Bernard Kerr

Bernard Kerr’s stoppies, manuals and Reliant Robin wheelies are stuff of legend. The man’s not bad at his day job either, having just taken a hat-trick of wins at the Red Bull Hardline as well as being one of the World Cup’s best mountain bike racers, all while vlogging it all for his YouTube channel.

“My best trail would have to be Rude Rock in Queenstown; it has some of the nicest scenery in the world and, if ridden well, not a pedal stroke is needed for 3km. It’s on Coronet peak just five-10 minutes out of Queenstown, which has trails mostly in the forest. I guess maybe that’s why I like it so much, this one is just so different. The soil is a weird mix of sand and a silver kind of gravel-dirt – if it’s just slightly damp there’s not much in the world that compares.

Rude Rock, Queenstown

“It starts off with a massive rock shaped like a dick, which is where it gets its name from. You can see Queenstown in the distance but with one small kick of the pedals you’re into a smooth bicycle roller coaster. I genuinely think that’s the best way to describe it as it dips down and almost straight back up and then into banks – it’s just the natural shape of the terrain. Like I said, there are no trees and just mini bushes called tussocks that surround the track that meanders its way alongside and down a ridgeline. It’s not super-steep but has some awesome fadeaways that you just float down before another rise and then slash-style turns into the banks. Normally I love jumps and this track literally has maybe three small ones, but the number of natural pumps and rollers you can double, combined with the shape of the ground, make it so you don’t even need jumps!

“It’s a weird track, as most beginners could ride it – I even took my mum down the whole thing, which she loved. Yet fast guys and girls can absolutely bomb it, making it one of the most flowy and rewarding trails there is out there. If you nail your braking points and pumps and trust you know which way the rise or blind corner is going next, it’s a hard feeling to beat. Sunset or sunrise is golden hour and although the sun might be in your eyes, it will make for one of the nicest-looking tracks you’ve ever ridden. I would recommend this to family and friends.”