Jake Atkinson, known for his performances at Crankworx and the FMB World Tour, shows a surprising facet of his skills in his latest video. After an intense slopestyle season in the summer of 2024, the Brit took the opportunity to hit the spots of Vancouver with filmer Ohad Nir.
From slopestyle to street: Jake Atkinson changes terrain
The result is a dynamic edit in which Atkinsons moves through the streets of the Canadian metropolis on his GT Jump Bike as if they were his personal skate park. Manuals, barspins, 180s and creative lines characterise the edit, which shows that spectacular tricks don't always require huge kickers.
From trial bike to jump bike: Atkinson's development
Jake Atkinson's path to becoming a professional slopestyle rider began in his home town of Kendal in the north-west of England. At the age of seven, he discovered slopestyle through the first videos of Danny MacAskill his passion for street trials. At the age of eleven, he switched to BMX and since 2020 the jump bike has been his favourite piece of sports equipment. This versatile development is reflected in his current riding style, which combines elements from various bike disciplines. The Vancouver edit shows how Atkinson transfers his experience from trials and BMX to urban riding, demonstrating impressive control over his bike.
Technical challenges and personal highlights
In a statement about his edit, Atkinson emphasises the technical challenges of street riding on a jump bike. "I used to ride a bit of street, but never on a jump bike. But I love the vibe of street riding, so I've always wanted to make a proper street video," explains the Brit. Atkinson is particularly proud of two tricks in the video: "The manual 180 at the very beginning took the most attempts, but the front flip at the end was definitely the hardest trick - and the one I'm most proud of." This statement underlines the range of technical difficulties that Atkinson masters in his edit - from precise, controlled manoeuvres to spectacular rotations.
A look into the future: between street and slopestyle
Despite his insane street performance, Jake Atkinson remains true to his main focus, slopestyle. His next big goal is Crankworx Cairns at the end of May 2025, where he wants to collect enough points to qualify for the prestigious Red Bull Joyride in Whistler. These ambitions show that Atkinson wants to continue competing at the highest level in slopestyle. At the same time, the success of his Vancouver edit suggests that we may see more street projects from him in the future. The combination of slopestyle skills and street creativity opens up a wide range of opportunities for Atkinson to showcase and develop his riding skills.
Technical requirements for bike and rider
Street riding on a jump bike places special demands on the material and rider. In contrast to special street bikes, jump bikes have to be robust enough to withstand hard landings, but at the same time agile enough for precise manoeuvres in urban areas. Jake Atkinson's GT Jump Bike seems to strike this balance perfectly. The geometry of the bike allows for controlled technical tricks such as manuals as well as bigger jumps and rotations. Atkinson's ability to control his bike in a variety of situations emphasises his technical versatility and physical fitness. The combination of bike mastery, body control and creative spot understanding makes the edit an impressive showcase of modern street bike skills.
Maik Schröder
Editor
