All about Darkfest 2025: Elias Ruso gives a look behind the scenes of the airtime spectacle

BIKE: Elias, the 9th edition of Darkfest has just come to an end. Back home already?

Elias Ruso: Yes, I landed in Vienna yesterday and I already have the Darkfest blues, even though I didn't go. I already miss the good vibes.

You tore the cruciate ligament in your knee at the Freeride Fiesta in Mexico, but you went anyway. Why did you go?

The atmosphere there is simply amazing. I didn't want to miss it. Darkfest is the MTB event with the best vibes. Anyone who takes part will tell you that. Nobody wants to miss out on this highlight, not even me.

Your brother was on the rider list. I hadn't even seen him in the web edits.

He was there, but only for three days. Unfortunately, he injured his shoulder at the Masters of Dirt just before Darkfest. He went into full physio so that he could ride the "Masters of Dirt" shows again. But unfortunately he wasn't fit for Darkfest yet.

This year, the Darkfest course was expanded further. What was new?

The quarter pipe, directly to the left of the step-up, and the following transfer line were new and spectacular. So after the quarter you had to jump over the other line with a sharkfin jump. The construction crew had to contend with bad weather. More new construction was actually planned. Next year, for the 10th edition, there will certainly be more innovations. The anniversary should be crazy.

The new quarter looked exciting. But nothing could steal the show from the 110-foot monster jump. This became clear with Matt Jones. When one of the best freeriders says: "I could actually have fun here, but I can't because there's the 110. I don't want to jump it, but I have to jump it. It chokes me up."

Yes, Matt Jones wanted to break the 110 last year. But when he tried, it was too windy. And his chase for 110 continued this year. The poor guy suffered from the pressure he put on himself.

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Is the 110 still the biggest jump in the world in MTB sport?

The 110 is still the biggest jump in the world. Matt Jones even jumped a little too far - 35 metres. That's huge for a mountain bike. That's the jump that takes the most nerves. I experienced it first hand. Everyone who has jumped the 110 metres this year has experienced it: First maximum tension and then maximum happiness. It was the same for me last year.

I've also heard that Nico Vink's LooseFest claims to have the biggest jump in the world. What do you think?

The doubles in Belgium are definitely smaller, measuring between 25 and 28 metres. And the 110 at Darkfest measures 34 metres - that's a significant difference. But the step-down at LooseFest is huge and comes within two or three metres of the 110. But in terms of feeling, it's completely different when you fall downwards like on the drop and not into the distance like on the double.

How does it feel to be in the air during an XXL airtime jump?

You fly forever. We measured the speed with a radar gun. It's actually 75 km/h on the approach to the jump - and that's on a bike! That's pretty brutal. You're shot out like a cannonball. It's a crazy number, but the reward is all the greater for it.

You could see that: Everyone screams their heads off in jubilation afterwards.

Yes, the tension is released and you're just happy and delighted. (Laughs)

Only three riders jumped last year: Tom Isted, Bienvenido Alba and you. And this year?

Matt Jones, Matt McDuff, Theo Erlangsen, Tomas Lemoine, Clemens Kaudela, Allesio Tonoli - and they all pretty much shat themselves before the jump. But afterwards - and they all agreed on this - they had the biggest adrenaline rush they'd ever had. Everyone's nerves were shot - except perhaps for Bienvenido, who was jumping for the third year in a row.

Clemens Kaudela's 110 looked pretty confident, not like a nervous flutter. He also had the nerve for a style interlude. Is Clemens fully back after his Rampage dramas and injuries?

Yes, it took Clemens a while to get over the Rampage crashes. That certainly left a mental scar. I'm pleased that he has found his way back to his old form.

How exclusive is the 110 Club, who else is in it apart from the names mentioned?

(Laughs). There's a maximum of 12 of us in the 110 Club, I think. I can think of Sam Hodgson and Sam Reynolds.

What about riders like Brendan Fairclough or Talus Turk - they should be able to do the 110 too, right?

Certainly in terms of skill level. I suspect they had other goals for the week. Talus really wanted to stay uninjured, because he shattered his collarbone when he flatspin over the 90-footer last year. And Brendog simply enjoys his time at Darkfest, doesn't want to stress himself out and has other priorities with his family and the things he has going on. But I don't know exactly, that's my guess.

Tom Isted did a backflip over the 110 last year - unbelievable.

Yes, impressive. But he's not alone in the 110 pinball club. He's joined by Bienvenido Alba and Sam Hodgson. This year, only Bienve has flipped the 110.

This is the only 110 trick: the backflip?

Until now. Because the consequences are too severe. If there's just a little wind, it's dangerous as hell. The jump needs all the speed you can scrape together. Tomas Lemoine also had to realise this.

Why?

He didn't go full throttle and then he almost "tore both legs off while casening", to quote him. Because Tomas jumped too short. He is always the fastest and thought that he didn't have to race in at Vmax. He thought wrong.

Then he let it go?

No, the second time he drove at full throttle like the rest of us. With the 110, even the air density makes a difference. The air is denser in the morning. That's okay, thought Tom Isted and Carson Storch last year and flew too short; they both had to jump off in the air. The air resistance was too high and so they missed a distance of five metres. Carson unfortunately injured himself in the fall. Clemens Kaudela, Sam Reynolds and I are therefore in agreement - because I was chatting to the lads: The 110 is a jump you can only attempt in the evening.

Last year you became "King of Darkness", the most coveted title at Darkfest. This year, Matt MacDuff won the award. Why?

Interesting question. I was also a bit surprised because I would have seen Kaiden Ingersoll as King of Darkness. But maybe it was because Matt jumped the 110 and Kaiden didn't. Matt mastered a sick cork 720, if not a 360 flip on the step-up, rode confidently all week and showed that he lives and loves big air. But my personal choice would have been Kaiden.

What do you know about Kaiden Ingersoll?

A very young lad, just 19 years old. He grew up as an acrobat, was already riding a BMX at the age of three, spends eight hours a day on his bike and is Nicholi Rogatkin's protégé. Kaiden has a massive training programme. This is the new generation of mountain bikers. He came to Darkfest with such confidence that everyone was amazed. He never hesitated before a jump, even if he didn't do the 110. He will be right up there at the front in upcoming slopestyle and freeride events. The guy has big goals.

Which other driver has flashed you?

Alessio Tonoli, also known as Cornflakes - that's the Swiss BMX god who has been riding mountain bikes for a few years now. The guy is an absolutely sick machine. He's been riding bikes for 20 years and you can see that. He has dusted off the "Best Whip", because he pushes the bike 180 degrees, that's crazy. He rides without knee pads, only with a helmet, is completely loose on the road and has an incredibly beautiful style. I think this guy is unbeatable when it comes to best style. Finley Kirschenmann, 19 years old, from Salt Lake City or somewhere in Utah, was also really impressive. He's a sick freeride machine, has almost no sponsors, does the biggest cork 720s, superman seatgrabs, flatspins over every jump - completely insane. Together with Kaiden and Alesio, Finley Kirschenmann has stood out the most this year.

Everyone praises the perfectly shaped jumps at Darkfest. Which jump in the Darkfest course has the highest fun factor?

The step-up. As this is where most of the sessions take place, the wind doesn't play such a big role and is very forgiving. This is where everyone has the most fun. But in terms of the reward, the big jumps like the 110 are the most impressive. Once you've done it, you'll be walking around with a permanent grin on your face.

Last year, you and your brother attempted a double flip on a big bike in a "train", i.e. in close succession. Which got your pulse racing more - the stunt or the 110?

Much more with the 110. Much more! The double flip, on the other hand, is almost a sure thing. I might even have been able to pull it off, but Daniel didn't have enough speed and we both crashed. We actually wanted to do the stunt again, but had to leave early because of the start of the Masters of Dirt tour. Now injuries have put a spanner in the works, but next year we want to land the double flip train. The trick is high on our bucket list. But the 110 was much more intense in terms of the feeling of fear. I thought "Oh fuck!". Or fear is the wrong word, because you're more likely to think of panic and loss of control. It's more of a brutal tension.

A double flip with the big bike also seems pretty tough to me. Who can do that apart from you?

The big double-flip league includes Tom Isted, Adolf Silva, Bienve Alba, Tom van Steenbergen, the Argentinian Ian Batinio ...

So there are quite a few people who can do a double flip on a downhill bike.

8-10 dudes can do it.

What were the topics at Darkfest? Does Clemens Kaudela want to go to the Red Bull Rampage again? What did you talk about?

Exactly about that. I don't know if Clemens wants to go to the Rampage again because he has lots of other projects. But I hope he gets invited again. But it may well be that he won't. You know the Rampage organisers. Places are scarce and the Rampage circus is all about bringing in new riders. I also spoke to Brendog (Brendan Fairclough) about the Rampage. After the controversy surrounding his final run and the "bad" placing, he seems to have lost his appetite a little. I really liked his very different, creative approach, in my opinion an enrichment for the Rampage and a refreshing counterpoint to the big-trick trend. Brendog didn't sound like he wants to compete again this year, he says he's had enough of the monkey business. Too bad! We also talked about how important it is to find a new venue for the Rampage. Anything else would be a disaster. Because then the riders can only react with even bigger tricks and then at some point it becomes too dangerous. You could already see that last year with Tom van Steenbergen, who said to himself: "I'm going to do a super trick. If I land it, I might win. If I don't land it, I might die. He took the risk and ended up in fourth place - a mega disappointment for him.

What stands out when you look at the 2025 freeride calendar?

Of course: Rampage, of course. The "Natural Selection" was held in New Zealand for the first time this year. I really liked the format. It's a further development of the former Proving Grounds events. The "Backyard Battles" are a cool number. This year we are organising two events of our own. One on our compound in Vienna and one in Innsbruck, where we are using parts of the Crankworx slopestyle and converting it with Clemens Kaudela.

Awards from Darkfest 2025

• King and Queen of Darkness: Matt Macduff, Chelsea Kimball
• Muc-Off Filthiest Whip: Vinny Armstrong, Alessio Tonoli
• Dewalt Best Moment: Lucy Vaneesteren, Finley Kirschenmann and Talus Turk
• Kenda Mind Bender (Best Trick): Robin Goomes (Backflip Can-Can), Kaidan Ingersoll (360 Downside Whip)
• Insta360 Best Run: Bienve Aguado, Vaea Verbeeck
• Insta360 Hotshot Award: Jack Schliemann

What else might interest you:

+ Interview with the freeride brothers from Vienna, Daniel and Elias Ruso
+ What can go wrong using Elias Ruso as a physical example
+ Where you can rock yourself: e.g. in Leogang