There’s a gathering of incredible global mountain bike talent in Stellenbosch right now. Darkfest 2023, presented by Monster Energy is on from 17-22 April at Hellsend. The star-studded line-up includes many of the world’s best free-ride and slopestyle riders and the big hype is around the new 110-foot (33.5-metre) jump, considered the biggest mountain bike jump in the world.
By Sean Badenhorst
Darkfest is not a competition, it’s a mountain biking jam session that lasts a week, but which creates compelling media content that lasts as long the algorithms allow. Average South African mountain bikers cannot even comprehend this style of mountain biking, so it remains a fairly niche event that attracts a few hundred fans, mostly young or young at heart.
Let’s face it, most of us avoid jumps or dabble in small-to-medium sized jumps and feel like kings and queens when we stick a decent landing. The Darkfest riders do everything big. Actually massive. Each year, there’s something fresh to look forward to. Last year, it was the addition of women at Darkfest. This year, it’s the extension of the 90-footer to 110 feet. In metres, that’s one-third of a rugby field.
It’s not just the distance though, it’s the height the riders attain to clear that distance that’s not only ridiculous, but super high-risk. And it’s the high-risk level of every single feature on the Darkfest jump line that makes this event truly spectacular. The women are back too – more of them!
The event is organised by Englishman, Sam Reynolds and Austrian, Clemens Kaudela, both participants themselves. Top riders from around the world are invited and they start off by hitting the ‘safer’ jumps to get into a rhythm and build their confidence for the bigger or higher-risk jumps. They then execute moves that include Backflips, Double backflips, Frontflips, Nothing airs, Suicide no-handers, Tuck no-handers, T-bogs, Three-sixtys, Tailwhips, Can-cans, Nack-Nacks and more.
But the camaraderie between the riders starts building when they arrive. They all stay in one big house on the property and begin to bond as a rather elite community, through hair colouring or cutting zany styles, getting fresh tattoos, hitting golf balls, swimming and generally letting go to get into that psychological groove that leads to some of the most insane bicycle feats ever performed.
The Darkfest jump line isn’t open to the public to ride and it’s only really revived three weeks before the event each year. That also makes this event pretty unique. We (TREAD Media) attended Darkfest for the first time last year. Here’s what we came away with.
WHY DARKFEST MATTERS TO SOUTH AFRICA
SEVEN REASONS DARKFESET BLEW OUR SOUTH AFRICAN MINDS
We’ll be there again this year and are looking forward to seeing more riders, the progression of the women and someone clearing that massive 110-footer!
If you aren’t follower or fan of free-ride or slopestyle mountain biking, the riders names will mean little to you. However, we can confirm that this is the most impressive field ever assembled at Darkfest.
Darkfest Men’s Rider line up:
Sam Reynolds (GB)
Clemens Kaudela (AUT)
Sam Hodgson (GB)
Kade Edwards (GB)
Kaos Seagrave (GB)
Ike Klaassen (ZAF)
Theo Erlangsen (ZAF)
Bienvenido Aguado (ESP)
Nicholi Rogatkin (USA)
Szymon Godziek (POL)
Daniel Ruso (AUT)
Elias Ruso (AUT)
Tom Isted (GBR)
Adolf Silva (ESP)
Reed Boggs (USA)
Matt MacDuff (CAN)
Graham Agassiz (CAN)
Daryl Brown (GBR)
Thomas Lemoine (FRA)
Paul Couderc (FRA)
Matt Jones (GBR)
Johny Salido (MEX)
Darkfest Women’s Rider line up:
Vero Sandler (GBR)
Casey Brown (CAN)
Chelsea Kimball (USA)
Robin Goomes (NZL)
Vinnie Armstrong (NZL)
Harriet Burbidge Smith (AUS)
Vea Verbeeck (CAN)
There are limited spectator tickets available, starting from R220. Click on this link to buy your ticket and also read all the information about the event to ensure you get maximum enjoyment from it.
