Tarek Rasouli starring in “the brand explorer” podcast

RASOULUTION founder and former professional mountain bike rider Tarek Rasouli has recently been invited to join the “brand explorer” podcast, held by Dirk Belling. Talking about his life, his background and career within the bike industry, life changing accidents and his newest achievements with Exo-Bionics – a company which built a wearable suit enabling Tarek to take his first steps standing upright again. To listen to the full podcast and learn more about Tarek´s life, click here!

standing upright again – Tarek Rasouli and his Exo suit. For more info about this new technology check the podcast.

Title image by: Yorick Carroux

READY FOR NEXT SEASON – Tomas Lemoine

Tomas Lemoine is ready for the next season. What better way to state this fact, then with a beautiful video made by his friend and filmmaker  JC Pieri.

Like hardly anyone else the French cinematographer not only captures the action but also the spirit of Tomas’ riding and the atmosphere of Southern France. Watching it is 2 minutes well spent.

For a deeper insight into the relationship of Tomas and JC please check out their joint interview after their latest cooperation “A Perfect Day”.

Follow Tomas Lemoine on Social Media:

Instagram: tomaslemoine

Facebook:  TomasLemoineFanpage

YouTube:   LIL MOINE

Follow JC Pieri on Social Media:

Instagram: jcpieri

Facebook: @jcpierivisual

YouTube:   JC Pieri

Thomas Genon’s newest video “Thomas and Co.”

In a winter without the possibility to travel much, Thomas Genon is lucky to have such an excellent selection of local spots just outside his house. Having to spend the winter riding these, does not seem to bad at all – “au contraire” as you would say down in the South of France. All caught in film and brought together by Tommy’s friend and videographer Abel Nury.

“What started out with Abel filming me for fun turned into a huge amount of clips over a long winter at home. I guess you could say it was the two of us doing what we love.” – Thomas Genon

Follow Thomas Genon online:

Facebook: ThomasGenonMTB
Instagram: thomasgenon
YouTube: Thomas Genon

Follow Abel Nury online:

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcX9VkkHpbOttqOigSQU4og
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/abelnury.png/

Emil Johansson Dad Cam Edit – No Explanation Needed

Emil Johansson latest YouTube video needs no explanation. It’s is a mash-up of different clips from 2020 and speaks for itself.

Just enjoy:

Follow Emil Johansson online:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/johanssonemil
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/Emil_Johansson

Photo: Sebastian Sternemann

Tomomi Nishikubo joins the Red Bull family

Japanese trials and mountain bike star Tomomi Nishikubo had a very special parcel delivered recently. Sharpening his trials skills at a local skate hall, the 28-year-old YouTuber received an urgent message to come home right away. Quickly navigating his bike through the crowded city, Tomomi arrived at home just in time to meet Japanese BMX wizard Rim Nakamura to be handed his welcome present to the circle of the chosen ones: Tomomi’s very own, brand-new Red Bull helmet!

The Japanese bike ninja, who is often compared to trials bike geniuses Danny MacAskill and Fabio Wibmer, rose to international fame with his YouTube videos Ninja Rider 1 + Ninja Rider 2 and especially Chase Her, which expertly showcases Tomomi’s insane skill set, his creativity and his humor. With his latest work Ride to Survive, the rider from Yokohama demonstrates once again why he deserves the honor of a Red Bull helmet.

“I am super happy and excited. Joining the Red Bull family is like a dream come true. It shows that our hard work paid off. I can’t wait to realize future projects with them. I especially want to thank my team for their dedication and the way they surprised me with the helmet.” – Tomomi Nishikubo

As “just” a formal announcement seemed a bit boring, Tomomi’s team decided to surprise him in the best possible way – faking an entire video shoot for Tomomi’s helmet partner POC, who was more than happy to play along. By including Tomomi’s trials idols Danny and Fabio, the surprise is taken to new heights. Completely unaware of the real reason behind his latest shoot, Tomomi had no idea why Rim was at his door. That is, until he unpacks his new Red Bull helmet with his iconic bike ninja logo for the first time and is welcomed to the family. Mission accomplished.

Follow Tomomi on Social Media:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tomomi_nishikubo/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TomomiNishikubo
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tomomi_nishikubo
Website: https://rasoulution.com/athletes/tomomi-nishikubo/

Photos: © Jason Halayko

Johny Salido’s Freeride Fiesta 2021 Highlights

The first Freeride Fiesta at La Soledad Bike Park in Guadalajara, Mexico, is over. One of the highlights, besides huge freeride jumps and impressive tricks, was a group of Mariachi who provided musical accompaniment to the event. Watch the final video of Mexico’s biggest freeride event.

21-year-old Johny Salido fulfilled his year-long dream of creating the biggest freeride track in Mexico by building the Freeride Fiesta course. It took him over five months to build the track and finally organize and host the event with the help of friends and sponsors. This year’s course included seven features: a step-down, a road gap, a hip, another step-down (Speedy Gonzales), a ramp jump, a drop, and a step-up.

Numerous top international athletes were part of the event, such as Bienvenido Aguado, Nicholi Rogatkin, Carson Storch, Ethan Nell and many more. Female freerider Chelsea Kimball showed impressive skills on the bike and was able to compete with the best at Freeride Fiesta and caused a stir in the mountain bike scene. The best trick went to Nicholi Rogatkin who did a remarkable Cash Roll on his big bike.

A Mariachi group – typical Mexican music formation from the state of Jalisco – was also part of the Freeride Fiesta and ensured a cheerful atmosphere and lots of fun. The Mariachi trusted the riders and showed their fearlessness by playing music between the jump and landing while the athletes were jumping over them. Watch the Mariachi here:

Johny Salido:
Organizing Freeride Fiesta was definitely ten times more work than what I expected when it first came to my mind doing an event. Countless hours were spent, both building the course, and getting things organized and ready for the main week! Although it was so much work, it was definitely worth it. I had a crazy week with my buddies from around the world and I can’t wait to do it again in 2022.”

Johny Salido:
Facebook:  JuanDiegoSalido
Instagram: johnysalido
YouTube:   Johny Salido

Freeride Fiesta:
Instagram: freeridefiesta
YouTube: freeridefiesta

Max Fredriksson signs with Cannondale

Over the last couple of weeks, Max Fredriksson has teased his curious fans about his new bike partner for 2021 and beyond. The long wait is now over as the Swedish slopestyle pro can reveal he has signed with Cannondale. In his latest video “I Ride Cannondale – Max Fredriksson sponsor reveal”, he shares his passion for MTB, riding bikes across varied locations from ski slopes to the indoor park. His joy to ride on Cannondale is clearly visible in his video.

The long wait has come to an end. Max’s fans have tried to figure out his new bike partner for several weeks. There were different rumors out there, and with his new video release he confirms the bike brand he will be riding for from 2021 onwards. The video expresses Max’s joy, motivation and dedication for the future and being part of the Cannondale family.

I’m beyond happy to join Cannondale for the years to come! Cannondale have always been such a sick bike brand in my eyes and I’m super excited to get on board with a company of this caliber! We’ve got some amazing things in the pipeline and I feel like the future with Cannondale will be next level! New vision, new goals, new ambition and a whole new source of motivation to achieve great things in 2021 and beyond.” – Max Fredriksson

We are really pleased to have Max joining Cannondale and we are looking forward to see him showcasing his style aboard our bikes. It’s only the beginning of the story but we already have some cool projects coming where Max’s involvement will be key.” – Jerome Clementz, Cannondale MTB Coordinator Europe

Follow Max online:
YouTube: www.youtube.com/FredrikssonMax
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/maxfredriksson
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/maxfredrikssonmtb

Pictures: Andreas Karlsson

Erik Fedko: Games of BIKE with Genon, Lemoine & Huppert

When Crankworx riders Erik Fedko, Thomas Genon aka Tommy G, Tomas Lemoine and Lucas Huppert join forces to play game of bike, some fun sessions are going to happen. Lucky for us, Erik Fedko brought his camera.

So when Erik Fedko and fellow German rider Jonas Bachmann decided to visit Tomas Lemoine in the South of France, the French Speed & Style genius turned into the perfect tour guide, to show the boys around and point out some of his favorite places to ride – from dirt jumps to skate park. With Belgian slopestyle pro Tommy G and the Swiss stylers Lucas Huppert and Jan Hagemann to join, the first round of game of bike was to start in Marseille: Germany vs. Switzerland vs. France/Belgium

Three days later, it was Tommy G who turned host – welcoming the whole crew to his place and presenting the massive jumps behind his house. Time for another banger session at Thomas Genon’s backyard. And, of course, time for another game of bike.

“It felt really good that the boys enjoyed the jumps we built here. It’s always hard to find the right setup, but I really enjoyed riding with them here.” – Thomas Genon

“I am super stoked to be riding with the boys. Tommy’s backyard is insane. We had so much fun.” – Erik Fedko

Follow Erik online:
Youtube.com/erik_fedko
instagram.com/erik_fedko
Facebook.com/Fedkoerik

MTB-News User Award 2021: Fabio Wibmer Announced Mountain Biker of the Year

The users of MTB-News, Germany’s biggest online mountain bike platform have made their choice. With 20 per cent of the overall votes Fabio Wibmer again is honored with the MTB News User Award 2021 “Mountainbiker des Jahres” (Mountain biker of the year).

The Austrian multi-talented trials and mountain bike rider as well as YouTube star beat his greatest idol and role model Danny MacAskill to second place (14,5 % of votes). Third place went to South African Downhill World Cup legend Greg Minnaar (8,3 %).

With three of our athletes within Top 10 – Fabio 1st, Danny 2nd and Emil Johansson 9th – the RASOULUTION team is more than proud of the achievements of our athletes and awards that show their hard work paying off.

For more information on the MTB News User Award 2021 “Mountainbiker des Jahres” and the full results please

visit:https://www.mtb-news.de/news/user-awards-2021-mountainbiker-des-jahres/

Follow Fabio online:

youtube.com/fabwibmer
instagram.com/wibmerfabio
facebook.com/wibmerfabio

Follow Danny online:

Danny’s Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/dannymacaskill
Danny’s website: www.dannymacaskill.co.uk
Danny’s Facebook Fanpage: www.facebook.com/DannyMacAskill
Danny’s Instagram profile: www.instagram.com/danny_macaskill
Danny’s Twitter account: www.twitter.com/danny_macaskill

Keep up with Emil Johansson’s activities here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johanssoemil/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johanssoemil/
Website: https://www.emilmtb.com/

 

 

 

 

Emil Johansson presents new Sensus Signature Grip

Swedish Slopestyle pro Emil Johansson has a sharp eye for detail. As a contact point, the grip is essential for feel and confidence. Having tried out many grips over the years, there was always an element or two on each that left Emil disappointed. This was compounded by the fact that most of them only lasted a few weeks. His desire to push the limits drove the 21-year-old World Number 1 to develop his own grips together with Sensus. The Emil signature grip set uses the same classic Swayze pattern with a whole new feel, more grip, incorporating his ideas and putting emphasis on all the small, but important details. The grips are available now in black or gum.

Being picky and precise is not a weakness – quite the contrary, especially when it comes to components. Often overlooked, grips are one of the most vital parts on a bike, when it comes to safe, comfortable and controlled riding and may even enhance one’s performance:“Grips are the only direct contact points I have with my bike. Other contact points are the seat and pedals, but I have clothing or shoes in between which takes away from the feel. I want to have the best possible performance out of the grips… solid, but not so hard they tear your hands apart, I spend hours on top of hours holding onto my bar and I want that experience to be comfortable while still not missing out on performance. After a lot of testing, this is the grip we made. I’ve been running them for a couple of months now and it is the best grip I ever had, without question. I can’t wait for people to try them out!” – Emil Johansson

“Emil is in a league of his own. Creating this signature model to get Emil his dream grip, just the way I created my own dream grip 10 years ago, is going to speak for itself, making this the most sought-after single-ply grip on the market. It’s perfect.” – Cam Zink, Sensus Founder and Owner

For more information please visit: https://www.thesensus.com/shopgrips/emj

Keep up with Emil Johansson’s activities here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johanssoemil/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johanssoemil/
Website: https://www.emilmtb.com/

Thomas Genon: The Art of MTB

Last year Tommy G teamed up with French photographer and Red Bull Illume winner JB Liautard for a very special photography project. Their goal was to produce a series of really spectacular and outstanding pictures with Tommy G in the focus, with a twist: No classical bike action shots, but photographs with an artful approach. The now published behind-the-scenes clip gives a unique insight into the creative mind of this Belgian-French-combo.

 

Photography Highlights from “The Art of MTB”:

“It’s been quite a while that we know each other. JB has been killing it in the last years and his pictures always stand out to me. I saw him work with our friend Paul Couderc. Those pictures were awesome but nobody had a clue how they made it happen. That lead me to the idea of calling him and we quickly jumped into this project. Pictures are great and very complicated to take. There so much happening behind the scenes, the lights, the spot, the trick,… and JB had so many greats ideas and that got me really motivated to try something different!” – Thomas Genon

“The most difficult one was the water droplets picture. It took me a whole year to understand how to make the concept work perfectly. I did some tries with other riders earlier this year but the setup wasn’t good enough and I didn’t have any result. We did this picture at the end of a big day of shooting so it was also a physical and mental challenge to wait for the perfect picture when everyone wanted to go home and sleep.” – JB Liautard

For more information about this extraordinary project and a lot more awesome photographs please visit:

https://mtb.shimano.com/en/discover/the-art-of-mtb

Follow Thomas Genon:

Facebook: ThomasGenonMTB
Instagram: thomasgenon
YouTube: Thomas Genon

Follow JB Liautard:

Facebook: jbliautardphotography
Instagram: jbliautard
Website: www.jbliautard.com

All Pictures by JB Liautard

Danny MacAskill – Behind the Scenes of The Slabs

Danny MacAskill’s most recent video project The Slabs has travelled around the world and already hit over 2 million views. Time to tell a bit more about the ups and downs, the efforts and struggles the crew took on during those two production days out in the very remote Cuillins on the Isle of Skye. The Behind the Scenes video shows sketchy slab riding on wet rock, mountain bikers becoming rock climbers, drone crashes, lost GoPro’s and lots more. Check out the Behind the Scenes:

 

We’ve asked Danny, Robbie Meade (Director / We are Peny), Duncan Shaw (Producer) some questions and here’s what they said.

Danny, while in most of your projects we see you trying certain tricks for more than 500 times, this time failing and falling wasn’t really an option. What was the difference in terms of mindset when you were standing on the top and looking down the Slabs?

Danny: It was definitely a bit different to what I am used to. In some ways the riding was scarier as the consequences were high but I was also pretty confident in my ability and bike to get down safely

Riding the Slabs, did you have any falls or critical moments at all?

Danny: There were a couple of little falls on the Slabs, mostly at the start of the first day of filming. The only other scary moment was on the final section which was by far the steepest. On the end of the first day, it started raining and I momentarily lost grip, but luckily I was able to get my foot down in time and grind to a halt. 

Of course you are always somehow involved in the production but this time you were directing the project together with Robbie Meade. How did this go and would you love to do it more often? Is that maybe even something you see yourself doing after your professional career?

Danny: I have been working with Robbie Meade for years now, and he has directed / filmed many of my videos in the past. We have a great relationship and as he is a rider too, he really understands things from my perspective. We are always texting each other different ideas so we will for sure be working together on some new stuff in the future. 

Robbie, what was your first thought when you saw the face and Danny’s line the first time for real/on location?

Robbie: My first thoughts seeing the slabs was an immediate worry for how do we get everyone up there. I’m used to climbing and typically something like this with that amount of camera kit you’d probably use ropes to get up. Once we overcame getting up that’s when I had the realization that Danny had to ride down that face and we’d have to watch – definitely nerve-wracking. Myself and Duncan couldn’t watch the final run down.

What was the biggest challenge from your perspective being a director?

Robbie: The biggest challenge of this project other than Danny’s riding was probably deciding on the song. With the drone angles we wanted to use we were forced into having longer takes to do the riding justice and needed a song with the right timing to allow these to fit. On the slabs themselves everything ran fairly smooth.

What is the difference in shooting a project entirely with GoPro and how do you approach that? 

Robbie: It’s really fun working on projects filmed 100% with GoPro.. It gives you a chance to shoot something in a different way and get creative with angles. You don’t have the option of swapping out the focal lengths to bring the viewer closer to the riding so you have to find ways to move the camera with the action and get it in the right position to capture those non POV angles. Look forward to work on more projects like this!

Duncan, you join Danny on most of his projects. What was your role during the production?

Duncan: This one was a little different. We had made some big plans for a separate filming project. Unfortunately as it involved traveling we had to cancel yet and quickly shifted our focus to this one on pretty short notice. The main things I had to sort out was arranging the crew, logistics and making sure everyone had what they needed to make the film as good as possible. 

Was this the most intimidating project to watch? 

Duncan: I have seen Danny do some crazy things over the years but this was definitely the hardest to watch. The exposure of the lines were so crazy, there was just no room for error but at the same time I was pretty confident Danny was going to make it. 

Did you give it a try yourself or did you even think about it?

Duncan: I did jump on Danny’s bike at some of the “easier” parts to get a feel but I didn’t try any of the super steep stuff. I would love to try some riding like this but would definitely want to start on some easier stuff. 

Follow Danny:

Danny’s Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/dannymacaskill
Danny’s website: www.dannymacaskill.co.uk
Danny’s Facebook Fanpage: www.facebook.com/DannyMacAskill
Danny’s Instagram profile: www.instagram.com/danny_macaskill
Danny’s Twitter account: www.twitter.com/danny_macaskill

Pictures: Dave Mackison

Gabriel Wibmer partners with Neoh snack bars

Gabriel Wibmer is pleased join the NEOH family and thus always have a snack ready for in between to give him an energy boost. The only hunger he will fell from now on, will be the hunger for new for trails and new tricks.

Next to Gabriel Wibmer, Germany’s third largest influencers Lisa and Lena, as well as German national football player Jonathan Tah, and many more are convinced of the NEOH bars and their philosophy. The NEOH products are particularly characterized by their low sugar and high protein. They contain 1 gram of sugar, which is around 90% less sugar compared to sweets such as a conventional chocolate bar. 

Furthermore the Vienna-based company chose Gabriel Wibmer and the influencers Lisa and Lena to star in their first TV commercials. The spots have been running since February 1st on German TV stations of the Pro7 group as well as on YouTube and social media in the DACH region. From spring on, the spots are also to be broadcast on Austrian television.

Gabriel Wibmer: “When I’m riding my bike, I often forget to eat something and then usually get really hungry after a while and can no longer concentrate as well. Therefore, working with NEOH is very suitable for me. They have exactly the right product for moments like these.”

Alex Gänsdorfer, NEOH CMO and Co-Founder: “Like Gabriel on his bike, NEOH is breaking new ground, too. We stand for the new way of snacking – no sugar and no regrets. Based on this philosophy  we have been looking for a young, aspiring athlete and found Gabriel, who knows how to bring the fun of sport to a broad, young and nutrition-conscious audience.”

NEOH:
Webseite: www.neoh.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/neoh
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/neohworld

Gabriel Wibmer:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Gabriel-Wibmer
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wibmergabriel
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/Gabriel_Wibmer
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/wibmergabriel

 

Picture: Lukas Dürnegger

Johny Salido’s Freeride Fiesta is in full swing

Johny Salido’s Freeride Fiesta is on and in full swing. Here you can get some first impressions of the event in Guadalajara, that gathered the world’s best freeriders in Mexico. The clip below demonstrates that Freeride Fiesta already achieved its main goal: The riders are having a good time and enjoy being able to send some huge jumps after such a long time again. Stay tuned for more!

Johny Salido:
Facebook:  JuanDiegoSalido
Instagram: johnysalido
YouTube:   Johny Salido

Freeride Fiesta:
Instagram: freeridefiesta

Behind the Scenes of Tomomi Nishikubo’s Ride to Survive

Two months ago, Japanese trials rider Tomomi Nishikubo has amazed audiences around the globe with his spectacular and funny YouTube hit “Ride to Survive”. In the behind-the-scenes video, the 28-year-old MTB Pro demonstrates how much hard work and time actually went into this project. Despite all the sweat, the countless attempts, fails and setbacks Tomomi’s crew never lost their spirit or importantly their sense of humor. From the “Chiba Bike Trial Club” in the woods of Chiba, the shores of Kanagawa and a remote island off the Japanese coast, Tomomi and his team filmed over seven months from early May to November to make the project a reality.

We have asked Tomomi a few questions about Ride to Survive and the making-of process that documented in the now released behind-the-scenes clip:

How did you get the idea for the video? 

I always talk to my friends about possible next projects. That’s actually where the idea of riding on an uninhabited island comes from. The ideas for the tricks come from my sketch book. I always have it with me and write down what comes to my head.

How many attempts did it take to nail the tricks? 

Most tricks took us between 50 and 200 attempts. But sometimes I took only few takes! It always depends on the weather, the sun light and my personal condition.

Which trick was the most difficult?

The front flip from the slackline was the most difficult trick. It’s a world-first trick. So there is no guideline, no example… I had to imagine everything about how my body and the bike will move and interact with the slackline system. It took us all day to build up and test the slackline system. I made this trick after several attempts the next day.

What was the most difficult part?

The hardest part of this project was definitely that I had to build all sections by myself. That’s how we spent most of our time. Shooting depended strongly on the weather, particularly the ground conditions. We needed two sunny days before we could start to film.

What was the most fun part? 

Fishing by rear wheel was the most fun part of the shoot. I actually fished a real fish with my fishing rod. I couldn’t stop laughing. Of course, I ate it and it was the most delicious fish I have ever eaten! Hahaha!

Tell us a little about your crew? 

It was filmed by 2 camera men and one photographer. So many friends helped with the setup and the building for the tricks. Daisuke, the first videographer is a mountain bike filmmaker and we also used to ride together.The second videographer, Jidai, is a young travel filmmaker. He is currently living the van-life around Japan. Naoki is the photographer who always works with me. I want to say huge thanks to everyone!

Follow Tomomi on Social Media:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tomomi_nishikubo/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TomomiNishikubo
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tomomi_nishikubo
Website: https://rasoulution.com/athletes/tomomi-nishikubo/

Pictures: Naoki Morita

Danny MacAskill tackles steep rock slabs at home on Isle of Skye

Trials and mountain bike rider Danny MacAskill just released his new video The Slabs and once again amazes us with riding we’ve never seen before. After hitting the Gym about a year ago with his trials bike the Scotsman now opts for the mountain bike and explores new terrain back home in the Cuillins on the Isle of Skye. Inspired by some of the world best climbers and their dedication Danny came up with the idea of hitting some rock slabs himself. Danny takes us on an intense and nerve-wracking ride down the rocky and insanely steep slabs. Awesome drone and POV perspective filmed on GoPro only, offer a fascinating onboard experience.

“It really felt so natural to be up on these faces on the edge of cliffs cycling down completely in control and fully trusting my brakes, my tires and the rest of my bike – and of course myself. It’s all about believing in your own skills and it was a cool experience out there and I really loved the feeling of it.” – Danny MacAskill

 

Follow Danny online:

Danny’s Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/dannymacaskill
Danny’s website: www.dannymacaskill.co.uk
Danny’s Facebook Fanpage: www.facebook.com/DannyMacAskill
Danny’s Instagram profile: www.instagram.com/danny_macaskill
Danny’s Twitter account: www.twitter.com/danny_macaskill

 

Pictures: Dave Mackison