Category: Mountain Bike

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Unleash The Beast – Come With Us

Come with us and drive, ride, fight and surf; the athletes of the Monster Energy roster are nothing short of sensational. From conquering the highest jumps, fastest roads, and toughest opponents; it takes something very special to beast the sporting world at an elite level. What’s more few people ever get to  witness the levels of focus and dedication needed to turn ambition into reality. That was until now… 

Through an incredible six part series, Monster Energy’s Come With Us, charts the lives, careers and journeys of six very different athletes. Each striving to compete and win at the very top of their game, and within their chosen discipline.  

Better still, it’s the raw behind the scenes access that fans love, and you have been waiting for; covering rallying, free skiing, motorcycle Grand Prix racing, big wave surfing, mixed martial arts, and freestyle mountain biking. 

Strap in and hold on; because it is time for a wild ride into sporting greatness, that you definitely won’t want to miss… 

Episode 1:

The rise and rise of Oliver Solberg through the ranks has been as fast as the 19 year old on a twisting mountain rally stage. Son of 2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg, Oliver is so much more than just part of an off-road racing dynasty. His talent, focus, and results fly in the face of his relatively young years. Together with his co-driver Aaron Johnston, Solberg is determined and redline obsessed to become World Champion. With thousands of kilometres and corners laying ahead though; it’s going to be anything but easy. Delve into rallying and Solberg’s quest for victory like you’ve never seen before. 

Episode 2:

The pool of incredible talent in women’s Slopestyle skiing has been getting stronger every season and  part of that new wave is Giulia Tanno. The 22-year-old Swiss skier has been competing on the world circuit since the age of 15 and has won some of the highest accolades in her field; including 4 XGames medals, Audi Nines wins and podiums at several FIS World Cups. While a lot of ladies show technical skill or stylish riding, Giulia is one of the rare few who are blending both, blazing a trail for a new type of women’s Slopestyle skier. With huge air comes huge risks and despite weathering multiple injuries and a concussion Giulia is as hardcore as they come. Take a fresh look at Free-skiing with her story. 

COMING SOON…

Episode 3: Wake up in the morning. Charge some crazy slab waves. Welcome to Nic Von Rupp’s world. The 30-year-old surfing prodigy has already nailed a successful competitive career, and has now changed direction to focus his sights on becoming the best big wave rider in the world. For the uninitiated it is a sight to behold; waves that could dwarf apartment buildings; speeds in excess of 80km/h; the full force of the ocean harnessed in a single wave. Yet Rupp stares it all down with a relaxed stance and a sunbathed smile, and hours and hours of preparation. Don’t just take our word for it; Come With Us on a big wave ride like you’ve never seen before.  

Adolf Silva: Ripping on a bike is what 23 year old Silva lives for. He risks his life for it; because it’s what moves him, what makes him feel alive. Knowing that every day he can improve and grow with his sport motivates him immensely. A true lifestyle action sport athlete, Silva’s career has already encompassed dizzying highs and total lows – not least when at age 17 he spent 10 days in a coma due to a crash, only to bounce back from injury to land the first ever triple backflip on a Slopestyle bike. If it’s got wheels he’ll ride it, and if there’s a ramp he’ll likely jump it. Come With Us and witness it all.

Fabio Quartararo: They don’t call him El Diablo for nothing. If ever there was a rider on the very cusp of greatness then surely it is Fabio Quartararo. The son of a former French 125cc motorcycle champion, Fabio cut his teeth in motocross at a very young age before moving to Spain with his family aged seven. From there he quickly progressed through the Pre-GP Mediterranean ranks, counting off the championships with nonchalant ease. In only his first year of premier class racing, in 2019, Fabio scored an impressive seven podiums from 19 starts with the Petronas Yamaha SRT team. What’s more this season, the French ace replaces none other than Valentino Rossi at the factory Yamaha racing team. Come With Us to witness Fabio’s rise and blistering pace, now at the bars of factory machinery. 

Joanna Jedrzejczyk: You don’t get to be a six time Muay Thai world champion, and a leading mixed martial arts fighter in the UFC without being truly and undeniably hardcore. Joanna Jedrzejczyk – or JJ to her fans – knows this, and the string of opponents she’s knocked out don’t need telling again either. There’s an incredible flip side to the 33 year old from northern Poland though, who pushes herself to the limit outside of the ring too. JJ recently said: “My biggest opponent is time because there are only 24 hours in the day and I have so many things going on. I’m just trying to live my best life. In or out of the cage, with or without the belt, I carry myself as a champ and work on my legacy, every single day.”

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Welcome to Locked in Hellsend

What do you do when you’re locked down on the sickest farm in South Africa? Grab a shovel and get digging! When World Cup slayer, Theo Erlangsen, was lucky enough to get quarantined with young gun, Ike Klassen, on his farm in Stellenbosch, the boys stayed busy riding bikes and spraying dirt! 

Locked in at Hellsend Dirt Compound is a 3-part series following The Trails Crew getting up to all kinds of good, bad and wild. Watch the boys riding dirt jumps, shredding some downhill laps and staying “almost too busy doing cool things the whole time!” These boys have all the toys and a whole heap of ideas, so jump on board as they race pit bikes, trash rally buggies and shred anything with wheels on.

“We’re basically quarantining in heaven! I mean, it would be nice to be racing in Europe, but this is a close second!”  Theo Erlangsen

In the first episode, we meet the infamous builders, Justin Novella and Duran Van Eeden, who can wrestle a digger like nobody else, and were luckily quarantined on the same farm. First state of business was carving out the Corona track, an insane downhill course through the forest from top to bottom. The boys hit the building work hard and then set to work stacking clips and roosting turns. 

Getting the pit bike track built was a dream come true for Ike, who started his career on bikes with Moto X and was a junior national champ. For some light relief, they jumped into one of the race buggies on the farm and tried, but failed to keep all the wheels on…


“Tim shreds the BMX so hard, he’s also such a silent assassin, he comes in super quiet and then does WAY bigger and better stunts than any of us” Theo Erlangsen

In episode two, Tim Bentley joins the crew and shows the boys how to ride the perfectly manicured dirt jumps. Justin gives you an insight to the Trailscrew daily life, meet India the trail dog and watch the riders push themselves in a trick jump sessionwhilst quarantined in South Africa.

Look out for Episode 3 coming soon…

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Theo Erlangsen – One Run in Tokai

The flying South African

Theo Erlangsen has been making a lot of noise in the world of Mountain Biking over the last few years. Known as one of the new breed of racers, he has also been charging into the realm of Freeride MTB, being included on events like Darkfest.

Feel like you are flying down the Mountain

With lockdown firmly in place, many of us are missing our outdoor activities we love. So sit back, shut out the outside world and enjoy this latest edit from Monster Energy team rider, Theo as he takes us on a high speed run down the Tokai course in Cape Town.

The Video

Theo Erlangsen has one run in Tokai, close to COMMENCAL South Africa HQ! Thanks to Monster Energy, Thomas Sandell and Hayden Brown.

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Week in Action Ep2

Week in Action Ep 2 - Koa Smith, Donkey Bay

What a week in extreme sports this week! We had X games delivering world firsts, Donkey Bay was firing and the free ride MTB boys dropped the Loosefest XL edit. All the action from the week in the video below and I have put every featured video in the playlist below it (You can just press play, wide screen and enjoy all the videos back to back.)

Enjoy the Show

Here is the playlist of the featured Videos

If you enjoy the show please remember to subscribe!

Huge Thanks to: Chris Rogers – https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSaffabru Koa Smith – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0gp… Monster Energy – https://www.youtube.com/user/monstere… X Games – https://www.youtube.com/user/XGames Filipe Toledo – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChh_… Fest Series – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbO…

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The Night Harvest Dirt Jump Extravaganza

PAT CASEY TAKES WIN AT THE NIGHT HARVEST 2019

Arguably the sickest Dirt jump event on the planet, this year’s edition of The Night Harvest delivered no shortage of the fruits.

Some of our most notorious BMX generals were in town and the trails were perfectly primed in front of the picturesque backdrop of the Hout Bay mountains. The scenery around Cape Town is no joke and the level of riding this year definitely wasn’t either. You do the math, 1 prime set of jumps, coupled with chargers like the Pat Casey, Brock Horneman, Mike Varga, Leandro Moreira and more, the ever supportive Cape Town crowd were in for a treat.

Jam Session Rules

As the sun started to set, the bikes made their way up the roll in tower. Making for an ideal golden hour practice session, The Night Harvest runs a little different to most contests, with a jam session format, making it way more ideal for the riders to work on those dream runs. Which makes the usually competitive vibe much more conducive for bringing out the best riding possible.

Leandro Moreira – 3rd Place BMX 

The Brazilian, no stranger to this kind of terrain. Went at least 3ft higher than anyone on the jumps. Bringing his signature bag of tricks which included cranked turndown flips, flip double whips, triple whips and the hugest dumped 3’s in the game. Always a crowd favourite at The Night Harvest, clearly Leandro was favoured with the judges too.

Mike Varga – 2nd Place BMX  

Mike Varga was on fire, fresh off a long airport transit. The Canadian proceeded to annihilate the course with all the tech wizardry and burly combos you’d need an action replay to process. Varga wasn’t just happy with dominating the line, he then proceeded to icepick bar the wall ride at the bottom of the course which was a first for the event!

Pat Casey – 1st Place BMX 

Pat Casey – “The Night Harvest is always one of my favourite events of the year, it’s been awesome riding with all the boys and I was hyped to take to win again, also a huge surprise was being handed an invite to this year’s Battle of Hastings as a captain this year.” The SoCal native completely destroyed the jumps every time he dropped in for the well-deserved W.

Monster Army Shredders

There was a strong contingency of Monster Army shredders in town, including Brock Horneman, Bryce Tryon and Alec Danelutti brought their A-game and gave the Monster Energy top dogs a run for their money. Brock ended the event in a close 4th place, sending all the hammers in his artillery, flip triple bars and a plethora of mind-blowing runs, the Aussie is sure to be on the podium more regularly in the near future.

Night Harvest MTB

In the MTB division, there was a solid line up of locals with a few international rippers including Swedish wunderkind Lukas Skiold and big air extraordinaire Matt Macduff up against Cape Town’s very own Justin Novella, local DH Free-racer Theo Erlangson and up and comer Cornel Swanepoel, all completely sending it for a chance to land on the podium.

In 3rd place came Czech dirt jump veteran Tomas Zedja who had the line waxed from top to bottom with a mix of classic tricks. In 2nd place, Matt Macduff came in hot from a week in Barcelona and treated the crowd to a selection of heaters which included folded 360 tables, massive flip whip’s and even gave a solid go at some flat 720’s during the Best Trick jam. Macduff – “Honestly, I’m so stoked to be able to ride on the level I was on before my big crash on the loop 2 years back. Everyone killed it. I wasn’t even expecting to be on the podium, I just went out and had fun with the crew, I’m super grateful to be back on this level.”  

In the 1st place spot, experience points paid off here with Lukas Skiold and his mathematical precision on everything he does, taking the clear win in the class. “So stoked to be out in SA again after 2 years after coming out and winning Best Trick, so I was so hyped to come back and push even harder. The jumps were amazing. I tried my hardest to land a cash-roll bar in the Best Trick, I’m going to go back to the drawing board on that and give it another go in a contest real soon.”

Check out the Video!

All Images: Grant Mclachlan

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DarkFEST 2019 Official Highlights Video

Daryl sending it over the big kicker! Photo: Eric Palmer

Dirt Jump Nirvana

Ok, so maybe its not Dirt Jump nirvana for us mere mortals, but for the crew of A List riders at DarkFEST it sure was. Many were calling it the biggest line ever built and for those who came to watch the open sessions, they witnessed history. Clemens, Nico and Sam really pulled out all the stops on the setup and I am pretty sure we are going to see even bigger things come 2020.

Loco Double Backflip Adolf Silva

The Fan favourite at any event he goes to for good reason. Adolf was hunting the double backflips. He made one on the giant kicker and he was oh so close to landing one on the 90ft gap. He rides so wild that even his fellow riders sometimes cant believe how he pulls off some saves. One of the leaders of free ride now and a huge part of Darkfest. Not to hard to see why Monster Energy put him straight on the team.

Watch the Highlights Video

If you did not make it down to Vuurberg for the open sessions, shame! But never fear, the highlights video is here and you too can marvel at the Dirt Jump mayhem that was, DarkFEST. The world’s best were in action, with the likes of Nico Vink, Tom van Steenbergen, Adolf Silva, Brendan Fairclough, Ethan Nell, Nicholi Rogatkin, Jordie Lunn, Graham Agassis, Matt Macduff, Tom Reynolds, Darryl Brown, Theo Erlangsen and Kurt Sorge.

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DarkFEST Freeride Mountain Biking Is Upon Us!

Darryl Brown testing the big jump. Photo: Eric Palmer

Stellenbosch sees the return of DarkFEST

Friday 8 February and Saturday 9 February will see the return of DarkFEST to Vuurberg Wines, Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch, and for those two full days the boys are going to cut loose! Sam Reynolds might be out of the competition, but it it still going to rock out over the weekend, as only DarkFEST can.

What is it? The biggest mountain biking dirt jump event in Africa.

Where is it? Vuurberg Wines, Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch.

When? Friday 8 and Saturday 9 February. Action starts at 9 am, and continues until 6 pm.

The local kid, Ike, testing the not small step up. Photo: Eric Palmer

Who? There are a crew of local and international riders, including Nico Vink, Tom van Steenbergen, Adolf Silva, Brendan Fairclough, Ethan Nell, Nicholi Rogatkin, Jordie Lunn, Graham Agassis, Matt Macduff, Tom Reynolds, Darryl Brown, Theo Erlangsen and Kurt Sorge, amongst others. Local legend Sam Reynolds unfortunately injured himself on a recent practice run, and is out of the event.

How does one attend? Tickets are available here www.quicket.co.za/events/64964-darkfest-the-fest-series/

More information? Check out the old faithful Facebook event link for more information here https://www.facebook.com/events/755601598144716/

Check out the 2018 Highlights

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Darkfest Cometh – The Freeride Mega Line

Darkfest Warm Up – Photo: Eric Palmer, Monster Energy

The biggest dirt jump line in the World

It is pretty amazing that the world’s biggest dirt jump run, is right here in South Africa. For the last few year’s the Darkfest team, supported by Monster Energy and led by Sam Reynolds and Nico Vink have been creating ridiculous runs, first in Knysna and now Franshoek. Now the world’s best free ride mountain bike, hell men, return!

Sam, Clemens & Nico have been working hard creating magic at the DarkFEST site just outside Stellenbosch in the beautiful Helshoogte Valley. Two new features are being added to the end of the line this year, so the focus has been at the bottom of the course this week. The gigantic step up has had an overhaul and is slightly hipped to the right now to lead into a flat drop into the road below and then into a chute down to a big stepped up trick jump. This will make the world’s top free ride mountain bike guys very happy indeed.

The massive Jumps getting built. Photo: Eric Palmer, Monster Energy

Darkfest will have a 100ft Jump

The main new feature, the massive trick jump at the bottom is the only thing that needs more serious tweaking as the guys were getting so much speed on the run in they decided to raise the landing a few meters and dig the lip deeper to make it taller and steeper! So Clemens is giving his rocket launcher a complete makeover. The rest of the course has had a few minor tweaks. It is looking burnished and so smooth & glossy with the trademark Nico & Clemens perfection.

Nico also spent some quality time with the twisty wizard, between the big 100 footer and the hip and made it even more twisty with the landing more finned out almost into a wall ride that aims you straight at the hip with tonnes of speed. The step up is also a bit taller and the landing is slightly hipped to the right to set up for the drop, which has also been made steeper a bit after testing which now sets you up for the trick jump perfectly.

The World’s Best/Craziest Freeride Mountain Bike stars coming to Darkfest

All the biggest names in freeride Mountain Bike will be arriving next week to take on this incredible course.

Confirmed Riders:
Sam Reynolds
Clemens Kaudela
Nico Vink
Tom van Steenbergen
Adolf Silva
Brendan Fairclough
Ethan Nell
DJ Brand
Nicholi Rogatkin
Jordie Lunn
Graham Agassis
Matt Macduff
Tom Reynolds
Darryl Brown
Theo Erlangsen
Kurt Sorge
Makken
I will be joining legend, death loop star, Matt Macduff, on the mic on the open day, so come join me for a day you will never forget!

Get your tickets to the Darkfest!

You can come and join us to witness the most mental mountain biking on the the planet. Get your tickets HERE

PS: If you get a VIP, you will get to meet and hang with the world’s best 😉

Check out the Build Videos so far…

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Mountain Bikers “Send it to the Moon” at The Audi Nines MTB 2018

Adolf Silva pulling Best Trick. Photo: Klaus Polzer

Sam Pilgrim Rules Audi Nines

After six days of film shoots and sessions in the moonlike landscape of the quarry, the riders gathered on the evening of Thursday, September 14, to celebrate their successful “moon launch”. British mountain bike legend Sam Pilgrim was selected by his peers for the top honor of “Ruler of the Week,” and also won the category of “Best Slopestyle Line” at the Audi Nines.

“The Audi Nines is the best event of the year for me,” said Pilgrim. “You’ve got six days to perform to your highest level. I ended up winning two of the categories, which means a lot because everyone who voted for me, they’re all professional mountain bike riders. I’m stoked about it.”

Sam Reynolds best of Freeride

Pilgrim was joined in the winner’s circle by his countryman Sam Reynolds, whose run through the freeride section was voted “Best Freeride Line.” Winners were also chosen in the category of “Best Freeride Trick”—claimed by Adolf Silva’s incredible Cali Roll, a world’s first on a downhill mountain bike—as well as for “Best Slopestyle Trick,” where Dawid Godziek’s quadruple tail whip—also a first—took top honors.

Silva crashed repeatedly before finally landing the Cali Roll, a spectacular aerial maneuver in which the rider lets go of his bike midair and spins 360 degrees before re-mounting to land. Godziek’s equally impressive quadruple whip involved a dizzying flurry of motion, as he spun his bike around the handlebars four times in midair before landing his jump.

Worlds most unique Freeride Location

When The Audi Nines’ relocation to the stone quarry in Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate region in cooperation with Bikepark Idarkopf was first announced, many were curious how the unusual new location would work out. However, the events of the past week have made clear that the quarry, after extensive modifications by an experienced team of trail builders, was indeed a perfect venue for a world-class mountain bike event with a unique take on its presentation of the sport.

“The location worried us at first,” said Reynolds. “We weren’t sure if it would live up to the previous location in the Alps with the epic views. But once the “moon props” came in, like the satellite dish and all the cool ramps, the venue actually had a lot more character than ever before.”

“It’s the most unique location I’ve ever ridden a bike in,” he added. “It looks like a video game.”