Townships of Quebec from the age of four, a resident of BC since 2013 now calling North Cowichan home. I am and have always been a big sports fan. Before landing on mountain bikes I was mainly into skiing, snowboarding and gymnastics. I tried a bit of everything for fun until I felt my progression plateau. When I got introduced to downhill mountain bikes at the age of 17, it was full of excitement, adrenaline yet technique and I was eager to get better. The excitement never faded as the terrain keeps changing and you can always go faster or bigger and keep challenging yourself. My friends being downhill racers had me join them on their road trips across Quebec to go ride and race in new places. It quickly turned into Canada Cups and World Cup races.

I moved to the West Coast in 2013 to dedicate bike riding year round as well as feeling more at home in the mountains. In 2018 I shifted my focus from downhill World Cup racing to Crankworx events. I was Queen of Crankworx 3 years in a row, won 3 Downhill Canadian Championships, and then dabbled in freeride events which have stollen my heart since. Air time is my favourite jam :)

There is more to biking of course. I am passionate about protecting the outdoors, learning and sharing more about the beautiful things that we must protect. Just trying to be a good human and feeling good about it.

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Hey, I'm Kirsten Van Horne and I am a professional freeride mountain biker from Nelson BC.

I started biking at the end of high school and thanks to the lack of beginner terrain in the area my skills had no choice but to progress quickly. My love for the sport grew quite quickly too. I was totally unaware of the rich history Nelson has in the freeride scene, and yet I was naturally drawn to this style of riding, loving the jumps, stunts and adventurous laps.

Somewhere along the way this passion became my job! I now spend my time between New Zealand and Canada competing and attending freeride events but also enjoying plenty of side quests in between. I love a good pedal mission to the alpine, riding steep dirt jumps, and I’ve now dabbled in the racing enduro’s! When off the bike I pack my schedule with backcountry skiing, hiking, and backpacking. 

In spring 2024, our team—Maarten van Haeren, Ethan Berman and Sebastian Pelletti—attempted the Southeast Pillar of Ultar Sar (7,388m/24,238’) in Pakistan, one of the last great alpine challenges in the Karakoram. This route has been attempted by some of the world’s best climbers since 1992, yet no one has succeeded in climbing it. Our goal is to attempt the route in alpine style—without fixed camps, ropes, high altitude support or oxygen. The mountain itself is guarded by a technical approach that takes you up and over a high col, and requires descending back down into the inner cirque where the mountain lies. Due to this approach, it has been dubbed “The Hidden Pillar”. In 2024, we reached the hanging glacier at 6000m before turning back due to dangerous snow conditions. This setback only deepened our commitment to return and finish what we started, making our story one of repeated efforts against the odds and the relentless pursuit of success.For our team, success isn’t only about reaching the summiting—it’s about perseverance, learning from every failure, and pushing our limits. Maarten, a North Face athlete since 2021, has completed expeditions across the globe and knows the value of resilience in the face of adversity. As a team, we are determined to be the first to conquer this exciting climb, embracing the spirit of "Never Stop Exploring.”"Hidden Pillar, Seeking Success" will be a short, run-and-gun style film that reflects on what success means for us in the outdoor industry. It’s not just about the peak—it’s about the journey, the effort, and the mindset to keep going despite challenges. The film will capture the relentless pursuit of a goal and how repeated efforts, no matter the outcome, shape who we are as adventurers and athletes.

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