It’s usually the father introducing their sons to a sport, but in John Rideout’s case it was the other way around. In 1992, Rideout’s 15-year-old son suggested he take up downhill mountain biking. Rideout thought why not?
He thought his son wanted to further their father-son bond by bouncing down the hills over rocks, roots and ramps together. In hindsight, though, Rideout suspects his boy was hoping “there might be a significant trickle-down effect of expensive biking equipment.” Whatever the motive, Rideout was hooked.
Initially he joined some other fathers of sons who mountain biked. But soon he was taking part in local and provincial events and his competitive juices flowed. When Canada was named host of the world masters circuit over a six-year period Rideout was all in.
Rideout won his first world title in 2002 taking the 55+ category and his second two years later in the 55-59 category. Both events were held in Bromont, Que. Then in 2016 in Val di Sole in northern Italy, Rideout captured his third world crown by winning the 65-and-over competition. In addition, Rideout finished in the top five in his age category at four other world downhill biking championships.
