We know what you’re thinking. What the hell does Monkey Rider mean exactly?

Well, our name was inspired by the famous Japanese Macaques, Japan’s indigenous snow monkeys who live in and around the Nagano region.

For the snow monkeys, it all began in 1963 when a young female named Mukubili waded into a hot spring in the Nagano Mountains to retrieve some soybeans that had been thrown in by the keepers. She liked the warmth and soon other young monkeys joined her. At first the behavior caught on only with the young macaques and their mothers. Over the years the rest of the troop took up the behavior, which now finds shelter in the 43° C hot springs to escape the winter cold.

What we really love about these little fellas (apart from the human-like red faces and expressive eyes) is the lifestyle they lead – who wouldn’t love spending all day chilling out with your buddies in the natural thermal onsen during those bone chilling wintery days and sunning yourself all summer long?

Young monkeys have even learned to roll snowballs which they love to hurl at the other monkeys in ‘surprise attacks’ and we reckon it won’t be long until they learn how to carve themselves a Burton and start tearing up in the park as well.

Forget about dogs, we reckon it really is a monkey’s life, so much so that we named our company after them. For us its a constant reminder that life is short so you need to get out there and find what it is that you love doing and then just go and do it.

This is the essence of Monkey Rider.