How a Backyard Trail Built a Freeride Legend

James Moore · 2026-09-15

### From World Cup Dreams to a Backyard Paradise Few riders embody modern freeriding quite like Vero Sandler. But her story didn't start on a podium. It started with a shovel in her hands and a patch of dirt in North Wales. When we pulled up to her small, unassuming house, the scenery was lovely—meadows, rolling hills, trees. But what really caught our eye was just beyond it: a backyard that looks more like a full-blown bike park than a garden. Huge jumps, perfectly sculpted berms, and a shipping container that doubles as storage and a start drop. The ratio of living space to playground is ridiculous—and that's exactly what makes it perfect. ### More Than Just a Training Ground Even on a random evening, life revolves around that backyard. It's already hosted several Backyard Battles, and it's easy to see why. Immaculate jumps, perfectly shaped berms, and that shipping container start ramp make it something special. Vero isn't riding alone tonight. Her partner Sam Hodgson is here, along with Kade Edwards and Kaos Seagrave. It doesn't feel like a staged lineup of stars—it feels like an ordinary evening in Vero's world, where the freeride elite drop by for a jump session and all we can do is watch. Sandler moves through this little world with remarkable ease. She's warm, open, and always smiling—but never focused solely on herself. While people are sending jumps, chatting, and playing with her dogs, she's constantly looking out for everyone around her. It quickly becomes clear: Vero doesn't just want to ride herself. She wants everyone to ride. She wants everyone to have fun. She wants everyone to feel welcome. That atmosphere is what makes the place work. For all the spectacular lines, Vero's backyard doesn't feel like an exclusive training ground. It feels like somewhere friends come together. Everyone is welcome, everyone digs, and that's what gives the place its energy. ### The Accidental Turning Point The idea that Wales would one day become that place for Veronique Sandler was never part of the plan. As a teenager, the Kiwi had just one goal: to race the Downhill World Cup. After being selected for the Junior World Championships, she dropped out of university and threw herself fully into racing. For the next three years, she followed the World Cup circuit, spending her summers racing around the world before returning to New Zealand each winter. After the 2016 season, she couldn't afford the flight home to New Zealand, so she stayed in Wales for the winter and found a job. What began as a practical decision soon became the turning point in her career. She stopped riding against the clock and found a completely different side to mountain biking. > "Everything just fell into place without me really planning anything, which is extremely lucky." Our visit to Vero comes as part of our test of the new Santa Cruz Nomad. A bike called Nomad—a name that suggests constant movement—meets a rider whose defining story is all about staying put. Vero didn't drift from spot to spot. She stayed in Wales, built something, and that build has become a defining part of who she is. ### Building Is Riding, Riding Is Building For Vero, riding always comes first. Even so, almost everything that defines Sandler's riding today can be traced back to trail building. She built her first trails as a teenager, and that hands-on approach never left her. "Riding is for sure more fun. I build so that I can ride. It's all in the name of biking," she says. It's a simple philosophy, but it's one that's shaped her entire career. Trail building taught her how to read terrain, how to shape flow, and how to create lines that feel effortless. It also gave her a community—a group of like-minded riders who share the same passion for dirt and progression. In a world where so many athletes chase the next big stage, Vero found her place by staying put. And in doing so, she built not just a backyard paradise, but a life that revolves around the thing she loves most: riding bikes with friends. So next time you're out on the trail, remember: great riding begins long before the drop in. Sometimes, it starts with a shovel.