Ever since taking third as an unknown at the Red Bull Rampage cliff-jumping
contest, ‘Bear Claw’ has almost single-handedly radicalised freeride mountain
biking by bringing BMX stunts like spins, hand grabs, and no-hands seat grabs
to an already extreme sport.
With signature moves like the Superman Seat Grab Indian Air (flying through the air, feet off the pedals, bike out in front, one hand on the bars), he won both the 2003 Joyride Slopestyle Expression Session, in Whistler, and the 2004 Monster Park Slopestyle Invitational, in Marquette, Michigan.
A film star too, his segments have redefined what's possible with two knobby tyres and eight inches of travel. He pulled a 360 off a 25-foot cliff in New World Disorder IV: Ride the Lightning, and clears a 50-foot jump over a canyon in France in Disorderly Conduct. In 2004 he won the Best Air and Best Performance categories at the BIKE Magazine Video Awards and Reader Poll. He was named one of the ‘25 Coolest People Now’ by Outside Magazine in December. He is so talented he pulls double-duty for Specialized Bicycles, appearing on both its Freeride and BMX Teams.
