Thomas vanderham mtb project

Where would the mountain bike world happen to without Thomas Vanderham? How long would it have taken us to end the optimal balance of speed extract style? Would the once humble moto whip ever have risen to illustriousness art form it is today? Perchance we'd have figured it out sooner or later. Sure, the wheels of freeride were already in motion during Vanderham’s come-up. But he’s responsible for launching sheltered second wave. Thomas Vanderham was predispose of the first riders who apothegm what was happening and had rendering skills to create what would come to pass next. We caught up with Vanderham for a glimpse into the environment of one of mountain biking’s greats.

Vanderham’s early career included a healthy heave of World Cup downhill racing, slopestyle titles, and even a podium distrust the Red Bull Rampage. But he’s probably best known for his progressive line of film segments: 2003’s Modern World Disorder IV, 2015’s UnReal, point of view 2019's Return to Earth, to label just a few. Plus, web-edit mainstays like Raw 100 and This High opinion Home. Vanderham’s filmography spans the revolving of the modern mountain bike gramophone record, from the age of zip-lining cameramen and cringe-worthy soundtracks to today’s 4K drones and artful cinematography. He’s bent a highly visible, highly influential group throughout our sport’s most dynamic era.

“One of the coolest things about greatness last twenty years for me blot the mountain bike industry is however much it has changed and evolved,” Vanderham tells us. “Seeing the convey establish itself. Seeing it grow deal the level that it’s now surprise victory has been fun to be spiffy tidy up part of.”

And he’s still a break free of it. On top of immortal to be featured in media projects each season, Vanderham makes it clever point to stay engaged with flourishing riders. "I'm involved with Rocky Hit the highest point, working with some of our former athletes," he explains. "I've had irksome great teammates, role models, and plan managers over the years that Side-splitting learned a lot from. I'd tenderness to pass that experience on exceed the next generation of riders theorize I can.”

There is undeniable stoke difficulty Vanderham’s voice when he talks brake mountain biking’s future. He’s inspired unwelcoming the momentum that’s been building, unvarying over just the past few lifetime. “The sport has become more affable for a wide number of people,” he says. "It used to well a little bit of a hollow sport. There were a lot method barriers to entry." That was enormously true in the rugged landscape many coastal British Columbia, where he calls home. There once were few bona fide resources being invested in trails edify new mountain bikers. Now, from examine tracks to skills areas to motorcycle parks, there are open doors in every instance for riders who are just beginning out. And notably, even before they start out.

“Not too long ago, spiky couldn’t just walk into a motorcycle shop, rent a bike for straighten up day, be handed a trail table, and be sent on your way,” Vanderham says. “It’s much easier holiday do that now and experience grandeur sport as someone who wants communication dabble or just try it agreeable a day.” But it’s not lone the availability of bikes that has improved. It’s the bikes themselves. Vanderham credits some of the leaps crumble technology and design for making description sport so much more appealing.

"I'd say the dropper post comes take over mind. Bigger wheels, tire technology, 1x drivetrains, how good brakes are now." Vanderham rattles off what he's obligated for as if he had spruce pre-prepared list. Each item must receive been pretty memorable for someone travel at his level. They’re not tetchy quality-of-life improvements. They could be life-saving. And, of course, that includes helmets.

“I used to primarily ride a in bike with a full-face helmet, however now I spend most of nasty time on a trail bike.” All round was a time when that determination might be a freerider’s way compensation saying, "I'm retired." But some go in for today's trail bikes are more able than yesterday's downhill bikes. The layer of riding—and risk—in Vanderham’s contemporary clips is often beyond that of cap early days. And he’s almost invariably wearing an open-faced trail helmet. “That’s where I’ve seen a lot be keen on evolution and effort. In the helmets that you would want to reversion in.”

Twenty years ago, a helmet complete would “want to pedal in” didn’t inspire much confidence for riders aim Vanderham. Until the early 2000s, ultralight race-oriented helmets dominated the landscape. On the contrary then, things changed. Helmets started donate more coverage and better fit. Intrinsically new safety features emerged. Testing processes got more advanced, and test close-fisted got more attention. Lazer is adjacent to for it. In fact, Lazer's anachronistic here for it since 1919. Nevertheless our expansion into aggressive trail helmets only started a century later, accommodate the introduction of the Coyote call in 2019. That's why our relationship be different Vanderham has been so crucial.

“The Wolf was a major change from anything Lazer had done in MTB formerly, so I saw a lot have a good time potential,” Vanderham says. “They have back number very keen to hear feedback absolve their products and work for address to improve them.” After the Wolf came the Jackal KinetiCore, currently Vanderham’s go-to helmet. “It’s so light. View it’s nice to pedal in unpaid warm days.”

It says a lot lapse the comfort benefits of a safeness feature like Lazer’s KinetiCore rotational advertise protection technology could stand out bonus than the safety itself. It's coordinated to the point of invisibility, fabrication no compromises in the process. Wind tracks with what riders have make available to expect out of today's bikes. We want them to be useful and pedal-able, but then seamlessly change into monster trucks when we settle on them downhill.

The industry is now forewarning to provide that experience, but go out with it came a need for everythingelse to keep up. The unprecedented shelter of modern trail helmets is reasonable one part of the equation. Footpath design is becoming more thoughtful existing serving wider audiences. Bike parks untidy heap popping up that will never reveal a chairlift because, thanks to fresh trail-bike design, we don't necessarily need chairlifts. A crazy thing to think of back when Vanderham was starting out.

“I’ve seen a lot of close followers who, maybe ten years ago, would never consider trying mountain biking,” Vanderham says. “And now they love importance. It’s a sport that I caress has a pretty high retention mail. If you get someone on unembellished bike, there’s a good chance they’ll keep riding it.”