Video: California Dreaming With Kyle Jameson

Just in time for hump day, we’ve had a lovely swag of photos and a superb video turn up from Scott Sports. This story is the fifth edition of Scott’s ‘Chasing Trail’ series, which focusses on a handful of their sponsored athletes, and the life they’ve carved around a career of mountain biking. For Episode Five, Scott have followed Kyle Jameson, who has been a sponsored freeride mountain biker for twenty years. You can read about Kyle’s story below, then kick back and soak up some amazing riding scenery in a neat video that Scott have put together. Enjoy!

A dirt-eating grin from Scott freerider, Kyle Jameson.

Freerider Kyle Jameson started riding almost 20 years ago, and he’s been on a SCOTT bike for fully half of his career. During that time, he’s ridden countless events around the world, shoveled literally tons of dirt to build fresh lines for bike parks and jump jams, and he’s coached hundreds of riders every summer at Whistler gravity camps. One of the most humble, authentic, and sincere riders you’ve ever met, KJ has slowly made an unforgettable name for himself on the scene.

Dirt, sweat, and trails.

Not too many people stay with a sponsor for 10 years, not that I can think of. It’s kind of a special thing. Usually, people jump around and all that because they’re trying to get a better deal or more money. But it wasn’t always about the money and the sponsors for me. It was more about actually riding the bikes and having fun, and you know, I would always find money in different ways, such as building bike parks and coaching ride camps. It’s definitely something very special to be with SCOTT for that long.

ROOST BABY! Kyle Jameson sends the drift through a beautiful Santa Cruz corner, sending roost every which-way.

I got my first mountain bike in 1998. I was in 5^th grade. So I got into mountain biking, but I didn’t really have too much mountain biking action where I was living, which was in Davis, California. So I found the summer gravity camps up here in Whistler, because I started watching mountain bike videos.

To our UK readers – this is what’s referred to as “Dry Mud”. And Kyle Jameson’s rear tyre has a habit of finding lots of it.

I wanted to go, but my mom couldn’t take me, so she saved up and sent me up there at a young age. I realised that I really wanted to be riding mountain bikes and my eyes were really opened to the scene, how cool it was up in Whistler, and I was hooked.

Sometimes it don’t always go according to plan. Pushing the limits will always result in those limits being crossed from time to time.

I made it up back up to camp here for a couple years, and when I turned 18 I knew I was ready to start coaching and teaching these kids how to ride bikes. At that time, I kind of had a bit of a wake behind me. I’d been working on riding, trying to progress my skills, and I met Adrian from SCOTT here at Whistler while I was riding and hanging out.

Give a man a fish and you can feed him for a day. Give Kyle Jameson a mountain bike, and he will find speed and style in a way you hadn’t thought possible.

He instantly told me that I was perfect for what he was looking for: a young kid to grow with the company. SCOTT had a very small presence at the time in North America, and that’s exactly what I wanted at the time too. I wanted to grow with the company. I didn’t want to have quick, short relationships. So it all worked out perfectly.

Classic Santa Cruz. Enormous redwood trees, soft loamy soil, and chunky rubber treads ripping turns like a snowboarder down a new fall line.

I’ve had SCOTT behind me for a long time, and I really wanted to progress. I figured coaching would be a great way to be on a bike, getting people stoked on the bikes, and at the same time I get to give back to the next generation. Which is super cool to me! And I could make cash which I needed, to keep up the lifestyle.

Sinking it in deep on a soft off-camber corner. Kyle Jameson carves in the rear tyre like its powder day on the trails.

The Fest series has gotten me re-stoked and fired up to stay relevant in the mountain bike scene. For a while there, the slopestyle scene had kind of taken a turn and the freeride scene was kind of dying off, and I couldn’t see a place for me and my riding. Then the Fest series came about.

Ripping in the dust and getting loose through the turns. Kyle Jameson dabs the foot as his front tyre drifts a little too quickly.

One of my buddies who formulated it made it into more of a media event, and it’s perfect for what I want to be doing. It re-stoked my fire. I do five events per year, all around the world. As well as putting my head down and doing my own event here in California, which is the Cruz Fest.

One tree. One bike. One rider. Many, many lines.

It’s raised awareness for building jumps and hanging out with your buddies. It’s not about first, second, or third. It’s about the good vibes and creating something with your friends. We film it to show the world what we’re doing, and it has sparked awareness of that kind of riding. Building jumps with your buddies, or loading up in a van with your buddies to ride the nearest trail. It’s just mountain biking. It’s cool.

When you see shots like this, it’s no surprise why Kyle Jameson loves doing what he does.

If you enjoyed reading about Kyle Jameson’s journey through his mountain biking career, then you’re going to love this video. Put together in association with Scott Spots, Episode Five of Chasing Trail gives us a glimpse into the life of a pro freerider and the constant search to find new trails, new lines and new limits. Get yourself a cup of tea, or a bottle of beer, then sit back and relax, and enjoy the show!