Ground Zero – Josh Bender

He’s perhaps the most controversial freerider in mountain biking history. He’s visionary. He’s iconic. He’s the reason Red Bull Rampage exists. He is Josh Bender.

The man who refers to himself in third-person put Virgin, Utah, on the map long before it became known as a freeride Mecca. With his trademark “huck and hope” mentality, hockey shoulder pads and a bizarre Karpiel 12in- travel bike, Bender blazed a path through the earliest days of freeriding, eventually putting out a segment in the New World Disorder video series that stands as one of the most influential of all time.

But Bender wasn’t all crashes and quotable quips – his talent went beyond big airs. He could snipe tricky landings, ride crazy fast and built many of the original Rampage-winning features that other riders used on their way to the podium.