These are the criteria for our top 25 list
Thinking outside the box, inventing new tricks, creating stunts that have never been done before or performing in video projects that are refreshingly different. We've been thinking along with scene celebrities. These are our top 25 most creative freeriders:
- Danny MacAskill, Click Hero
- Brandon Semenuk, style icon
- Fabio Wibmer, YouTube Hero
- Josh Lewis, thoroughbred jibber
- Chris Akrigg, all-rounder
- Brage Vestavik, violent biker
- Kirt Voreis, freestyle pioneer
- Paul Couderc, Bike Warrior
- Kriss Kyle, Line Finder
- Erik Hölperl, architecture fetishist
- Matt Jones, bike acrobat
- Kilian Bron, tightrope walker
- Tom van Steenbergen, Bigbike Gladiator
- Christian Rigal, BMX legend
- Kirill Benderoni, stunt hunter
- Josh Bryceland, MTB hippie
- Matt MacDuff, Loop-Matador
- Dylan Stark, Ghost of the City
- Antti Rissanen, Finnish freestyler
- Phil Atwill, Shred-Master
- Emil Johannsson, slopestyle king
- Nicholi Rogatkin, Mr Twister
- Craig Evans, Sheffield Shredder
- Wyn Masters, Bike Weirdo
- Jaxson Riddle, bigmountain freestyler
Do we have anyone? Let us know and send us a email.
1 THE SUPERSTAR - Danny MacAskill (37)
The Scotsman achieved what no biker had ever managed before. With his YouTube clip (2009) "Inspired", Danny captivated an audience of millions that had little to do with biking. Danny shows off his skills in an environment that everyone knows. He drops off bridges, hops on telephone boxes, rolls over barriers and balances on a rolling bale of straw. Danny sets new standards in each of his videos. Unlimited skill, perfectionism and a flood of ideas make him the most creative mind on the bike scene. Super! 1st place for Danny! You can also find out more about Danny MacAskill here.
2 THE ENIGMA - Brandon Semenuk (32)
No rider combines style and creativity like the introverted Canadian. Brandon Semenuk has been inventing new trick combinations for over ten years. He only shows them off when they are perfect. Like the Caveman drop at the last Rampage. Or crazy stunts in his videos, such as in his web edit "Raaw 100 V6". His eye for stunts and sheer inexhaustible trick potential enable him to perform aerial stunts that even professionals can only dream of. In short: the world's most stylish freerider is also at the top when it comes to creativity.
3 THE CLICK MILLIONAIRE - Fabio Wibmer (27)
Fabio Wibmer needs no introduction - practically everyone knows him. With his YouTube videos, the Austrian reaches an audience in the triple-digit millions. His films always surprise with banger stunts, humour and cool ideas. The best example is his clip "Video Game" (see below). Fabio shows that he can do everything, from trail tricks to monster jumps. What's more, Fabio is a master of self-promotion. According to insiders, this makes him the best-paid gravity biker in the world. You can also read the article about our home visit to Fabio Wibmer.
4 THE PLAY CHILD - Josh Lewis (29)
The Brit from Sheffield is the face of the 50to01 crew's trail rowdies. The thoroughbred jibber slides over tree trunks, jumps onto bridge pillars, grinds over boulders... In short: Josh Lewis looks for lines where there are none and tries his stunts until they work. You can see it all on his Insta account. We got to know Josh during a road trip together in New Zealand and can confirm it: This guy is on fire for mountain biking like no other. Creativity flows through Josh's veins - whether in the car park or in the forest, skating or enduro riding, editing videos or designing clothes, making music or goofing around.
These are Josh's top 5 most creative bikers:
- Kirt Voreis
- Sam Hill
- Brandon Semenuk
- Nico Vink
- Josh Bryceland
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5 THE GENIUS - Chris Akrigg (38)
The six-time trials champion from Great Britain is regarded as the most complete biker of all. Why? Chris Akrigg can be fast, playful and stylish; and on any bike. Legendary: his web edit "A Hill in Spain". Chris is an idol, even for superstars like Danny MacAskill. However, Chris never came close to the YouTube reach of Danny or Fabio, although his clips are no less spectacular.
6 THE BRUTE-FREERIDER - Brage Vestavik (23)
Light, supple, tactful? No! Brage goes for the opposite. His trail rides become an act of violence - for man and machine. The burly Norwegian pushes, presses and hammers through bends until the shreds fly. Brage mixes his love of old-school freeriding with modern full-throttle balling. The result is sinister edits with 14-metre drops, skinnys and crazy trick combos. New, fresh, creative! You can find out more about Brage here.
So brute, so new-school, so different - no biker is currently breathing new life into the freeride concept more than B-Rage.
For Brages Vestavik, these are the top 5 most creative bikers:
- Craig Evans
- Paul Genovese
- Kade Edwards
- Alex Volokhov
- Remy Morton
7 THE FREESTYLE PIONEER - Kirt Voreis (48)
Together with the Rocky Mountain freeriders (Wade, Richie & Tippie), Kirt Voreis is one of the very first freeriders. The US-American from Oregon was already doing tricks when the term freeride or freestyle didn't even exist in mountain biking. Kirt Voreis was a racer for a long time, including in the Specialized team with showman and enfant terrible Shaun Palmer. Kirt was already doing tricks on the dirt bike, was one of the first to master bar spins and invented creative trick combos. In the early 2000s, Kirt switched to the freeride camp. Filmmaker Derek Westerlund claims that no other athlete has had as much influence on the scene as Kirt Voreis. Today, Kirt Voreis is already 48 years old, but still jibbing like the young ones.
These are Kirt's top 5 most creative bikers:
- Kriss Kyle
- Tate Roskelley
- Danny MacAskill
- Josh Lewis
- Phil Atwill
8 THE STUNT WARRIOR - Paul Couderc (26)
"What are you doing?" we wanted to shout when we saw Paul Couderc's web clip. Because Paul was dangling from the horizontal bar, his bike between his legs. For the web edits "My War (I-III)", the Frenchman literally spins his wheels. He attempts stunts that we have never seen before. His creations are made together with his brother Adrien.
9 THE VIDEO STAR - Kriss Kyle (30)
The Scotsman is one of the most creative professional BMXers in the world. Now Kriss Kyle is adapting his BMX skills to mountain biking. This not only looks fresh, but also opens up new possibilities for him when building stunts. "I've got the linesickness," says Kriss. In his video "Out of Season", Kriss demonstrates his ingenuity and shows that he can keep up with the really big mountain bikers.
More about Kriss:
10 THE BUILDING OPERATOR - Erik Hölperl (34)
His way of biking is special, but special. Architecture nerd Erik Hölperl from Saxony-Anhalt rides on buildings and captures his hussar rides on camera using a self-timer. The result is some artful images. It's crazy what buildings Erik finds: e.g. radar towers from the war, dilapidated open-air swimming pools from the 1960s, huge glass façades.
11 THE CIRCUS HORSE - Matt Jones (28)
We love British humour - Matt Jones embodies it in its purest form. The entertainment value: huge. Unfortunately, Matt wasn't able to convince us on the FMB World Tour, he kept fluffing when it mattered. But Matt showed his full potential in his film clips. For example in "Frame of Mind" or the Red Bull project "World's First". Matt Jones practised the running gainer bomb drop (photo) and other hair-raising trick combos. Keep up the good work, Matt!
12 THE LINE SEARCHER - Kilian Bron (31)
Kilian Bron tracks down paradisiacal places and combines them with MTB action. The Frenchman manuals over ridgelines, climbs via ferratas, chases after illuminated racing drones in the dark (Follow the Light) or collects landscape sequences in France (Tour de France). In short: Kilian is a master of staging. This is visually stunning and creative!
13 THE BIGBIKE-ARTIST - Tom van Steenbergen (26)
The Canadian from Kelowna, B.C./Canada frontflipped over the 23-metre canyon at the Red Bull Rampage and shocked the freeride scene. His "Wild West" web edits and video appearances are legendary because they are more blatant and spectacular than anything seen before. It wasn't until the 2021 Rampage that Tom's highs were curbed by a major crash.
14 THE CAREER CHANGER - Christian Rigal (33)
Just like Kriss Kyle Christian Rigal is actually a professional BMXer. But the Californian has recently become a mountain bike enthusiast. He jumps 360s into counter-slopes, uses sloping trees as landings or rides walls in the city. "He has the eye," says colleague Kriss Kyle about him. Must see - Christian's web clip "By the Homies".
15 MISTER FEARLESS - Kirill Benderoni (35)
Kirill Churbanov is a freerider of the first hour, at least in Russia. His speciality: XXL drops in gravel pits. This earned him the nickname "Benderoni", inspired by US superdropper Josh Bender. Kirill plays the soundtrack for some of his YouTube clips himself - on clarinet. Kirill is different from most freeriders: instead of loud and shrill, he is quiet and thoughtful. Alcohol and tattoos? Not for Kirill. Together with photographer Lars Scharl, Kirill created stunts that no-one had ever attempted before. Including an open loop. Kirill often failed, but always got up again. Due to the political situation in Russia, Kirill currently lives with his girlfriend in Turkey.
These are Kirill's top 5 most creative bikers:
- Danny MacAskill
- Matt MacDuff
- Dylan Stark
- Josh Lewis
- Alex Nizersky
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16 THE EX-RACER - Josh Bryceland (32)
The overall DH World Cup winner and runner-up (2014), Josh Bryceland, has been focussing on what he loves doing most since 2017: jibbing with his 50to01 buddies. In doing so, he has developed a special flair for reading and utilising the terrain. The Brit with the difficult-to-understand Manchester slang is one of the most charismatic figures in sport. And for us, definitely one of the most creative.
17 THE MEGALOMANIAC - Matt MacDuff (30)
Canadian Matt MacDuff achieved dubious fame with his superloop. He crashed, broke many bones and was given a kamikaze image. But Matt picked himself up and presented himself anew with the web clip: "Title". It features crazy wooden constructions and even crazier stunts. They show that Matt has a special "air awareness" and a large portion of creativity. Find out more about Matt MacDuff and his crash here.
18 THE URBAN SCARE - Dylan Stark (31)
The American from California performs BMX stunts on a big bike, incorporates railslides into a rampage run or drops metres from rooftops onto sloping stairs. In short: combining the BMX and MTB categories makes Dylan s/strong. And creative too. You can see it in his web edit "Real Heat 2". Take a look!
19 THE STUNTMAN - Antti Rissanen (29)
Antti who? As far as we know, it was the young Finn who jumped the first cash roll on a mountain bike in 2011. Since then, Antti Rissanen has repeatedly made headlines. For example with a double flair. But instead of concentrating fully on his biking career, Antti studied. His stunts and ideas therefore fly somewhat under the radar.
20 THE FREERACER - Phil Atwill (26)
Phil Atwill is first and foremost a racer - but instead of just focussing on the fastest time, Phil's play instinct gets the better of him. The Brit is always finding new ways to experiment with the terrain. Nosetaps, rails, manuals - the guy is constantly on the move and no object is safe from Phil. This is creative and requires determination and enthusiasm.
21 THE ALIEN - Emil Johansson (23)
Emil takes progression in slopestyle to the extreme. The Swede spins, flips, whips and twirls like no other slopestyler in the FMB World Tour. Chocolate side? Not for Emil Johansson. He masters complex tricks in both directions and can reach into his bag of tricks at will when combining them. This results in stunts that no biker has ever landed before. Not even his closest friends and fellow riders on the FMB World Tour know how Emil does it. Click here for the interview with Emil Johansson.
22 THE VORTEX KING - Nicholi Rogatkin (27)
The US-American from Massachusetts started his career as a BMX rider. Nicholi was 13 years old at the time. Since 2014, the lively American has been shaking up the MTB slopestyle scene with his typical all-or-nothing approach. For example, Nicholi managed his first cash roll on a big bike and his first twister (1080) in slopestyle. Nicholi loves tricks and the physical border zone.
23 THE THOROUGHBRED JIBBER - Craig Evans (31)
The ex-racer is part of the 50to01 crew. Craig Evans loves to raid the local woods of Sheffield. He manuals over rocks, surfs through foliage turns, balances over tree trunks - Craig's appetite for tricks, stunts and unusual lines is insatiable. At the same time, Craig is one of the favourites for the Red Bull Hardline, which he even won in 2017.
24 THE GOBSHITE - Wyn Masters (35)
With Wyn Masters, it's the total work of art that counts, because Wyn is a jack-of-all-trades. The New Zealander competes in Downhill World Cups, rides EWS races, turns his bike upside down in whip-offs, rolls freehand on the rear wheel, jumps over the Eisbach in Munich's English Garden or bunnyhops over anything and everything. Funny: his clip "Munich Gaps".
25 THE FREESTYLER - Jaxson Riddle (22)
Utah local and motocross fan, Jaxson Riddle, breathes new life into old-school tricks. He not only makes the tricks look cool, but also develops them further. This can be seen in his Rampage Run 2021, which is both creative and stylish. For example: his disco can on the big bike.
