CLIFF HANGER

A superstar of freeride mountain biking explains the method behind the apparent madness.

- KEITH GORDON

As Brandon Semenuk dropped into his contest-winning run at this past October’s Red Bull Rampage mountain biking event, those unfamiliar with the sport might view it as a reckless, if not suicidal, endeavor. After all, the steep and treacherous mountainside he was about to attack would not look out of place covered in climbers, hooked into safety ropes, trying to ascend the same route he was about to descend.

But for Brandon, and his fellow competitors, Rampage represents the pinnacle of the freeride mountain biking competitive calendar. As Semenuk tore down the rock face, launching backflips off of jumps and 360s over gaps in the rock, what should seemingly be an act of pure survival took on the rhythm and poetry of a choreographed routine, albeit one that some would consider death-defying. Completing his run flawlessly and with a heavy dose of style, Semenuk had secured his third victory at Rampage, cementing his reputation as one of the world’s best freeride mountain bikers.

Semenuk’s coronation at the top of his sport was decades in the making. “I grew up in Whistler, British Columbia, which is sort of a mecca for mountain biking,” explains the 29-year old Canadian. “When I was growing up it was a great place to ride…there were these crazy circuits of mountain biking trails just all over the place. So it was pretty accessible to me.”

Following in his older brother’s footsteps, Semenuk began in cross country racing before discovering other mountain bike disciplines. He recalls that, “After racing a bit, it developed into just trying some other avenues, having opportunities to do other contests and travel for riding. I just fell into this freeride category and that’s what I fell in love with.”