When he got the call from SilverStar to tear down the Beautiful Idiot
line and replace it with one of his ground-breaking kinetic sculptures, Matt MacDuff jumped at the opportunity to challenge himself and push the
scene at the Vernon, BC bike park.
As it always is, his vision was a hell of a lot bigger in reality than it
ever was in his mind ... but there’s only one way to get out when you’re
in over your head: You dig.
Through the 40 degree-plus mid-summer heat, Matt stepped up with his
excavator and trusty steel wrist bucket quiver for a fresh take on bike
park runs.
“For this build, I was really inspired by Winter terrain park design. The
number and severity of injuries in snow parks seems to be a lot lower
than on some of the big air lines in bike parks, so I wanted to work that
in; so people could actually go as big as they wanted, but still stay
(relatively) safe.” Matt said.
If you know Matt, safe isn’t typically a word that floats to the top of
his vocabulary list.
His appetite for progression in a build, his riding,
and the consequences of that ambition are well documented – and every
project takes on its own mix of forward-thinking sports psychology, knowhow
and elbow grease.
Huckleberry Hits came together over a marathon series of ten 12-hour
days, and 90% of the work was a one-man-and-machine job.
The end result:
a ripping concoction of flow and hangtime with a side of risk management,
designed to elevate and satiate.
“I also added a “Go Pro” line, so buddies can ride down beside and film a
run right next to them. It can also be used as a flow line for riders who
are still getting used to the speed but aren’t ready for the size of
these jumps.”
Building stacks of stoke, leading the way for the next generation –
blurring the lines between consequence and progression, adding yet
another rung to Matt’s evolutionary trail-building ladder.
MATT'S FAVORITES:
Directed by: Brody Jones
Cinematography by: Brody Jones & Kadison Pelletier
FPV: Kadison Pelletier
Photography: Ben Schleith
Edit: Brody Jones
Sound Design: Keith White Audio
Special thanks: Mark Knight, Ben Byers, SilverStar Bike Park