Adorable and awesome
“I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way”. There are some jaw-droppingly talented kids out there. Here are some faces to look out for.
1. Max McCormac – 8 years old
Legendary freerider Graham Agassiz is looking for a riding buddy in his hometown of Kamloops. Enter Max, an 8 year old ripper full of helpful tips and… encouraging words for Aggy. Welcome to Shreducation. Featuring the brand new Process 24 kids’ bike, Max and Aggy take on the Kamloops Bike Ranch together.
2. Jake and Theo Riddle – 6 years old
No, you’re not seeing double, these are just mountain biking twins Jake and Theo Riddle from Queenstown. More than anything we love how they keep getting back up every time they fall down (although they do bounce at that age!)
It really does seem like mountain biking can be in the blood, check out mountain biking’s fastest families here.
3. Malcolm – 4 years old
Do you remember the thrill of hitting your first ever jump? The time you were no longer shackled to the muddy trail and could soar with the eagles… ok so it may have only been a one foot stepdown, but it certainly felt that way!
We’ve never managed to express that feeling quite as well as Malcolm though. This video shows his very first time riding the black-graded Hellion trail at Highland Mountain Bike Park.
>>> How to pick the right riding kit for your kids
The whole of the run is filled with Malcolm’s commentaries including a hilarious moment when his Dad asks: “can you see?”
To which Malcolm replies: “No, I don’t need to pee.”
4. Jackson Goldstone – 11 years old
Jackson Goldstone has been Whistler’s worst kept secret for some time. He’s only 11 years old but has been hitting the biggest jumps in the bike park for years.
In this video he follows Stevie Smith through the park and is even capable of keeping up. While it seems like they’re friends here, it may not be long before they’re racing against each other on the World Cup circuit.
5. Finn Finestone – 12 years old
There are probably fewer kids more lucky than Finn Finestone – not only does he live in Whistler, but his dad is Brian Finestone, the bike park manager responsible for maintaining Whistler’s legendary trails.
It’s pretty incredible to see how competent Finn is on all kinds of bikes from downhill to dirt jump and BMX, what makes it even more amazing is that he’s only 12 years old.
>>> Watch these guys take on the trails on kids’ bikes
Finn shows no fear as he hits up some of Whistler’s most legendary trails, he even tackles the infamous Crabapple Hits where the Whip Off World Championships are held.
If Finn wants to take on mountain biking as a career it looks like he could choose to ride downhill or slopestyle, either way though he’ll be one to keep an eye on in the next ten years.
6. Eliot and Marti
We love seeing some young blood injected into mountain biking and these guys are about as young as they get. Eliot and Marti are pint-sized pinners that clearly have a blast on their Commencal Ramones 12 balance bikes.
This video shows them tackling rocks, staircases and even building their own lines. We do love the fact that Commencal decided to use Morricone for the soundtrack to this video though, it adds a bizarre sense of epic-ness to the kids’ antics.
7. Seth Sherlock – 12 years old
What is it about Canadian kids and their insane bike skills? Seth Sherlock is yet another young ripper from British Colombia but instead of the bike parks he prefers to keep it natural on freeride trails.
Sherlock honed his skills in Squamish but now has himself a sponsorship deal that allows him to do things like this. Some of this riding is mind-blowing.
8. Riley and David – 7 years old
Who didn’t want to ride with some of the world’s best freeriders when they were younger? In this video seven year old Riley and David get the chance to do just that with Matt Hunter and Thomas Vanderham.
We love the added effects that Sony has put on this video, afterall, who didn’t feel like a super hero every time they rode their bike (some of us still do!)