Firstly, great bloke who is measurably good at riding bikes.
However the Pinkbike/Vital/Facebook commenters worship him as a god, and I cant work out why.
He isn't dominating (like Schurter, Rachel Atherton, T-Mo), instead wins by consistency, only winning one race last year.
He isn't extremely attractive (like Emily Batty, Greg Minaar) and therefore doesn't get all the hashtag Oakley sunglasses social media presence.
He doesn't put out sick edits (Fairclough, Ratboy)
He isn't on the 'in' bike (Santa Cruz, Yeti)
Doesn't give off the my job is a year long party vibe (Rat boy, Syndicate)
Isn't the same nationality as a large number of his fans (Gwinn)
And most of the previous retired DH guys (Voullioz, Graves) that win EWS races get the sport mocked as a retirement home for has beens.
And finally he still seems to be best known for crashing on the final corner of a race while in the lead. (and while wearing a lycra skin suit)
Again, nothing against him and wish him as many congratulations as any other race winner, but don't get where he picked up so many fanatics? Any off-the-bike or personality things I've missed?
Very quiet, quite shy and a top bloke, bumped into him a few times last year and he just does his thing.
That and he can go inside any inside line anywhere.
As a flat pedal rider I love his riding style and line choices. Just watch him corner, right on the ragged edge, but seemingly still in control.
I was racing a BDS up at Innerliethen a few years back, after my inauspicious race run, watched the Elites come down the hill, down in the bottom corners, everyone else rode round them, Sam jumped the lot. Its that kind of creative line choice, I didn't see anyone else ride it all weekend, and he likely hadn't practiced it or someone else would have spotted it!
Mainly, because he looks so good riding a bike.
There was an article on MBR called something like, "kids, here's ten reasons why your dad loves Sam hill" that'll explain it.
Were you following world cup downhill when Sam started winning? He had the kind of runs that left the worlds best riders scratching their heads. When he won he didn't just squeak it, he absolutely smashed it.
His outrageous line choice and two wheel drifting made everyone else look like a bunch of 'cyclists'.
Plus his winning streak coincided with the arrival of live streaming so you could witness his terrifying speed with Rob Warner screaming over the top of it. Exciting times.
He raised the bar to the level of putting your life on the line for the ultimate run and sometimes he paid the price for it. But he paved the way for balls-to-the-wall pinners like Danny Hart.
And now, he's ten years older, switched disciplines and is still riding like an absolute wild man. Plus, yeah he's proper sound having bumped into him a couple of times.
He has a really dry sense of humour, I think very little he says is actually serious, but he doesn't draw attention to it, they are just throw away of the cuff remarks.
He's an exciting rider to watch. You never quite know what he'll do. He has style on the bike, rides on the edge all the time and off the bike is supremely laid back. He goes against the grain and proves the flat pedal doubters wrong.
What's not to like?
Surprised you have to ask but...
1. He's incredibly creative and stylish on his bike (without throwing whips all the time).
2. He's now had two amazing comebacks, winning World Cup DH races again when everyone thought he was done and then winning the EWS.
And most of the previous retired DH guys (Voullioz, Graves) that win EWS races get the sport mocked as a retirement home for has beens.
Also just spotted that load of crap, I wouldn't ever describe Graves as retired, or a downhiller https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Graves
He is a superb athlete who has success in every discipline from XCO, 4x, DH and Enduro
A few things stand out about Sam these days, first the number of Iron Horse sundays (all welded up) still around on Australian uplift trailers
When he went over to Norway for the World Champs where Bryceland smashed his ankle the rest of the CRC boys came over with him even though they were not selected to be around for him.
His balls to get back on to DH to qualify for the World Champs in Cairns in the middle of winning EWS, the cheer as he went over the line was immense.
Sending it on the trail bike through the cairns course with mm perfect precision
One of my mates knows the Sram Aus boys and the tales are fun
Disproportionate attention for a multiple world champion?
If your asking the question you have already missed out on so much he has done. Just move along.
If you're going to attack an EWS rider, don't pick someone who is absolutely killing it against much younger guys. Maybe pick someone who has a Redbull TV series about them, yet can't seem to get in the top 50!
I’m not sure it’s all the disproportionate. If you were watching back in the Iron Horse days he was just amazing. He rode the wheels off it, but it was a beautifully controlled aggression, other WC riders were confident, he rode with a certain disdain for the track ha ha.
10 years later he’s still just sublime to watch - he’s featured in a vid now from the last EWS in Chille, still on flats, still tearing up the trail.
Because his name is hill and he is good downHILL.
Because of the things you last, not despite them.
(or the other way round?)
First EWS of the season, at the weekend, 3 stage wins and 3 second places not to bad for an also ran!
I feel the love is justified.
PS. plus he just gets on with the job, very workman like to no fanfare, although he is a legend.
It's the lines, the bloke rides some bonkers lines, stuff other pro's either don't see or think is possible.
That and he seems like a really down to earth likeable family guy who turns up on a weekend and smokes everyone (I know he's really very dedicated blah blah blah, but without all the media it never feels like it's as obvious as others).
Who was that Aussie guy Hill used to ride with whilst on iron horse? Think he grew a mad moustache and looked a bit like red neck but was proper fast.
It's not all Sam Hill but bear in mind when he started no one else significant rode flats and 5.10's were climbing shoes that once made a small batch of trainers for the Intense team. He wasn't just competitive, he won on them and by sometimes huge margins.
Iron Horse and the Sunday went down the whole longer/lower/slacker rabbit hole 10+ years before the geometron (especially if you got the factory version of the frame and fitted a slackset).
If this was 10 years ago you'd be asking "what has Steve Peat ever done to deserve the adulation", now 30-somethings who remember Sam are the ones who can afford £3k bikes.
And Nathan Rennie's moustache!
I'd agree with it not being disproportionate - Hill is akin to Rossi in that every time he races, regardless of the result, there'll be a moment of utter "how the **** did he do that" genius. Add in the fact he can win through consistency and impeccable racecraft while others peak then blow up, plus is a genuinely nice guy (we spent some time with him at Fort Bill last year) and clearly loves his wife and kids very much, and you can see why he's so loved. Fast, cool, unworldly skill and a decent human too.
Can't see anything not to love tbh.
Who was that Aussie guy Hill used to ride with whilst on iron horse? Think he grew a mad moustache and looked a bit like red neck but was proper fast
Nathan Rennie?
Curtis Keene has an ews programme there but it's sort of him fronting red bulls ews athlete highlights some great ones (especially the Sam's lines one where they are all in admiration of him) another top bloke though great sense of humour and very grounded
Because of displays of brilliance like, well that run....
@gachet why attack anyone?
Sam is an utter legend but On Track has done a huge amount to raise the profile of EWS - it is what got me into it and will always have a soft spot for Curtis as a consequence
I think it's because he quietly gets on with it and isn't plastered all over social media.
Always amazing to watch - ride's it like he stole it.
That run at last years World Champs on the Mega was awesome - no one could touch him until the last few fast guys started down the hill.
OP - you’re taking the piss - aye?
Sam's a legend because he has that elusive cool factor going on that people like Steve McQueen had going on. Hart doesn't have it, Gee certainly doesn't have it, Gwins bible bashing at the end of each run rules him out. Whilst everyone else jump on bandwagons when they see their close competitors rocking some equipment that is a bit different, because they are scared that they might lose a few milliseconds, Sam just rides what works best for him. Flat pedals, smaller wheels and shorter reach. That's a bit rock and roll.
His interview after his Champery win, where he said they don't have rain in Australia so rode as if it were dry - with that shit eating grin of his - cemented it.
I think it’s because he quietly gets on with it and isn’t plastered all over social media.
Stories on instagram is where it's at!! @samhill13
Dunno about the shorter reach (though this is obviously going back a few years and pre-dates the move towards longer bikes) - his Sunday’s were the length of a Large with the seat tower of a Medium and 2 deg slacker in HA than stock.
His riding back then was like a different sport altogether from everyone else riding the same courses.
Rennie, Bryn Atkinson and Hill were the Madcatz Ironhorse DH team. They rode the SGS DH bike. Hill went on to ride the Sunday for Ironhorse/Monster Energy.
Contrary to what someone earlier said. The Sunday was not particularly Long or slack for a DH bike when released in 2005/6. For ref: A medium Sunday had a H/A of 65deg. Reach of around 395mm and 1150mm wheelbase with a 13.9" BB. The previous years medium SGS was both longer and slacker but had quite a high BB (I had both of these bikes). Hill's SGS was modified (shockmount drilled lower) to drop his BB below 14" later he rode a custom Sunday front triangle an inch longer but with the seat tube from the Medium. No Ironhorse with this geometry was ever sold to the public. And they didn't ever make an XL.
By comparisson a geometron is miles longer, slacker and higher.
his custom frame had a reach of around 420mm.
Hill still doesn't ride a particularly long bike to this day.
Rennie was hugely talented. Junior world DH champion '99. and in elite won the 2003 world cup series overall. He also rode for Yeti and then went on to ride for Santacruz syndicate alongside Peaty before sort of throwing it away due to personal issues.
He's still around the Aussie scene.
Bryn retired from DH, married Jill kinter and those two are still doing their thing riding/racing various places around the world.
The OP has won Troll of the Year already
@timbog160 I actually enjoy Curtis Keene's programme, and I'm fine with him being some sort of ambassador for Red Bull, but his results aren't good enough for a factory ride at a top team.
Rennie was hugely talented. Junior world DH champion ’99. and in elite won the 2003 world cup series overall. He also rode for Yeti and then went on to ride for Santacruz syndicate alongside Peaty before sort of throwing it away due to personal issues.
He’s still around the Aussie scene.
I always wondered what happened to Rennie. He sort of disappeared off the scene, then a few years later a few vids appeared of him being interviewed and talking about making a come-back (possibly about the same time Shaun Palmer tried a come-back) but I never saw him again.
I don’t think he was really made for the ‘modern age’ he was the last of the riders who went for the party and the racing sort of got in the way. I don’t imagine he spent the off-season in the Gym anyway.
If you can find the full version of this it's a great watch and insight to the Australian scene in the run up to Stromlo WC on 09
Every few years someone comes along who is a gamechanger in the world cup dh scene and Sam Hill was that guy in the late 2000's. Nico did it back in the day and so did gwin in his trek years. He was also hugely competitive in the WC scene until very recently, winning two rounds in 2014 and was up on even Bryceland before he binned it at worlds that year.
That, along with Sam's completely unique riding style, flat pedals, two wheel drifts everywhere and the inside of inside lines makes him one of the most entertaining riders to watch. He's still doing that now, with the recent clip in Chile and in the Vital mtb vid from Aspen showing he's still got it (along with winning the ews last year..)
Every rider has their style, from Gwin's ploughing through the most direct line to Minnaar looking like he's on a hoverbike. Sam's though is one of the most entertaining, along with the likes of Danny he's one of those who look like he's on the edge all the time and will either crash or podium. His riding is the sort of thing everyone wishes they looked like.
I like the responses on this thread!
This thread is useless without Earthed 5.
🙂
Yeah that's the guy Rennie, I liked him more than hill. As above seemed to enjoy the lifestyle as much as racing.
"And most of the previous retired DH guys (Voullioz, Graves) that win EWS races get the sport mocked as a retirement home for has beens."
That pretty much stopped dead when current dh pros started turning up at EWSs and getting pumped. M
@timbog160 I actually enjoy Curtis Keene’s programme, and I’m fine with him being some sort of ambassador for Red Bull, but his results aren’t good enough for a factory ride at a top team
9 top 10 finishes in the EWS, 16 inside the top 20, out of 31 races suggests he is good enough for a top factory team
great shout with the earthed 5 clip. Astonishing riding. Plus Anton newcombe singing over the top 😀
I was going to say.... just go and watch Earthed etc and your question is answered.
Is it it the beginning of his section on Earthed 5 when he hucks a massive, and I mean massive, gap the camera man just says... “what the ****?”
Totally dumbstruck!
Look at the terrain he's riding at warp speed in the 'quebec' clip (as well as the narrow handlebars). Bonkers
@boardinbob and Keene came 24th in Chile which I would say is a pretty solid performance, only one behind Greg Callaghan, and a damned sight better than lots of other big names - Rude, Graves, Bryceland.
24th isn't exactly a great result. I don't know about the others, but Richie Rude had a couple of stage wins before a mechanical lost him several minutes. Rude is similar to Sam Hill, a massively talented rider who walks the walk, rather than talking the talk.
For the unpredictability of enduro I'd take a seasons result as an example rather than one race.
Always enjoyed watching him ride, although you could always know he was on the track even if you couldn't see the screen, as too often there would be a cry of "and he's binned it" and five would get you ten; it would be Hill. In fact the two rides his best known for; Cham in 2007 he crashed and came third despite being so faster than everyone, and the Champs at Val de Sole when he crashed on the last corner..
Sam hill is not that fast, when he was practising for the ews in finale last year i got to the bottom of the trail before him*
*I did have about a 20 minute head start, and then only finished about 30 seconds before he did.
So just to be clear - I'm neither a massive fan nor a hater of Sam Hill but looking at what i am reading it seems there is plenty to like:
Seems like a nice guy, not too loud or brash.
He's won a stack of races on different tracks all round the world, he's won a good few DH World Championships over a long period showing versatility and longevity, not to mention has 2 more where he crashed and lost it despite being faster than everyone else. Then he's switched discipline and been the champion again.
And if you see some of the comments from other pros about how good/nice/unbelievably fast he is that sort of convinces you that he's the real deal.
That's legend status in any sport to be fair isn't it?
Talking of that Keene Red Bull thing - they did a few minutes on Sam Hill in this episode.
Really worth the watch.
Hill makes an appearance at 3:04 and doesn't finish until 7:14
https://www.redbull.tv/video/AP-1RA3H8SZN1W11/the-rules-of-enduro?playlist=AP-1JYQCXBC12111:season:4
I think Hill has earnt the adulation - he's still bloody quick. He had a super successful DH career and often smoked the competition, leaving them scratching their heads as to how he did it. He's now switched to the EWS and is still winning despite being a bit older than some of the great white hopes, riding flats, smaller wheels on a bike that isn't super long or super low or super slack. Plus he seems like a good chap. He always looks good on the bike too.
Plus he's proof to all of those who ride flats that flats do indeed win medals!
However cool points need to be deducted for the use of hand guards!
It's nice that this thread has probably ended up generating more love - and even new fans - for Sam.
However cool points need to be deducted for the use of hand guards!
He's earned the right to race with a pink basket strapped to his handlebar if he wants too. Don't think he's bothered about being "cool" anyway.
However cool points need to be deducted for the use of hand guards!
I've got to admit, I would quite like those handguards on my bike - my local trails are mostly bordered by gorse and barely a spring/summer ride goes by without me having to extract multiple thorns out of my hands afterwards, and sometimes it takes days to get the buggers out. Handguards would be a massive benefit...if they weren't fifty odd quid a pair, I'd have them.
And that's partly because Sam Hill makes them cooler.
Not cool. But cooler!
The AVS handguards came out of the Riviera where there's loads of sharp bushes to chop hands up and grab brake levers. For an inside line specialist like Sam, they make more sense than for most people! Have a look at 2:14 here to get an understanding......
inside line specialist
This is what he should have printed on his business card.
I remember the days of "Hill can't pedal"
Then he wins the EWS😂
I believe he came 6th in the Aussie national XC champs a few months ago.
Not bad for some that couldn't pedal and whose career was supposedly finished.
I cant think of a racer I don't like on some level. They all bring something to the table and I'll always respect someone who takes the risks they do over such a typically short career. SH deserves all the praise he gets in my book.
<span class="bold">Men's Final Results</span>
1st. Sam HILL 18:01.99
2nd. Marcelo GUTIERREZ VILLEGAS +0:47.54
3rd. Damien OTON +1:11.03
Keeping himself relevant in Colombia
Brilliant riding from Hill again.
Watched the highlights and I think it was Melamed. Showed him tripoding down the trail and then being interviewed. He mentioned Hill had overtaken him. Then cuts to Hill absolutely destroying the trail Melamed was mincing down. So good.
<div class="bbp-reply-author">BoardinBob</div>
<div class="bbp-reply-content">
I remember the days of “Hill can’t pedal”
Then he wins the EWS😂"
</div>
When he was doing his Return To Downhill, someone- maybe it was Jones- asked him "Why are you doing enduro, didn't seem your thing" and he just replied flat out "It's fun, and I think I can be world champ" "Would you not say the same of downhill" "Well no"
Hill could always pedal though. It just wasn't as obvious because he was better at carrying speed than most
Melamed was mincing down
That was Wallner, Jesse ain't no mincer 😉
Did you see that inside line in the mud?
OK, there were probably several, but one in particular on the highlights video just showed a stunning amount of commitment and confidence.
He's basically the best rider in the world and he's lovin' it.
That was Wallner, Jesse ain’t no mincer
1 min 42 back says different. 😉
It’s nice that this thread has probably ended up generating more love – and even new fans – for Sam.
he has certainly converted me, the OP. I think him being an understated bloke means he has passed me by somewhat.
Thanks for everyone sharing the videos too, previously hadn't seen anything of the chap except race coverage/ post race interviews.
This does pose a new dilemma though, now he has won the first 2 races, who is the plucky underdog to cheer on?
The entire rest of the field, basically.
He’s basically the best rider in the world and he’s lovin’ it.
But so humble with it, which makes him eminently more likeable. Awesome rider in every way.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/official-highlights-video-ews-colombia-2018.html
Look at his line at 8.22 - catches the spectator hanging over the tape completely off guard, presumable because he's taken a different line to the 200 odd riders before him
That's the section I meant. In total control but right on the edge. Awe-inspiring.
that's the classic sam hill line of old
That Champéry run.
This does pose a new dilemma though, now he has won the first 2 races, who is the plucky underdog to cheer on?
Always lots to watch. Youn Deniaud has been the the one so far this season, and you've got Callaghan and Scott both within the top 10.
It'll be interesting to see if Hill is more conservative for the rest of the season. I see Rude, Maes and Dailly as the only riders likely to consistently beat him, but they've all had poor start to the season. It would take a DNF for him to lose the title now I think.
It’ll be interesting to see if Hill is more conservative for the rest of the season.
The common factor in Chile & Colombia seems to have been a big lack of grip, which probably explains Sam's dominance.
Next round is likely to be dry, as are the last four. So I expect the other top guys will be more on the pace. He'll be very hard to beat for the overall now, agreed.
To me its the way he just quietly get on with his business. He is clearly super talented and serious athlete who doesnt feel the need to shout about it all over social media or make endless videos to justify his meal ticket.
Ah, Sam Hill!
Firstly he rips up the preconceived rule book in DH. The gnarled old pros should have hated him at the time, but they couldn’t and they just sounded pretty awestruck and got on with getting better themselves.
He conducts himself brilliantly in interviews. Steve Jones irritates me as an interviewer (as a lot do). Generally Sam Hill tries to be modest but when he is pushed on “why do you think other riders can’t hold the lines you can?” he just goes “I dunno, you’ll have to ask them”.
So he doesn’t come across as a personality-less gym monkey, yet he also doesn’t come across as a total slacker. He wins, he makes it look easy, yet he works hard but doesn’t rub any else’s nose in it.