A photographer, adventurer and mountain biker from Kelowna has created a piece of art to help people explore outside of their comfort zones.
Mathew Wanbon grew up reading outdoor magazines and between the glossy pages, he often found himself inspired to head outdoors with a group of pals to create their own adventure.
“The magazines drove the culture,” said Wanbon about the snowboard and skateboard ‘zines’ he read in his youth.
“It made me want to be a part of it.”
Now, he has created a magazine to encourage people to get outside and express themselves, whether it be on the trails or behind a camera.
Wanbon grew up in Westbank and always had a skate or snow-board, as well as a camera, in hand.
His desire to create and explore was driven largely by the creative imagery found in the magazines he grew up reading. The culture fostered by the skate ‘zines encouraged people to experiment, make their own art and try new things.
“You’re just always picking up a video camera with your friends.”
He said that armed with photos and stories from the magazines as inspiration, he and his friends would spend hours trying to capture the perfect shot.
As he grew up, Wanbon and his friends started travelling and have taken their adventures and cameras around the world.
After adopting a high-energy dog named Doby, Wanbon took to the trails around the Okanagan and became inspired by the people and places of the region that his bike allowed him to experience.
He now hopes to share that magic with others.
In creating the magazine, Wanbon used his skills as a photographer and writer, to create a resource to inspire people to get outdoors.
The magazine includes three articles from adventures around the Okanagan. One of the pieces outlines his favourite trails, which include the Smith Creek and Crawford trail networks.
In the age of digital media, Wanbon chose to pursue a printed product in part as a way of paying homage to the creators before him, but also as a way to help people slow down in order to feel the same inspiration and drive to explore that he felt as a child.
Wanbon said that now, art is often only seen through a phone screen. Because of this, “the life of a photo can be short.”
He explained that photos are quickly replaced by the next image on a social media feed and after just a moment’s glance are gone. Wanbon said that the depth, story and emotion behind a photo can be lost when being looked at on a phone.
With a printed product, people are invited to slow down and take in the full story that is being told by the photo and it feels special, said Wanbon.
“I just hope that people get excited to go mountain biking.”
The magazine is available for purchase on his website at mathewwanbon.com.