Tom Cardy at New Haven Pump Track in the U.K.

British mountain bike rider Tom Cardy lays down some smoking laps, and a few tricks, at the Newhaven pump track, in the U.K.  

Disclaimer

I just went looking for an amazing pump track to show in this blog, and this popped up at the top on YouTube search results.  Tom calls Newhaven "the best pump track he has ever ridden."  OK, I've never been to the U.K., but I looked it up, and Newhaven is on the coast, south of London, and east of Brighton.  This video is from June 2020, so it's not brand new.  But he's doing several lines and transfers, manuals, and this video shows what pump track riding is all about.  With video and narration by what I assume is his girlfirend, Tom tears this track up, and even finds a place to backflip.  The video is shot with a mix of single camera footage, GoPro POV, and some drone footage as well.  Great video showing the potential of this well designed pump track.  His YouTube channel is "Tom Cardy," so check it out.  

Here's a shot of the pump track and skatepark at Newhaven pulled of Google Maps, to show you the layout.  

MTB trails and urban free riding in Japan- Ayato Kimura

You Tube tossed this video at me, first thing this morning.  Great MTB freeride video featuring Ayato Kimura, from Japan, who I've never heard of, until now.  It starts with some trails riding then jumps into urban free ride and trials riding.  Tight and fast paced, good solid mountain bike video to get you amped to go ride.  The spots are somewhere in Japan, ask Ayato if you're over there.  

Disclaimer

After seeing this video on YouTube, then putting out this blog post, first thing this morning, I went back to Ayato's YouTube channel, Ayato Kimura, and watched everything on his channel.  There are a couple of shorts and five longer videos, from before the one above.  This kid in Japan is only 17-years-old, he's a huge fan of Fabio Wibmer, and he has improved a lot in the past several months.  His earlier videos are more of rough cuts, often with a few tries at a trick.  He blends skills to ride trails at speed, jump big, and full blown MTB and 20 inch trials riding.  He's also got some major huevos, and does a couple of amazing gap jumps in the earlier videos.  This video above, "Keep it Wild," is his first professionally produced video, and, like I said above, it's incredible.  It looks like he just got sponsored by Specialized Japan, in the past month or two, probably, while still in high school.

Ayato Kimura appears to be a young and hungry rider who will blow up in the next couple of years to a Danny Macaskill or Fabio Wibmer level.  He's going big and doing tech already, and he's got some incredible terrain to practice on in his hometown area.  Keep an eye on this kid.