Board Members

Chairman

patrick@neelan.com

Patrick has been  SkiBiking since 2006. He is currently promoting SkiBikes along the west coast,  when he is not working as a Senior Manager for Capital Program Management, a  company modernizing California Schools.  He has been involved with the ASA  helping with our resort outreach and public relations with ski resorts  nationwide.  He is involved with furthering our adaptive program efforts.

He has the  distinction of being trained by the International Skibob academy as an  Instructor.  He has National and International experience in Slalom, Giant  Slalom, and Super G.  Patrick was honored to be a competitor in Austria’s Skibob  World Cup representing the USA and is hoping to help the ASA revive our racing  program here in the states.  

Owner/Manufacturer of Skibyk SkiBikes

chris@skibyk.com

As a long-time winter sports enthusiast Chris Schuler has a keen understanding of snow sports equipment developed through years of Skiing, Snowboarding and SkiBiking. Skiing since he was 12 and Snowboarding since  1984, Chris has ridden through the changes that both industries have seen. Chris started his winter career as an 18 year old kid fresh out of Hawaii…moving to a Ski Area in Washington State. He worked his way up to management, eventually opened the first Snowboarding  only Rental Shop in 1987. 

Working closely with his local Ski Area, Snowboard Shops and Manufacturers, Chris helped to develop the Northwest Snowboarding Series, which produced many of the world’s top snowboarding riders through the early ‘90’s.  As an active Hardbooter in the world of Snowboarding Chris was focused on snowboards that could truly carve and continues to ride hardboots today. In 2009 Chris was introduced to a SkiBob at Steamboat, Colorado…this experience led him to purchase his first  SkiBike in the spring of 2010 a Geary SkiBike. Over the next 5 winters Chris rode his Geary, making changes to the SkiBike that would help make this bike become more of a carver.  In the fall of 2016, Chris was introduced to a newly designed SkiBike and his  eventual business partner at SKIBYK USA Alfie Fernandez. As the CEO of SKIBYK, LLC Chris’s understanding of turn dynamics and his focus on building a SkiByk from the snow up and not the frame down combined with Alfie’s knowledge of frame geometry and design  capabilities culminated in the SB100 All-Mountain SkiByk, through prototyping, on the hill testing and constant feedback we at SkiByk are confident that we have produced a SkiBike for the masses. The SB100 is lightweight, yet durable…nimble, yet solid underfoot…rippy,  yet carves like a Ginzu knife…the perfect ride. The SB100 All-Mountain. 

I am very excited to be on the board of the American Ski Bike Association and look forward to working with a group of fellow devotees to help promote awareness and acceptance of SkiBiking.

Owner/Manufacturer of LenzSport Skibikes

lenzsport@msn.com

My first real interest into bikes was in the early 70s when I took my broken down banana seat 20" bike and striped it down and built it into a MX style bike.  Then converted it into a BMX style bike that later got stolen.  At that point I built another bike and rode, and BMX raced up until high school.  During high school I became interested in shop class and the art of designing and building cool things to ride or drive and I took metals classes and vocational welding classes all through high school.   

Once out of high school I began to acquire tools and machinery to fabricate with metals and got into drag racing with my dad and built several drag race cars and raced for about 10 years.  At the same time I got into ski racing and moved up to qualify for my first FIS race which I didn't get to race because I blew out my knee before the race and wound up quitting after 4 years of racing.

I built my first MTB frame in 1989, and then my first full suspension bike in 1996.  In 1997, I began selling my first full suspension XC mountain bikes under the name Lenz Sport.  From then I moved toward long travel DH style bikes and sponsored a race team and traveled to many of the national NORBA races promoting my brand. 

In 2004, I changed my focus from the gravity-type bikes and 26" XC bikes and made my first full suspension 29er bike The Leviathan.  That was an untapped niche area which I was able to develop many sorts of the new big wheel format bikes and lead the way in designs and technology for 29" mountain bikes. In 2004, Matt Hansen contacted me about one of my DH bike models being a good design to work with his skibike conversion kits.  He got me interested in skibikes and I traded him an old frame for 2 kits.  I built up 2 bikes with my Alpine Brawler mountain bike frames I had hanging around.  I took my apprentice at the time, Masa Hiromoto from Japan, to Copper Mountain and there we tried to skibike for the very first time.  Not having anyone to show us how to ride we made our way down the hill any which way we could to keep in control though there was almost constantly thrills and being scared to death as we didn't have the knowledge we have today about bike control, skidding turns, and making hockey stops.  From that first day I was hooked on skibiking and wanted to push it to the level of riding and terrain that I was accustom to with ordinary skiing.  Matt assured me over the phone in our many calls about skibiking that he knew guys that were riding all the bumps and steep stuff that alpine skiers were hitting, so I went out to try and master that stuff myself.  So first chance I had to try a steeper run with deep powder I learned that there were some limitations to the conversion kits related to how much control they had to the pivoting of the skis and also ski design for powder.  It was at that point that I worked on a system to control the ski pivoting so I could have the control I needed to skibike the more advanced terrain.  A few years later I was running out of my mountain bike frames to make into skibikes so I built my first prototype skibike.  That was not a good design at all and I took what I learned and built the Brawler Skibike which was revolutionary to performance skibike designs and riding.  Looking to make a bike that wasn't so difficult to make, I designed the Launch which is more like a bicycle-style bike without the moto seat.  I wasn't expecting it to be as good of a handling bike as the Brawler, but it turned out to be a better handling bike and quicker handling bike as well.  

After about 4 years of developing and tooling up for our own ski manufacturing, spring of 2012 we were able to test some of the first skis we made.  Ever since we started into skibiking we have relied on what the ski/board industry was making to run on our skibikes.  We could not find a ski with the proper shape or size to work just the way we needed, though testing dozens and dozens of skis I had a very good idea of what we needed to make these skibikes be able to go to the next level.  Our first skis pressed are just a basic all-mountain with the main aspects I wanted designed in and you can ask anyone who has ridden them they are hugely an improvement to the sport.  We'll be making speed specific skis and all sorts of powder boards as well to test and sell this year to finally round out all the main aspects to make our product as good as it can be and ready for prime time.

Another link to what I have been able to contribute the development of our sport of skibiking along with the manufacturing capabilities in the MTB industry is my background as a skier.  I have been a ski racer and in 2002, I hired on as a part-time instructor at Vail Ski Resort.  I had the opportunity to go through their training program and learn the methods of one of the premier ski school programs in the world. That along with certifying as a ski instructor through PSIA enabled me to develop a teaching method using the same principals for snow sliding and controlling speed and teaching bike handling skills.  I have now been working with Winter Park Resort to develop their skibike instruction program and instructing clients and instructors since 2007.

Now as a director of the ASA, I will be working to advance our sport in the area of teaching / training programs, race and event organizing, and resort rental program growth and education about skibikes. 

Secretary 

keller.kierra@gmail.com

Kierra Keller has been SkiBiking since 2020 and loves All-Mountain Terrain & Freestyle Riding. She loves to help others learn all types of Snowsport activities. With a degree in Ski Business Resort Management, this ASA Rep focuses on promoting SkiBiking while sustaining and growing the Snow Sports Industry. 

Off the mountain, this young mother (of 6yr old- Sofia) practices Business Coaching and Development as well as Real Estate in the Tahoe Area.  She loves to ride everyday, and you can find her at ANY of the Tahoe Resorts. With a love for videography, Kierra shoots as much as possible when riding with other SkiBikers. To ride with her, reach out via Instagram @tahoesnow_princess or Tiktok @tahoeskibyk. 

Co-Owner/Operator at Good Time Boys

geoffrey.manes@gmail.com

Geoff "with a G" Manes is a Arizona native, artist, craftsman, and one of the owners of Good Time Boyz Skibike Rentals out of Flagstaff. Growing up in the desert heat of Chandler AZ, I did a lot of freestyle bmx riding and skateboarding. As I got older, snowboarding and wakeboarding turned into my favorite sports because I was just trying to get out of the blistering heat once in a while. I would travel the 6 hour round trip drive from the Valley metro area up to Flagstaff to snowboard as many times a season as I could afford, but it never was enough to quench that fire. To say the least, I was addicted. 

Fast forward to 2019 after multiple failed attempts to get my girlfriend up on a snowboard, I suggested we try out those skibike things we saw a few times. I said, "Hey, let's rent one for a half day, at least you'll have a seat so your bottom won't be cold anymore."  We rode the rest of the day and we both had the best time ever!!

I immediately took to skibiking having the freestyle bmx and snowboarding background, To say the least, I was addicted.... AGAIN. By the time we got back home to the valley I had already found a gently used SB100 from a guy in a town near me and was buying a new one from Chris at SKIBYK. I can look back at those early conversations with Chris and actually see where my life took a really fun sharp turn. I had no idea how tight knit the skibike community is and it felt like being introduced to a family that I never knew I had. Since I started skibiking I have gotten to meet some of the best people, rode the best resorts, been on the news and in newspapers, entered contests, met some best friends and business partners, opened a company, went higher, went farther, went more technical than I ever imagined on a snowboard. I absolutely love this sport, the people, and for every upgrade skibiking has added to my life. 

As a representative of the ASA, I am grateful and will always strive to get that fire lit in others.