Darkfest is designed and run by the riders, for riders, highlighting the world’s best free riding athletes with a goal of hitting the biggest jumps possible on a bike. The prizes are rider-voted and are given to the winners following a week of jam-format riding.
This year, Darkfest has done it again; a new chapter for free ride MTB has been carved into the history books. The event had 90-foot long jumps from the ladies, Cali Rolls, double flips from the gents, and a heap of Darkfest best moments, as the sixth year of this boundary-pushing extravaganza comes to a close.
Welcoming the biggest group of free riders ever to the 2022 event, there was a big hype on the international athlete roster. The course was tweaked to perfection, a dream weather window was on the horizon and riders were frothing to get out there and prove that they could throw it down on this epic course.
“My first time at Darkfest and I couldn’t believe the size of the jumps. Today I hit the 90-footer, which felt unreal! So stoked to land that and open it up for the ladies!” says Robin Goomes.
Robin and Casey Brown opened up the 90-foot goliath Darkfest jump and cemented their place firmly in the history books by landing the longest dirt-to-dirt jump ever ridden by a female mountain biker.
Another historic moment took place when, Chelsea Kimball, successfully opened up the Rocket Launchers at the end of the course for the ladies. The ‘Mozart of jumps,’ which are globally recognised as propelling the riders into the air with the most amplitude and airtime of any jumps in the world, have seen many a crash and broken bones throughout the years. Closely followed by Hannah Bergemann and Vero Sandler, the full complement of ladies attacked the highest and longest jumps ever ridden by female free riders.
“The guys have been throwing down insane airs and huge tricks, but what’s surprised and excited me the most was the ladies hitting the world’s biggest jumps … changing the game in front of our eyes! The guys and girls have all been working together to really push free ride into the next level! ” says Sam Reynolds, Darkfest host and creator.
Darkfest has been the stomping ground for many athletes to prove themselves up against the biggest dirt jumps ever built for 6 years running. Beginning as a video project called ‘Pure Darkness’ by Sam Reynolds and friends, the event is progressing free ride into a fresh direction where new talent and new tricks are discovered every year.
“I’ve spent the last 5 years putting blood, sweat and tears into this course. It’s a lifetime’s work all coming into one awesome set of jumps, which is hopefully the best set ever made. All the riders are saying the jumps are bigger and better than ever … as a course builder there’s nothing more I could possibly hear!” adds Reynolds.
There were countless other headlines from a week of unforgettable tricks on this boundary-pushing course. Spectators witnessed redemption double flips from Adolf Silva on the Rocket Launcher, which had taken him out of the game and smashed his wrist into multiple fractures in 2021. Bienvenido Aguado pulled an outrageous one-foot can on the 90-footer, which he famously threw the world record Frontflip over in the previous year and Vero Sandler landed a ‘Nothing’ on the Step-Up to win the Best Trick and Best Whip award.
Take a look at more epic action:
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Pictures: Darkfest