For the past three years, the 25-year-old Queenstowner has lived in Belgium, spending the year competing in the World Motocross MX1 class around Europe.
When the season ends, Columb heads back to Queenstown, to catch up with family and friends, work at Off Road Adventures - the Columb family business - and train for the next round of competition.
For the first time in four years, Columb, a Suzuki rider, has been able to race in the New Zealand season - and most recently won the third of four rounds in the Demon Energy New Zealand Motocross Championships in the MX1 (open class) race at Pleasant Point, Timaru.
Overall, he is currently placed third in that series, behind leader Peter Broxholme and Damien King . Columb said his income depended on his results.
"I make money - I'm not [making a lot] but it's my job. No-one pays me a salary. It's a funny one to say I'm professional, but it's all I really do - ride and train. It's not a bad job."
It is a lifestyle he has been working towards since he was 3 years old when he hopped on an LT50 four-wheeler, introduced to riding by his father, Denis.
"We'd go into the mountains, trail riding as a family and I started racing when I was about 11. When I was 18, I decided I'd like to pursue this a little bit more and when I was 21, I went to England for a few months."
Since then, he has not looked back.
He is one of two New Zealanders - the other being Josh Coppins - riding in the World Motocross MX1.
In September, Columb was called up from reserve to racer at the annual Motocross of Nations in England and finished the European season with an MX1 world ranking of 29.
While it may sound like a whole lot of fun and travel, Columb says the life isn't as easy as people may think - "that I just wake up and cruise around".
He trains twice a day, riding his bike, and also cycles, runs, swims and does gym work.
The lifespan of a motocross rider was dependent on the injuries they carried but, generally, if started at 18, the competitive period would end at 32, he said.
"It really just depends on the amount of injuries you've had - Darryll King [from Hamilton], he's 39 and still racing. He does walk around a little bit stiff, though."
Columb considers himself fairly lucky so far in terms of injuries - if tearing his right shoulder muscle from the bone, having six screws and a plate in his left index finger and a pretty nasty injury to his right hand could be considered lucky.
He plans to head back to Belgium in February, but right now "it's a little bit tricky".
"FIM World MX Championships has [just increased the entry fee] to 10,000, which is about $NZ20,000 and I don't have $20,000.
"I really need someone with some money. . . [but] no-one's got any at the moment."
• Columb races this weekend in the final round of the national motocross series New Plymouth.
